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Tea Party or National Security?

Submitted by John Smith on Fri, 11/06/2009 - 13:39

 Six Republican members of the House Judiciary Committee attended Michele Bachmann's Tea Party yesterday instead of attending a committee meeting and voting on Republican-sponsored amendments to the reauthorization of the Patriot Act. TPM reports:

One measure, offered by Rep. Lamar Smith of Texas, the ranking Republican on the committee, failed to pass by a single vote, 15-15. Reps. King and Gohmert were absent.

Another, offered by Rep. Dan Lundgren (R-CA), failed by a vote of 11 to 8. Reps. King, Gohmert, Jordan, and Poe were all missing.

And a third, brought by Rep. Tom Rooney (R-FL), which would have bolstered the ability of local law enforcement to use a device that records phone numbers from a particular phone, failed by 12 to 10, with King, Gohmert, Jordan, Poe, and Franks all absent. (A subsequent amendment that did essentially the same thing later passed, it's worth noting.)

In the end, the bill - which Republicans on the committee blasted, saying it would hinder law enforcement and intelligence agencies in fighting terror - was voted out of committee by 16-10 - with six Republicans absent for the final vote.

I guess the lure of the cameras and the chance to pander to the loons was just too strong to resist compared to the tedium of, you knowing, doing the job you were elected to do.

It is the Sarah Palin syndrome - sometimes governing is just so boring you have to chuck it in so you can spend more time on Facebook.

 

 

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Or maybe they realize Queen Nancy would overrule them anyway

Submitted by Freedoms Truth on Fri, 11/06/2009 - 15:33.

Look at what that political thug Boxer did on the senate side -she refused to acknowledge GOP amendments, so the GOP boycotted the whole charade ... AND THEN BOXER STILL VOTED IT OUT OF COMMITTEE IN VIOLATION OF SENATE RULES!!

Note also the nonsense of Reid and Pelosi rejiggereing legislation OUTSIDE OF COMMITTEES ... WTF is GOING ON?!? THEY SIMPLY INVENT HEALTHCARE BILLS IN A SMOKY BACK ROOM AND WILL LET IT OUT FOR A DAY AND THEN VOTE ON IT?!?! THATS ABSURD. It was abusrd in June when they did a last-minute bait-and-switch on cap-and-trade and it is absurd now, when PelosiCare is getting redefined by the minute to strongarm votes on the bill.

When the Democrats are playing the thug politics of smashing down the minority, its hard for the minority to be particularly motivated to play along with the charade.

 

Queen Nancy? Queen Denny? Queen Newt?

Submitted by John Smith on Fri, 11/06/2009 - 15:50.

 What has Nancy Pelosi done that Hassert or Gingrich would not have done?

You consider Barbara Boxer a thug? Lord, what kind of sissy are you?

No rules were violated. The rules state that the committee cannot mark up a bill unless two members of the minority party are present.  So the Republicans on the committee thought they could thwart democracy by not showing up. In turn Boxer outfoxed them by not marking up the bill - they passed the base version.

A Senator can hardly complain about the outcome of a meeting which he boycotted, now can he?

And, finally: explain to me how the fact that you want Nancy Pelosi to be a supreme hate figure justifies those six Congressmen blowing off their actual duties so that they could attend the Tea Party instead?