Posted on 12/18/2002 4:20:13 AM PST by Chairman_December_19th_Society
We will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail! [President Bush]
Good morning!! Do not let the victims of the attacks on New York and Washington, nor the brave members of our Nation's military who have given their lives to protect our freedom, die in vain!!
In response to the 12,000-page Iraqi declaration, one unnamed Administration official has termed the report "an incredible joke."
Senator Lott vowed to fight for his position as Majority Leader. New GOP elections are set for January 6 in the Senate to decide the matter.
Hitlery is likely to get the position of the Criminal Party's Senate Steering Committee - a group in charge of positioning Senators and the party as a whole for the 2004 election cycle by shaping the attack lines on the GOP.
The United States is concerned the situation in Venezuela could deteriorate rapidly. Already, crude oil prices are back over $30/bbl.
France claims it has arrested three men who plotting a WMD attack using either chemical or biological weapons.
MacDonalds is expected to post its first quarterly loss in its history.
And British meteorologists claim that 2002 will end up being the second warmest year worldwide since records started being kept more than 140 years ago. (Of course, this would require readers of the UK Independent to accept there are both records for everywhere in the world and they have been kept for 140 years.)
For AMERICA - The Right Way, I remain yours in the Cause, the Chairman.
I am really excited to go see the movie, as it is supposed to be better than the first one.
I for one am still trying to figure this thing out.
I cannot find a way to justify Lott's remarks. He was a jerk for making them. It indicates to me that he is rather lacking in judgement and in brains.
I find it rather interesting the tempest that has resulted. I watched Robert Byrd say "Nigger" on Live TV last year or whenever. Nobody else seems to have noticed. Byrd is clearly a display of a senile old wreck of a Politician. He is sickening to watch. IMHO, Lott is an Idiot who somehow made it to a very high place in American politics. That has always confounded me. I simply do not see what it is that he brings to the table. I do discern that he has obviously some characteristics that can only be defined as "ruthless." I have no time for that either. It is frustrating to watch these jackals. I wish that things were different. Where does this uproar come from? Southern politicians have always made remarks that are what many would deem to be racist in nature. I see it all as hypocrisy run amok. I have no love for Trent Lott, that is for sure. He could never get 1 of my precious votes. On the other hand there are few that would.
I am just a silly radix!
Hubby is sitting down there with his computer, his Palm pilot, and his Nextel phone/2-way-radio keeping his finger on things. We had a supervisors' meeting this afternoon and I told all of them that they know a lot more about what's going on with hubby than I do ..... he's bugging them to death on their 2-ways ...... LOL!
Hopefully we'll get the results of the MRI tomorrow and will then know in what direction things will go. But for right now we're thankful that Mom is a great deal more comfortable. S-i-l went home today so now hubby just has to deal with his s-i-l and not referee between his sister and his s-i-l ..... things were getting real touchy there. It's a long story ...... :-)
How's the Baby Watch going?
/john
It is not a constitutional office. It is a partisan officer, elected by members of a caucus. The rules governing it are made up by the caucus that prevails in the majority vote. Thus Daschle was "Majority Leader" when his party did not have a majority. Jeffords joined the Democratic caucus, thus enabling the Democratic "floor" or "majority" leader to manage the caucus' agenda. Go here for the Responsibilities of Majority and Minority Leaders. The Senate website defines the floor leaders' role this way:
The relations between floor leaders and their respective party memberships revolve around an exchange basis. The members of the political party having consolidated their strength elect a leader and place this power at his disposal for operation of the legislative machine to carry out the party's program. The members of the party, in return for their support, can expect the leader's assistance in meeting their individual political needs insofar as practicable. The relationship is one of compromise and mutual forbearance in order to function as a body - a common characteristic of all popularly elected legislative institutions. The leaders are in a position to help any Senator of their party in most cases where the Senator would be unable to help himself acting alone. Individual Senators often consult the leadership about the following matters: when to participate in debate, committee assignments to be sought, particular appointments desired, the passage of particular pieces of legislation, the confirmation of particular nominations and desired administrative action by the executive branch, particularly when the President and the majority in control of Congress are of the same political party. In particular, the appointment powers of the two party leaders gives them some leverage in working with the members of their respective parties.It continues with a statement relevant to our question about the functioning of a compromised or weakened floor leader:
The position of the floor leader is not that of an army general over a multitude of soldiers. Unlike army officers, the floor leaders must maintain continued support. They are subject to periodic re-election by the same persons they have been leading.And this:
The leaders are in positions to act as clearing houses for their respective party memberships as to the status of pending legislation; the majority leader commonly posts the Senate on such matters. The work with the agents of their party to secure cooperation and unity in carrying out the party's legislative program. The majority leader remains in constant touch with the chairmen of the various standing committees to keep posted on the progress of legislation. Meetings are regularly held between the leaders and Senators to resolve or clear out any conflicts which might arise over or because of pending proposed legislation.What goes unsaid in all this is that the floor leader controls the management of legislation, be it the flow of bills to Committees, schedules for votes, and timing and direction of debate. Until "cloture" was enacted in 1917, Senate floor debate was unlimited, which was until then considered sacred. Previously, a Senator could go on forever. Cloture was the mechanism to regain control of debate that was being manipulated by some or even just one Senator (such as endlessly reciting Shakespeare or reading the phone book in order to hold up debate; each Senator is allowed a single statement, and can make it as exhaustively as he wants). Originally, a 2/3rds vote was required to close debate, thus "cloture." The needed majority was amended to 3/5ths in the 1970s. Go here for an explanation.
The principal power the majority floor leader wields is the order and timing of consideration of a bill. The same power is given to Committee chairmen. Committees are more powerful in the Senate than in the House, for in the House the "Committee as a Whole" can consider a bill, whereas the Senate funnels such discussion to the Committees and gives them greater control over a bill's entry to the entire body. That is to say, in the House, a Committee is more easily overruled by a majority vote than in the Senate.
What this all means is that a simple majority defines Committee appointments, schedules, and considerations. Herein is the principal power of the floor leader. Once a debate has moved to the floor, a 3/5ths majority is needed to move to a final vote. To conclude, the Majority Leader requires the cooperation of the caucus and, especially, the Committee Chairs, in order to maintain control over the flow of business. Without it, the Majority Leader has nothing. With it, he has everything, except, as discussed, final dispositions, which require cloture.
I hope that makes sense. Let me know if I've gotten any of this wrong.
If Majority Leader Lott wants to diss the President, he'll have to caucus with the Democrats. Otherwise, he's stuck playing the majority's game. That is, for revenge, he has to oppose the President openly.
As I said before, if Lott stays, he's Bush's gal.
But it's getting angry looking, and actually sorta hurts, so I called a corpsman that I know to ask for some advice. Bad idea. The information got bumped up the chain of command and I have been ordered to report for a man-day tomorrow, and report directly to sick call. The only way I can get out of it is if my civilian Dr. can get me in tomorrow, and faxes over a report.
/john
Next time, I won't call a corpsman or medic that is associated with my unit. :>|
/john
Thanks. My NCOIC did mean to sound bossy. When a sentence starts with "I am ordering you to..." sheesh!
/john
Wow, really?
H3!!, I intended to get it checked out without all of the ordering and CQ involvement and stuff.
/john
Wow, really?
Your sarcasm dripped off of the screen onto my keyboard and damaged it. You owe me a keyboard. grin!
/john
/john
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