Login HereHarking back to this morning's pyrrhic Republican stand against motherhood
Republicans, unhappy with the Democratic majority, have been using such procedural tactics as this all week to bring the House to a standstill, but the assault on mothers may have gone too far. House Minority Leader John Boehner, asked yesterday to explain why he and 177 of his colleagues switched their votes, answered: "Oh, we just wanted to make sure that everyone was on record in support of Mother's Day."
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"The majority has taken, once again, their go-it-alone policy," Boehner lamented yesterday. "It's time for Democrats and Republicans to work together."
To induce this working together, Boehner decided to stop the House from working at all. As House Democrats tried to pass legislation to ease the mortgage crisis on Wednesday, Republicans served up hours of procedural delays, demanding a score of roll call votes: 10 motions to adjourn, half a dozen motions to reconsider, various and sundry amendments, a motion to approve the daily journal, a motion to instruct and a "motion to rise."
The high point came just after 6 p.m., when, after one of the motions to adjourn, 61 members lined up to change their votes, one by one. Forty-six went from aye to no, while 15 changed from no to aye. The maneuver ate up 28 minutes in all -- and caused an eruption by Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, who accused the minority of a "filibuster by vote changing."
Yes, they have been doing this all week, but they didn't start this week, and this is hardly the worst case. I'll see you mothers, and raise you grandmothers, grandfathers, children, grandchildren, a widow, and holocaust survivors
Republicans are outraged. Democrats are putting forward a resolution holding White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten and former White House Counsel Harriet Miers in contempt of Congress. House GOP rank-and-file are planning a dramatic walk out when the vote is called.
Democrats are affronted. Right in the middle of the Statuary Hall service for the late Tom Lantos, a Republican went to the floor -- just steps from the solemn proceedings -- and called a procedural vote, apparently out of pique.
On the right, the Lantos memorial service. On the left, the House filing in to respond to a bullshit procedural vote
So why'd you want to do a thing like that?
Why, to protect the president, that's why.
Democrats angrily denounced the GOP as insensitive for calling a "motion to adjourn" — essentially a dilatory tactic — while dignitaries were still giving tributes to Lantos, a Holocaust survivor who was chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee. But Republican aides shot back quickly, saying it was Democrats who broke an agreement to keep the House in recess during the memorial service.
To some extent, it appears both sides are at fault, but the recriminations have been fast and furious.
"The disrespect that has been shown by a Republican member of Congress in calling a political procedural motion during the memorial service for the late Chairman Tom Lantos is incomprehensible," said Stacey Bernards, a spokeswoman for House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.). "It is unjustifiable, and Republican leaders should restrict their members from further such action."
A senior Republican aide, however, said the GOP was given no choice in asking for a vote because Democrats broke their commitment to keep the House in recess during the memorial service. Democrats are pushing a contempt vote against White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten and former Bush counsel Harriet Miers, and have bypassed traditional rules allowing an hour of debate on the matter, according to Jo Maney, a spokeswoman for Republicans on the House Rules Committee.
Well, that's some collegial, post-partisan shit right there.
Funny. I don't remember the Democrats behaving like that while the Republicans shut them out completely over the last six years. As a matter of fact, there are issues (like, say, FISA or war funding) where I still think they could be showing a bit more feist.
So what's got Ol' Saddle Face and the desperado caucus up in arms this time??
US House set to pass sweeping housing rescue bill
Reuters - May 6, 2008
By Patrick Rucker WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The US House of Representatives is due on Wednesday to begin debating a housing rescue package that could see the ...Bush threatens veto of housing aid
The Associated Press - May 6, 2008
WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House on Tuesday threatened a veto of Democrats' broad housing rescue plan, calling it a burdensome bailout that would open ...Conflict over housing crisis threatens rescue package
The Associated Press - May 7, 2008
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Bush and Congress are clashing over how to address the housing crisis, clouding the prospects of an election-year rescue package ...House GOP Rallies At White House
CBS News, NY - May 7, 2008
By Daniel W. Reilly (The Politico) Seeking to put a spate of bad news behind them, House Republicans headed over to the White House on Wednesday morning, ...Conflict over housing crisis threatens rescue package
San Luis Obispo Tribune, CA - May 7, 2008
By JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS AP Writer AP Photo President Bush flanked by House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, right, and House Republican Whip Roy ...White House threatens veto of FHA-rescue bill
CNNMoney.com - May 7, 2008
The House takes up a housing bill with sweeteners meant to reel in Republicans who have called its main provision a bailout. The White House isn't biting. ...
On the other hand, you've got a party at a fundraising, party identification, polling, and let's face it, candidate disadvantage, and your own seat is at stake. What do you do?
House Approves $300B Housing Aid Bill
Smartmoney.com - 23 hours ago
By Michael R. Crittenden WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- US House Democrats, joined by Republicans from states hard hit by the foreclosure crisis, voted Thursday ...Homeowner Rescue Bill Passed Despite Veto Threat
New York Times, United States - 17 hours ago
By DAVID M. HERSZENHORN WASHINGTON — Hoping to throw a rescue line to at least half a million families in danger of losing their homes, ...
You're in the leadership, on the other hand, this looks very bad indeed. You don't want the guy your party is stapled to have to veto some voter's hopes of keeping their houses.
So, you do what you always do. You fume and rage and stomp your feet and delay and make threats and you wait for the Democrats to back down.
Only this time they don't.
So then what happens?
Any one of a stream of former White House patsies could have told you that.
White House leaves door open on housing rescue
Reuters - 1 hour ago
By Kevin Drawbaugh WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House on Friday set out terms for a possible deal on a housing market rescue plan, as a sweeping package ...
Imagine that.
More like this, please.
and hey - happy mother's day
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Julia!
Those Mother HATERS!!!
hi Julia!
Eating Boehner? Ugh. Gamey.
gonna be a rocky mother’s day for those forking anti-mother goppers
dayam, forgot my manners, another excellent post julia
oh i hope so!
Digg it!
hey, folks.
I may have to take a quick break to scrub my frontal lobes, if I can find the brill-o™
Gee whiz, EvilDrPuma
i predict a lot of stony lQQks and a very cold silence
Suicidal tendencies, Suz! They know not what they do…! ;-)
brain bleach personal sized one gallon jugs are located at every power strip and there are 55 gallon barrels located at all entrances and exits to the lake
i’ve learned to stockpile the stuff
A bit OT, but has anyone seen any estimates of how much money it’s going to cost us to get that drunken daughter of our brain addled president married?
Betsy, Suz, any plans for Sunday? We’re going lilac hugging at the botanical gardens.
tx, neurophius!
Sounds like a day of total and complete bullshit- accomplishing nothing- avoiding everything-
Like two heavyweights in the first round tryin to postpone the real fight for a while while they search for an advantage.
No one scored a point.
I understand our beloved Rep. Fossella decided to skip that vote…
Most excellent post, Julia! My wife was shaking her head…! ;-)
He was out gettin laid- he was the SMART one.
doods in enough trouble as it is… his mother is probably the only supporter he has left
Heh, those family values finally caught up with him? ;-)
Surely Eli’s Lieberman post depleted those.
This fucker’s got so many family values that it takes two families to use em all.
I’m juggling bathroom privileges right now, I managed to shave so far…! I have two bathrooms to boot…!
Ok someone explain this to me seriously WHO VOTES AGAINST MOM? What’s next The GOP is going to ban Apple Pie? (mental note must score some pie before the ban Washington Apple’s are great)
Why are the GOP doing this? What are they trying to accomplish? This vote is not motivated by a desire to help Moms, its not motivated by a desire to protect us from our Moms is it? Greed, Power they are out as motives too so what’s left?
Did Satan insist that the GOP vote against Mom’s in exchange for his support this election?
Nah, he’ll always have Guy Molinari and Rudy Giuliani.
Which, come to think of it, may be punishment enough.
…
Nah.
I understand after a few days of not thinking about politics because he’s too busy healing his family he’s finally flying home to Staten Island from DC
Goopers say “Give mom an inch an she’ll take a yard”.
nope, i order it by the tanker - learned to do that back when the darkblack lamprey mouthed a/c picture headed a trex post.
vowed to never run out again
Why is Bush paying the Groom?
Poor guy’s now got two families pissed at him- and they’re both HIS!
Every switched vote: say three minutes x 170something Republican representatives = a really good chunk of the day that the Democrats can’t be voting on a bill the White House doesn’t want.
He’s tearing himself away from the mother of his daughter, Miz Kay? ;-)
Did Holy Joe vote with the GOP on this one?
I don’t know. All the stories in the papers are about him trolling the House floor for supporters.
Heh, it was a House vote…!
Paying or playing?
Cool, so Boner likes Mother’s Day, huh? I’m sure he knows the history of the American Mother’s Day then:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother’s_Day
They support Peace and disarmament now, so when do we start withdrwing from Iraq? They’re on record.
Nah, Joe’s Senate. They have to get their own motherhood vote.
F that they couldn’t find an other bill to stonewall, they couldn’t have done another trick? You would think this bill was an article to impeach.
Jeff Gannon as best man?
Okay, I shall return… I’ll see ya later, Gators…! 8-)
They probably didn’t want to honor illegal immigrant mothers. They only love white born again christian mothers
I suspect they hadn’t worked out the optics yet.
Funnily enough, NPR mentioned the unanimous pro-Mother’s Day vote the next morning and never got around to the switched votes.
I’m still going with the theory that Satan insisted that the GOP vote against Mom’s in exchange for his support this election.
Why do Republicans hate mothers?
Come to think of it, in a strict Freudian construct, that could explain a lot.
Yeah- it would
Traitor Joe’s favorite video:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=V6FAic9R5A0
I knew there was a reason I called him J. Low
Is NPR in league with Satan?
Cripes! I’m trying to channel the SNL Church Lady to get the real Church Ladies to vote Dem. Obama better appreciated this!
and the sexual practices of the republican species…
Oh, I actually get to SEE my kid this mother’s day! (Tex-EX wouldn’t let him come over at all last year!) Not entirely sure what we’re doing,
Cloning,
The Groom looks allot like Bush and someone else pointed out a few nights ago like Karl,
I’m not sure what we’re doing in the evening, but we have a family tradition of hugging blooming lilac bushes in bloom (which, if you wear black, looks very odd by the end of the day, what with pollen and all) and I’m holding out for it.
Spending too much time indoors lately.
Here are the earrings.
We hit 97 today. Depending on how high it is Sunday, our only outdoor activity will be swimming.
Of course the obvious reason the Gop’ers voted against mom — they don’t have any. They are demonspawn that spewed for from old outhouses.
boy, the comments to that post are priceless.
Funny I always thought the guys who bought their Moms a McDonalds Big Breakfast through the Drive through window were cheap and rude to not even give their Mom a sit down meal for breakfast. You would be surprised how Busy McD’s is on Mom’s day for Breakfast. I figure if your that cheap make a home cooked meal it tastes better.
But the GOP has just lowered the bar for worse Mothers Day present ever.
And its not like they accomplished anything either the Dems can bring the bill back for a vote at any time right so my question to the GOP is was it REALLY WORTH IT?
oh, swimming would be nice. Unfortunately, it’s about fifty here right now, and wet.
Also I have tomorrow pencilled in for the kid’s school’s heritage cooking class. This week her english teacher is doing latkes.
My kid is in Dallas until tomorrow late night.
but it wont be as good as your pasta e fagioli
Kevin Smith has another theory.
all them mother-hating r’s are gonna be eating a lotta crow sunday morning…
hey newton the user
Possibilities.
Hi Suz!
I’m thinking of bringing along a little smoked salmon to serve with them, although I guess the kids would prefer apple sauce.
Are the Dems in Congress talking retaliation or is Nancy just going to pout?
none of them hold a candle to jen’s dress
Times like this we need a Leader in the House who can get things done and stand up to the GOP bullies. Nobody in the current House Leadership fits that bill.
Perhaps a bit of “political theatre” is in order.
Like, dozens of Dem Critter Mothers show up to be honored on the House floor. Dozens of resolutions honoring their own Moms.
Bring the House floor to a standstill on their own terms.
goregeous!
perhaps the d’s should be honoring the r’s mom’s since the r’s wont…
I love the draping at the hips.
Hard ta honor the women who brought THESE clowns onto the earth- and raised em ta be—-well you know–ASSHOLES!
I like it.
Clones man Clones thats my theory asexual reproduction!!
Certainly not! That’s gorgeous.
I like that.
Ain’t she gonna be sorta HANGIN out a that sona bitch?
They. don’t. have. mothers.
They come from slimemold.
Gimmicky, yes. Corny, yes.
Effective on the “Evening News” - oh yeah.
If Dems won’t shout the disembowelment of the Nation from the rooftops, then theatre is all that’s left.
Brides are always lovely.
You’d thing given the scandal du jour, they’d be a little sensitive about the subject.
its a gorgeous dress and she nailed it the first day of the search… on sale even :)
i found a lovely similarly styled peignoir set that i got her for the bridal shower - but more 1940’s looking whereas her dress is movie star 1950’s
That’s Suz’ daughter’s dress. Much more tasteful than any possible dress for Babe Bush.
Technically, voting against the motion to table the motion to reconsider is not the same thing as “switching” your vote.
For all you know, if the motion to table failed, after some more useless “debate,” they all would have voted in favor of the Mothers’ Day resolution, just as they all had the first time.
This had zero to do with Mothers’ Day and you know it. It was just the most extreme delaying tactic that we’ve seen so far. (Normally, the motion to table the motion to reconsider is accepted without objection.)
If you want to waste everyone’s time and energy missing the point, knock yourself out.
Are we going to get to see a wedding picture, I hope?
Got a photo of your final selection?
Oh—I got a little confused by the fashion show.
i’ve told the bride to be that i need photos before i return to the lake…
Its not a marriage its a business transaction Jenna will be wearing a bar code!
Well, FDL not being much of a fashion blog, that’s understandable! I think we ought to be giving good time to the McCain fashion statements, though. What a maverick!
Yup! Jenna’s husband will certainly be a future governor somewhere.
GOP spin playing politics with Mothers Day is the point is nothing sacred? This it wasn’t a vote against Mom’s is the kind of weasel excuses we expect from “America does not torture ” Bush.
Makes for a wild wedding night, though!
In Paraquay
I doubt it. He really blew it if he thought his father-in-law could help him out!
Let’s not export our garbage to Latin America.
Technically, voting against the motion to table the motion to reconsider is not the same thing as “switching” your vote.
Try telling your Mom that! Hi Mom I didn’t forget Mothers Day I voted to table a motion for Mothers Day.
I think everyone gets the point. The post was sort of about that.
I think everyone’s just a little gleeful that the mighty Republican appearances machine has gotten its works so glued up.
MOTB dress
True, George can’t do anything for him but he has an evil grandmother-in-law now.
Absolutely beautiful suz. she will be such an elegant, classy bride. applause for not going strapless; the brides I’ve seen wearing strapless spend much of their time with their shoulders hunched forward in an effort to keep their breasts adequately covered.
dood. Look at your pleats.
I’d have to stop eating a year before the wedding.
she said it is the most confortable dress she has ever tried on…. and can’t wait to dance in it
Hi everyone. I just finished watching Bill Moyers Journal and I’m very upset. Pissed. Tortured, you might even say.
I need to read a little late nite to settle down before I head to bed.
Very elegant Suz!
I remember that beautiful dress now, Suz. I like the jacket part alone. That will be great with jeans, and you may end up getting more use out of the jacket than the dress! (Although I’d wear it around the house after it’s used up it’s best days!) Looks comfy.
Hey.
This had zero to do with Mothers’ Day and you know it. It was just the most extreme delaying tactic that we’ve seen so far. (Normally, the motion to table the motion to reconsider is accepted without objection.)
This had everything to do with how far the GOP would go to delay a bill which can be voted on again at any time.
So then the GOP accomplished nothing by doing this accept to buy some time a few days worth? Was a Vote against Moms really worth that. Is nothing sacred to the GOP?