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1 Romantic Heretic  Mon, Apr 16, 2012 5:06:02pm

Quelle surprise.

2 SpikeDad  Mon, Apr 16, 2012 5:39:31pm

Is it now illegal for news reports to include the actual voting count? I assume along party lines but a reporter might mention this - it's important.

3 researchok  Mon, Apr 16, 2012 5:50:23pm

re: #2 SpikeDad

Is it now illegal for news reports to include the actual voting count? I assume along party lines but a reporter might mention this - it's important.

The Senate is split 51-47 in favor of the Dems with 2 independents who usually vote with the Dems.

4 goddamnedfrank  Mon, Apr 16, 2012 6:03:36pm

re: #3 researchok

The Senate is split 51-47 in favor of the Dems with 2 independents who usually vote with the Dems.

The other half of that story is that the Senate needs 60 votes because the GOP filibusters everything nowadays, which is exactly what happened here:

By a near party-line 51-45 tally, senators voted to keep the bill alive but fell nine votes short of the 60 needed to continue debating the measure. The anti-climactic outcome was no surprise to anyone in a vote that was designed more to win over voters and embarrass senators in close races than to push legislation into law.

In other words, the Democrats have enough votes to pass the bill, if only the GOP would end their obstructionism.

5 researchok  Mon, Apr 16, 2012 6:38:02pm

re: #4 goddamnedfrank

I was simply responding to the numbers question.

6 Mich-again  Mon, Apr 16, 2012 8:21:36pm
Yet the measure would have raised just $47 billion over a decade, a smidgen of the $7 trillion in federal deficits expected during that time.

There isn't going to be a silver bullet that fixes the entire problem. But surely $47 Billion toward to total is nothing to sneeze at.

The journey of 1000 miles begins with the first 7 miles.

Thats about the right analogy.. What, is the GOP going to sit back and do nothing until someone figures out one totally awesome idea that will net the entire $7 trillion over 10 years. It doesn't work like that. We have to chip away.

Either Mitch is really stupid, or he thinks his constituents are.

7 Mich-again  Mon, Apr 16, 2012 8:34:58pm

re: #4 goddamnedfrank

I say the Dems need to call their bluff and actually force the GOP to fillibuster something like this. Make them go all day and all night wasting the Senate's time. Televise their stupid phone book speeches so that all of America can watch.

I do not get this "Oh well, we can't stop them from a fillibuster " defeatism. Yes you can make them stop. Make them actually do it and they will stop themselves.

8 HappyWarrior  Mon, Apr 16, 2012 9:22:28pm

re: #7 Mich-again

I say the Dems need to call their bluff and actually force the GOP to fillibuster something like this. Make them go all day and all night wasting the Senate's time. Televise their stupid phone book speeches so that all of America can watch.

I do not get this "Oh well, we can't stop them from a fillibuster " defeatism. Yes you can make them stop. Make them actually do it and they will stop themselves.

I agree- Make them argue it. Hell I think if more Americans saw that the Republican caucus cares more about coddling the very wealthy than they would realize that this is a good idea. And to the Republicans, it's class warfare to always cut social programs too you jerks.

9 kirkspencer  Tue, Apr 17, 2012 5:26:55am

This zombie - call them on it and make them filibuster - keeps coming up.

Have two republicans present. One will speak for an hour. Make a quorum call. Make a call for ruling. Speak a bit, make another quorum call and another call for ruling. Need to take a bathroom break, tag team for the other. The instant enough dems (and all it takes it two) leave the room, call for the quorum and have the senate adjourn. Repeat. That's the mechanics - two senators a day can keep the thing going forever, and they only have to spend half a day actually talking.

That sets aside the Senate "two-track" rules, rules that allow legislation to progress while other legislation is blocked. A proper dance of moves and the Republicans don't even have to talk; it's just 'assume they're talking and go on with the other business'.

Mr. Smith goes to Washington is fiction. It was barely possible when the movie was made, and the rules changed soon after.

10 Buck  Tue, Apr 17, 2012 9:36:47am

The 'Buffet Rule' was voted down with a 51-45 count against.

Sen. Mark Pryor of Arkansas was the only Democrat to oppose the measure; Sen. Susan Collins of Maine was the only Republican to support it.

Why stop at adding up the dollars at 10 years? 5 billion a year? That would be 500 Billion in only 100 years? 5 Trillion in 1000 years....

So this measure really could pay off the debt, we just have to extend it out for only 3000 years.

Point is to just say 5 Billion a year. That will not do anything towards the debt. It wont create any jobs, and it wont do anything at all towards the debt.

It might cause people to pull back from investing in the stock market. It might effect hundreds of millions of individual retirement plans. It might effect the pension funds of people who depend on them.

Risk / reward says...... don't do it.

11 wrenchwench  Tue, Apr 17, 2012 9:41:01am

re: #10 Buck

The 'Buffet Rule' was voted down with a 51-45 count against.

It was 51-47 in favor, Buck.

12 Romantic Heretic  Tue, Apr 17, 2012 9:59:24am

Stop inserting facts into arguments about Truth™. //


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