But Christy, I thought in Republican land that people weren’t unemployed unless they were worthless no-accounts trying to take the hard working taxpayers for a free ride vacation? /s

CHS, thanks for a poignant reminder to the people responsible for overseeing the financial geniuses that got us into this mess. They’ve gotten their Christmas bonuses, why worry about the little people?

RRRAAAWWW!!!111 git em CHS!

The golden parachute under my Christmas tree will be a cheap import made of toxic plastic. Fa, la, la.

Guess there will be several rethug staffers looking for work starting Jan 5. I remember when that vile Delay was in his hey day he put out word to their new congresscritters not to hire former dem staffers.

Well how about Reid? Did he force those who wanted to filibuster into doing so? Hell no! He had 1 vote, and 32 rethugs signed on with 3 ideologs who want to destroy the big 3 and the UAW. I want to know, where the hell was the filibuster? Reid caves every single time someone says “filibuster” oooh, scare word. The repigs know this and will hold it over him next congress. Threaten filibuster and Reid caves right away. I say tell these a**holes to call home and tell everyone that they will be in DC for however long it takes. Thru Xmas? Well if you are so damn serious about keeping the country out of a depression, then HELL YES!!! Bring in the cots, bring it on! Oh, I forgot, Reid, the coward with no spine and no balls is in charge. Well, we can look foreward to much of the same for the next 2 years as the repigs will do anything, even destroy the economy, to regain power. and the dems will just sit back and nod their heads and say, “look, our colleagues on the republician side are being obstructionists again-yawn-we must do something(cry)”. No balls, no spines.

Congress is being Penny wise and Pound foolish. 700 billion for banksters – they barely batted an eye. 14 million for auto mfgers and its a huge problem.

Union Busting all around. False Information abounds.

From wiki on filibusters:

In current practice, Senate Rule 22 permits filibusters in which actual continuous floor speeches are not required, although the Senate Majority Leader may require an actual traditional filibuster if he or she so chooses. This threat of a filibuster can therefore be as powerful as an actual filibuster. Previously, the filibustering senator(s) could delay voting only by making an endless speech. Currently, they need only indicate that they are filibustering, thereby preventing the Senate from moving on to other business until the motion is withdrawn or enough votes are gathered for cloture

Bottomline is, the rules don’t require the old fashioned form of filibuster (think Mr Smith Goes to Washington) and haven’t required it since the rules change after the Civil Rights filibusters by Strom Thurmond in the ’60s.

although the Senate Majority Leader may require an actual traditional filibuster if he or she so chooses

I think the bottom line is that the guttless one could have called for it if he wanted

Two things are true.

1. The leader at his option can require an actual filibuster.

2. Leaders can be replaced.

So this is on Reid. But it is also on every single Democrat in the caucus who perpetuates his leadership.

I am not positive but I don’t think there has been a ‘traditional’ filibuster in the Senate since the Rule 22 was changed back in the late ’60s or early ’70s.

And at this point, I doubt if any of the potential Dem replacements for Reid would do anything differently on filibusters and cloture.

Don’t forget, this is an institution where they all address each other as “My esteemed and honored colleague” even when they hate each others guts.

This is the reality of the Senate today.

OT sorta
Now that almost all accumulated funds have been savaged to feed the Chicago School of Economic Machine, the only remaining accumulated funds are those of the hyper-wealthy to be targeted. That has begun…:

Top investors ‘hit by $50bn con’

Some of the world’s wealthiest private and corporate investors are reported to be victims of an alleged $50bn fraud by Wall Street broker Bernard Madoff.
Mr Madoff is alleged to have confessed to a huge Ponzi scheme (pyramid fraud).
Reports say the main owner of the New York Mets baseball team, Fred Wilpon, and former American football team owner Norman Braman are among the victims.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7781086.stm

I have nothing against collegiality but there are times where the issues need to take precedence over their club rules.

I’d love to see former Republican staffers in rags, selling pencils and apples at 14th and K. Motherfuckers.

We can blame all the people in the congress all we want but it is the people that are to blame because they keep electing these people. You don’t need a super brain machine to see what the people in congress have done to the country the people and the economy. All our problems are caused by what congress does or doesn’t do. Yet we and the media treats them like they were exhaulted rulers and listens to their every word. I actually believe people like having all this countries problems. Things won’t change until the people get bad enough off they march on Washington.

Stick around, you’ll be seeing some reckoning for these scum. This country’s econ pressure cooker can stand a lot, but only so much before it gives way and spills the scalding water out. Mary McConnell will need her biggest golf bumbershoot. Won’t cover your large ass though, Mary, nor that of the others.

Book Salon a couple of flights up with Jane hosting Ed Begley, Jr.

Those homeless people you see on the streets? Those are the people who gave up on becoming a millionaire, isn’t that right neocons? Spit.

What with the riots in Greece being more against economic policies than the death of a student, and the success of the Furniture Co unionists in Illinois, if I were a Rep or Senator, I would be getting very afraid. The pressure cooker noted above is REAL and if it blows, then Bush’s homeland military force will be useless. I worry about DC liquor outlets being open 24/7 during Obama’s inauguration with all the crowds. I think the Bushies are setting us up for an awful winter! And with over 100,000 auto jobs being lost in Texas, I doubt Bush’s new home would be off-limits for squatters. And those Rep Senators in Southern states will soon know the real meaning of hospitality! There’s got to be someplace for all the out-of-work and/or homeless millions to live!