June 15, 2005

Frist to force filibuster-ending vote

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said yesterday he will force another vote to end a filibuster of President Bush's pick to be ambassador to the United Nations at the end of this week, and called Democrats' recent letter requesting information "absurd."
[I love the recent GOP use of the appropriate word for meaningless obstruction and BS: absurd.
It's apt for the Dems mess in the Senate and it applied when President Bush used it to describe AmNASTY Int'l.'s labelling of Gitmo a "gulag."--Jen]
   
 "What's bothering me a little bit now, is that every time we sort of make a step forward, the demands grow and numbers of names being looked at, or shifting goal posts in terms of background information," the Tennessee Republican said. "It makes me think that it isn't really whether or not John Bolton could be a good ambassador representing us as we address the challenging issues at the United Nations, but there is something beyond that."

No, Sen. Frist, the Dems' blocking of the nomination isn't about Bolton's qualification to be UN ambassador and never has been;
it's just sheer obstructionism to President Bush, his Administration and his policies any way the Left and the Dem Libs can.
Thank God President Bush is now openly acknowledging this obstructionism (and not being an optimist about "bipartisanship") and that it is harmful to the security of this country:
Bush hits Democratic 'agenda of the roadblock'

President Bush last night ripped the Democratic Party as do-nothing obstructionists bent on derailing his reform agenda, saying that on issue after issue, Democratic leaders in Congress 'stand for nothing except obstruction, and this is not leadership.'
    
At an evening congressional gala at the Washington Convention Center -- which drew $23 million for House and Senate Republican candidates
[Quite a contrast with Howie Dean's inability to raise $ for the DNC!--J.T.]
and amounted to the kickoff of the 2006 political campaign season -- the president drew standing ovations from Republican faithful as he hammered Democrats for offering no solutions to the nation's most pressing problems.

 'If leaders of the other party have innovative ideas, let's hear them. But if they have no ideas or policies except obstruction, they should step aside and let others lead,' Mr. Bush said to thunderous applause from more than 5,000 supporters.
    
The president, who has spent the past several months seeking consensus on his Social Security reform package and reaching out to Democrats with nonconfrontational rhetoric, said opposition party leaders are pursuing 'the philosophy of the stop sign, the agenda of the roadblock, and our country and our children deserve better.'
   
 'Political parties that choose the path of obstruction will not gain the trust of the American people,' he said at the event dubbed 'the 2005 President's Dinner.'

 Mr. Bush said political parties can take one of two approaches: 'One approach is to lead, to focus on the people's business, to take on the tough problems, and that is exactly what our party is doing.
    
'The other approach is to simply do nothing, to delay solutions, obstruct progress, refuse to take responsibility. Members of the other party have worked with us to achieve important reforms on some issues, yet too often, their leadership prefers to block the ideas of others.'
    
Democrats have filibustered John R. Bolton, Mr. Bush's nominee to become ambassador to the United Nations; blocked his judicial nominees, some for as long as four years; and demanded that he withdraw his idea to create personal Social Security retirement accounts before they will offer their own plan or negotiate in earnest over Republican proposals.
    
Congressional leaders such as House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada have also blocked the president's energy bill, his medical-liability reform legislation and his plan to extend his tax-relief plan beyond its 2010 expiration date.
   
 'We hear 'no' to making tax relief permanent, we hear 'no' to Social Security reform, we hear 'no' to confirming federal judges, we hear 'no' to a highly qualified U.N. ambassador, we hear 'no' to medical-liability reform. On issue after issue, they stand for nothing except obstruction, and this is not leadership,' he said to resounding applause.
[Wish I could have been there to join in this "Hallelujah Chorus!"--Jen]
[...]
Mr. Hastert also lashed out at the agenda of 'the other side of the aisle.'
   
 'It is not enough to be against everything: What are their ideas?' While Republicans are working to meet the needs of the American people, the Democrats are in meetings to figure out what the heck to do with Howard Dean.'
    
To laughter and applause, Mr. Hastert delivered the punch line: 'And between you and I, they might have the tougher challenge.'

Too funny and precious, Leader Hastert!
The Dims deserve Dean; he'll be like a horrible STD--they'll never be able to get rid of him...or Algore...or Billary... or John "the D man" Kerry!
And Heaven be praised that President Bush has finally tackled the Democrat problem in public and up front and stopped pretending to that a "Rodney King" approach was going to work to get America's business done.
I'd say that this signals a directive from the top that the GOP velvet gloves are to come off, slowly, carefully, but surely.
Rep. James Sensenbrenner started the new wave last Friday when he gavelled the 11th committee meeting on the Patriot Act renewal, of which he was the patient and polite Chairman, to a close and then walked out with the gavel, leaving the Dims to sputter into their on again-off again mikes! (Tee-hee-hee!)
Here's the MSNBC BSDNC version, which is very poorly written, BTW:
House Patriot Act hearing abruptly ends


Democrats cut short as GOP chairman walks off with gavel

The Republican chairman walked off with the gavel, leaving Democrats shouting into turned-off microphones at a raucous hearing Friday on the Patriot Act.
The House Judiciary Committee hearing, with the two sides accusing each other of being irresponsible and undemocratic, came as President Bush was urging Congress to renew those sections of the post-Sept. 11 counterterrorism law set to expire in September.

Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., chairman of the panel, abruptly gaveled the meeting to an end and walked out, followed by other Republicans. Sensenbrenner declared that much of the testimony, which veered into debate over the detainees at Guantanamo Bay, was irrelevant.
[...]
Democrats asked for the hearing, the 11th the committee has held on the act since April, saying past hearings had been too slanted toward witnesses who supported the law. The four witnesses were from groups, including Amnesty International USA and the American Immigration Lawyers Association, that have questioned the constitutionality of some aspects of the act, which allows law enforcement greater authority to investigate suspected terrorists.

Nadler said Sensenbrenner, one of the authors of the Patriot Act, was “rather rude, cutting everybody off in mid-sentence with an attitude of total hostility.”
[This is just plain not true: Sensenbrenner was polite, firm and conducted the entire meeting according to Robert's Rules of Order!
And if you can't take my word for it, watch it on CSPAN to see for yourself.
[...]
Sensenbrenner’s spokesman, Jeff Lungren, said the hearing had lasted two hours and “the chairman was very accommodating, giving members extra time.”

James Zogby, president of the Arab American Institute, speaking immediately after Sensenbrenner left, voiced dismay over the proceedings. “I’m troubled about what kind of lesson this gives” to the rest of the world, he told the Democrats remaining in the room.
[Um, Mr. Zogby, the "rest of the world" can think what it likes, but I'm worried about my safety and security as an American in wartime here and now and that involves renewing and strengthening the Patriot Act!]

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, in a statement, said the hearing was an example of Republican abuse of power and she would ask House Speaker Dennis Hastert to order an apology from Sensenbrenner.

I better not see or hear of Rep. Sensenbrenner doing any such thing!
He behaved as a perfect gentleman and a statesman and as a U.S. Congressperson should.
It's past time to get the Patriot Act renewal out of committee and onto the floor of Congress for an up-or-down vote.
I couldn't be more pleased to see our GOP leaders acting more like leaders and in the cases of both houses of Congress like the Majority Party they were elected by we, the people to be.
My greatest fear, however, is that we'll get the momentum going back on our side right before everyone adjourns for the summer and come fall, we'll be back to square one...Oh, the horror.
The American people, though, have long memories and I don't think they'll forget the way the Dems have blocked, obstructed, bloviated and grandstanded for all of the first 6 months of President Bush's 2nd term.
They shouldn't have been allowed to do this once and I pray Heaven that we don't allow them to do it again.
It's one thing to be gentlemen and gentleladies in Washington, but America's present and future is at stake.
Take the gloves off and keep them off--there's work to do and a war to win!