Give Us A Joe, Please

Joes are important these days. During the campaign, it was Joe the Gaffer versus Joe the Plumber. Since the election, there is a new cup of Joe with the morning paper -- Senator Joe Lieberman.

The Moderate Voice (aptly named, given the topic) explains the drama and intrigue. The pertinent questions include whether President-elect Obama will punish Lieberman for having supported Senator McCain, whether Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid will allow Lieberman to retain his chairmanship of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, and what Lieberman will do in response.

The Connecticut Senator could caucus with Senate Republicans, as Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell wants. Let's hope McConnell succeeds in persuading Lieberman. Another Joe would help take away the ache that still pounds in Republican heads since the election.
Please note: The postings of "G. Morris", written by John K. Bush and which end in 2016, stated his views as of the dates of posting and should not be understood as current assertions of his views. The postings, which have not been altered since they came to an end, remain on this blog to preserve the historical record. In 2017, Mr. Bush took a position that precludes further public political comments or endorsements. He will no longer be contributing to this blog.

House Republicans Refuse To Roll, So Democrats Spin Out Of Control

Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid and other Democrats on the Hill have been spinning out of control today trying to blame yesterday's breakdown of talks at the White House on the presence of Senator McCain at the meeting. In a supremely Machiavellian move, Reid and his Democratic colleagues falsely accused McCain of injecting "presidential politics" into the legislative debate yesterday, while the object of their press conferences today was precisely that: to promote Obama's candidacy by trying to portray the disfunctional meeting yesterday as somehow a win for Obama.

Critical observers should not be fooled. Shouldn't the blame really be placed on Senator Obama, who apparently was not prepared (too much time at the gym?) to address the House Republicans' concerns about the proposed bailout package? After all, it was Obama who was tasked by the Democrats at yesterday's White House meeting with tying the ribbon on the legislative package. The problem for Obama, however, was that not everyone was yet wrapped into the package -- namely, the House Republicans, who rightly felt that their concerns about the price tag and other aspects of the legislation had not been addressed.

Jake Tapper of ABC News reported this comment from Congressman John Boehner, who has led the House Republican revolt:

"I don't know what games were being played at the White House yesterday, ganging up on Boehner," said House GOP Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio "but if they thought they were rollin' me they were kidding themselves."

It appears that the Democrats tried to orchestrate yesterday's meeting so that Obama would sweep in and take all the credit for the legislation. When that did not occur because of the House Republicans' objections, then the Democrats decided to blame McCain.

But contrary to what the Democrats claim, it was not McCain who caused the impasse. As Mark Ambinder reports:

Though Sen. Chris Dodd implied that Sen. McCain sandbagged the rest of the negotiators by bringing up alternative proposals, McCain himself did not bring up those proposals, according to four independent sources briefed by four different principals inside the meeting, including two Republicans and two Democrats.

"McCain has not attacked the Paulson deal," said a third Republican who was briefed by McCain direclty. "Unlike the [Democrats] in the [White House] meeting, he didn't raise his voice or cause a ruckus. He is urging all sides to come together."

Republicans like John Boehner brought up the concerns of House GOPers and McCain acknowledged hearing about their concerns. And McCain, and staffers, did seek to gauge the level of support of the GOP working group's white paper. The Democrats were left with the impression that McCain endorsed the GOP efforts, but they concede that he did not raise them directly.

The fact is that Boehner doesn't have 100 votes from his conference -- 100 votes that Nancy Pelosi really wants. And that's not McCain's fault.

Contrary to what Reid and other Democrats claim, McCain's presence in Washington, D.C. this week has been positive for the legislative debate and negotiations. It is critical for both McCain and Obama to be active participants in the process because, after all, one of those two men is going to the president and in charge of managing everything in the legislation in just a few months. And it is important for both men to respond constructively to the House Republicans' issues rather than simply "roll them", as Obama and other Democrats apparently tried to do yesterday.

The irony is that Obama, the supposed "uniter", is trying to divide Capital Hill by not dealing with the House Republicans' concerns. McCain, in contrast, is listening and trying to work on a compromise to bring everyone -- liberals and conservatives -- together.

But obviously no good deed goes unpunished in a presidential campaign, as evidenced by Reid and other Democrats' partisan rancor against McCain.

In contrast to Reid, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell struck precisely the right note in his remarks today, as reported by Jake Tapper of ABC News:

"We think it's extremely important not only to get the substance of the package right, but to do it quickly," said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, "and I think everybody is trying to go forward in good faith."
. . . .
Both [Senator Judd] Gregg and McConnell said that -- despite assertions by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and House Financial Services Committee Chair Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass. -- the presence of Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., in negotiations has been positive.

McCain has "been a very constructive part of this," said McConnell.

Gregg said that it was helpful for both presidential candidates to return to Washington, DC. "Senator McCain, Senator Obama coming back to the city, coming back to Washington, significantly moved the process along, because, first, it got us focused. But, secondly, more importantly, it got the American people focused on the seriousness of the issue...So I think that was constructive."

McConnell agreed, saying the presence of Obama and McCain "underscored the significance of moving forward and moving forward on a bipartisan basis and doing it quickly."

Hopefully Obama will return with McCain to the nation's capital quickly after tonight's debate and step up his activity in Washington beyond simply being "present" to "roll" the opposition. For the country's sake, Obama should work to forge a consensus with all lawmakers on the Hill, including the House Republicans, as McCain seeks to do.

Please note: The postings of "G. Morris", written by John K. Bush and which end in 2016, stated his views as of the dates of posting and should not be understood as current assertions of his views. The postings, which have not been altered since they came to an end, remain on this blog to preserve the historical record. In 2017, Mr. Bush took a position that precludes further public political comments or endorsements. He will no longer be contributing to this blog.

Harry Reid Says He's A Rookie On Wall Street Issues, While Mitch McConnell Acts Like A Starter

The respective statements today of Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell are instructive as to which party is best positioned to deal legislatively with the current crisis on Wall Street. ABC News reports:

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, asked today what new regulatory actions Congress can take, said, bluntly, "No one knows what to do. We are in new territory here. This is a different game. We're not here playing soccer, basketball or football, this is a new game and we're going to have to figure out how to do it."
In contrast to Reid's "rookie" statement, McConnell made clear that he and his fellow Republicans are ready to take the field as starters in dealing with the nation's economic concerns:
"Now more than ever is the time to rise above politics and to work together. our constituents don't want campaign speeches and hyperpartisan accusations. They want security for their homes and for their savings. They want energy security and lower costs for gas and oil, and they want protection from future tax hikes on their income. Government should be focused on bipartisan efforts to address the fundamental problems in the credit markets and must be cautious in putting taxpayer dollars at risk. and we should work together to help all Americans. "

Please note: The postings of "G. Morris", written by John K. Bush and which end in 2016, stated his views as of the dates of posting and should not be understood as current assertions of his views. The postings, which have not been altered since they came to an end, remain on this blog to preserve the historical record. In 2017, Mr. Bush took a position that precludes further public political comments or endorsements. He will no longer be contributing to this blog.

Harry Reid Acknowledges The New Reality

This could be a good one. Drudge reports that Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid referred to the Republican presidential nominee as "President McCain." It is a developing story; no link yet.

Please note: The postings of "G. Morris", written by John K. Bush and which end in 2016, stated his views as of the dates of posting and should not be understood as current assertions of his views. The postings, which have not been altered since they came to an end, remain on this blog to preserve the historical record. In 2017, Mr. Bush took a position that precludes further public political comments or endorsements. He will no longer be contributing to this blog.

Harry Reid Left Speechless

Speaking of Democratic bubbles bursting, it's amazing what a little debate will do to shut up a bad idea. As Rich Lowrey of the New York Post writes today,

RARELY has so much hectoring produced so little.

After all the magazine covers, celebrity sermonizing and UN-certified-expert hand-wringing, the fight against global warming got a real-world test in the US Senate a few weeks ago in the debate over a proposal to limit carbon emissions through a cap-and-trade system.

After a small dose of the argument, the proposal's backers couldn't wait to drop it. It was leading opponent Mitch McConnell, the Republican Senate minority leader, who declared he'd be happy to talk about cap-and-trade for a month.

As an indirect tax on carbon, cap-and-trade would increase energy prices when people are straining under $4-a-gallon gas. Even a political naif - which McConnell assuredly isn't - would realize the benefit of hanging the proposal around its supporters' necks. Lately, we've seen the tech and housing bubbles burst, and now - at least as an urgent political issue - the global-warming bubble is getting pricked.
. . . .
No matter what the price of gas is, the most sensible US policy is to avoid costly schemes to fight global warming. If our economy keeps growing, we'll be better positioned - richer and more technologically proficient - to help others mitigate its effects decades from now.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid huffs that global warming is "the most critical issue of our time." Really? More critical than energy prices? Than health care? Than wages? Than terrorism? Than nuclear proliferation?

Keep huffing, Sen. Reid - that deflating bubble needs all the air it can get.

Please note: The postings of "G. Morris", written by John K. Bush and which end in 2016, stated his views as of the dates of posting and should not be understood as current assertions of his views. The postings, which have not been altered since they came to an end, remain on this blog to preserve the historical record. In 2017, Mr. Bush took a position that precludes further public political comments or endorsements. He will no longer be contributing to this blog.

NRO Praises McConnell on Judges

It's understandable that the Democrats would want to run down the clock on confirming judges in the last months of the Bush administration. But for Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid to make and then break a promise to confirm three judges before Memorial Day is just dishonorable.

National Review Online praises Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell for holding Reid accountable, quoting McConnell's blunt criticism:

At the beginning of this Congress, the Majority said it would meet or exceed the average of 17 circuit court nominees that have been confirmed in prior Congresses; yet it has only confirmed eight circuit court judges thus far. More disturbing, the Chairman of the Committee recently threatened to shut down the confirmation process completely, an action that would break yet another historical precedent.

The Majority said it would treat Republican senate delegations fairly; yet for months, the Democratic Majority has only worked on circuit court nominees from states with a Democratic senator.

The Majority said it would do its ‘utmost,’ said it would do ‘everything’ possible, said it would do ‘everything within its power’ to confirm three more circuit court nominees by the Memorial Day recess; yet it only confirmed one nominee. Moreover, it appears the Majority did not seriously attempt to honor its commitment. Indeed, since that deadline passed almost two weeks ago, the Democratic Majority has still failed to confirm more circuit court nominees.

The Democratic Majority has refused to honor its commitments. It apparently believes that commitments do not matter in the United States Senate, and that actions do not have consequences.

McConnell is absolutely right; these nominees deserve an up or down vote. If the Democrats want to vote against confirming them, then at least have the courage and the decency to let their names come to the floor for a vote. These nominees are not legal abstractions. They're people who have put their professional lives on hold and subjected themselves to all sorts of investigations and vetting -- all because they believe in the rule of law and calling of public service.

Reid and his cohorts can vote down every single Bush judicial nominee, if they like. But they won't -- they'll just let these nominees languish in committee, because they lack the guts to actually vote on the record. What a bunch of sissies.

Reid Flips His "Obstructionist" Theme

Democrats are flummoxed by yesterday's vote by Republicans to proceed with debate on Senator Feingold's amendment to cut and run from Iraq. That is clear from the statements of Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid, as reported by the Christian Science Monitor:

Democratic leaders had planned to use this week's floor time to debate high-profile legislation on relief for Americans facing home foreclosures. "It is obvious to me what the game plan is: They want us to slow the Senate down from getting things done," Senator Reid said, after the 70-to-24 vote to take up the Iraq bill. "It is very clear that they are going to do everything they can to stop us from getting to the housing legislation, which the American people badly need."

So to try and salvage what is likely to be another resounding legislative defeat for far-left Democrats on Iraq, Reid audaciously flips their "obstructionism" theme. Earlier they had complained that Republicans are hurting the American people by preventing the Senate from voting on proposed Democratic legislation. Now, they complain that Republicans are hurting the American people by allowing the Senate to vote on proposed Democratic legislation. Call it the "d**mned if they do, d**mned if they don't" election-year strategy.

Please note: The postings of "G. Morris", written by John K. Bush and which end in 2016, stated his views as of the dates of posting and should not be understood as current assertions of his views. The postings, which have not been altered since they came to an end, remain on this blog to preserve the historical record. In 2017, Mr. Bush took a position that precludes further public political comments or endorsements. He will no longer be contributing to this blog.

I'd Rather Watch a Superbowl Ad

Democratic Senate Leader Harry Reid has taken brevity to a new level: today he convened the Senate for another "pro-forma session." Guess how long it lasted? Not 30 hours, not 30 minutes: the whole charade took 30 seconds.

It's a rerun of what Reid has done all Thanksgiving break to keep the president from making a recess appointment. Though the constitution specifically empowers the president to make recess appointments, the Democrats continue to stonewall his authority.

Once again, the Democrats remind us that when it comes to the constitution, they are extraordinarily imaginative at creating new rights out of whole cloth. But they cannot or will not read and comprehend the plain meaning of words, like those found in article II, section 2 clause 3: "The President shall have power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session."

Harry Reid's mini-sessions are an end-run around this constitutional provision. They are also anti-majoritarian -- just more sour grapes at the Democrats' inability to win the White House.

And for a bunch of pseudo-environmentalists even to turn on the lights on Capitol Hill for a thirty-second session. Al Gore should really investigate how Harry Reid's "leadership" of the Senate exacerbates global warming.

No Recess For Do-Nothing Democrats

After a year of doing so little while in control of Congress, Democrats couldn't stand for the President to do anything either. So Democratic Senate Leader Harry Reid made "the unprecedented decision to keep the Senate in pro-forma sessions during the holiday break," reports the Las Vegas Sun.

The purpose for keeping the turkeys in Washington was to prevent any recess presidential appointments -- including the naming of Kentuckian James Holsinger, M.D., as Surgeon General.

The Las Vegas Sun quotes a spokesman for Republican Leader Mitch McConnell as saying "Democrats would get as much done in the pro-forma 'as they have all month - nothing.'"

Indeed, as Jack Kelly of RealClearPolitics.com observes, "[t]he Democratic Congress has done virtually nothing except to try (and fail) to pass measures to cripple the war effort and to hamstring efforts to surveil terrorists," and "[v]oters have noticed" by making "[t]he current Congress . . . the most unpopular in the history of polling." For the latest polling numbers, see the post immediately below.

McConnell Remains More Popular Than Democrats

The Yale Man, Matt Gunterman, is clicking his heels about the latest Survey USA poll showing Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell's approval rating at 44%. But before he becomes too frenzied, here are some other numbers for perspective.

Democratic Leader Harry Reid's latest approval rating in his home state of Nevada: 39%.

Approval rating for Democratic-"led" Congress, according to the average of recent nationwide polls: 22.5% -- half of McConnell's approval rating.