For the President, in case he's having a hard time finding one:
Posted on 01/27/2007 9:56:01 AM PST by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON - It was 2004 and Democrats were into their 10th year as the minority party in the House when they proposed a bill of rights to ensure their participation in the democratic process.
The GOP ignored them.
Now Republicans, newly demoted to the minority, say they are the ones suffering abuse despite repeated Democratic promises that theirs would be a more open, democratic and inclusive rule.
"It seems," said Republican leader John Boehner (news, bio, voting record), R-Ohio, "over the last three weeks that the more we reach out and offer our hand of bipartisanship, (the more) it is slapped away."
Democrats deny they are seeking retribution for 12 years of perceived slights. They also say they are not reneging on the assertion, in their bill of rights, that bills should go through a process of open hearings and full debate where the minority party can offer amendments.
Democrats say that with completion of their first "100 hours" agenda, business will return to "regular order." In that opening rush to the new Congress, Democrats rushed through priorities such as raising the minimum wage, imposing new ethics and lobbying rules and cutting prescription drug and student loan costs.
Yet "regular order" has not returned, at least so far.
During the past week, Democrats pushed through, with limited GOP input, two major bills: One would take away the pensions of lawmakers who commit crimes and the second would give partial voting rights to delegates from U.S. territories and the District of Columbia.
Earlier hopes of a new era of civility quickly dissipated with the pensions bill. Republicans claimed that, without their knowledge, Democrats made last-minute changes that were written on a napkin.
"Members of the current minority sat here for two weeks grinding their teeth while they watched things come to the floor without having gone to committee, without prior debate and discussion," said the former chairman of the House Administration Committee, Rep. Vernon Ehlers (news, bio, voting record), R-Mich. "And this is the crowning insult."
"It is tough to be in the minority, isn't it? I feel your pain," Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (news, bio, voting record), D-Md.,
He said that with a smile to Republicans while pointing out that the late changes came as a request from Boehner, the House GOP leader.
Asked at a news conference about the napkin, Hoyer said, "It was on some piece of paper, the consistency of which I do not know."
Tempers grew even shorter on the delegate bill.
Democrats were sensitive to the fact that not a single Republican amendment had been allowed over the first three weeks of the session. So they ruled a GOP amendment OK to debate — even after the sponsoring lawmaker decided to withdraw it.
Boehner then introduced a resolution criticizing Democrats for trying to force the amendment. That effort failed by a party-line vote.
The House long has earned a reputation for being far more partisan than the Senate. In the Senate, the minority's power to stall legislation requires the majority to reach out if it wants to pass bills.
In the House, Democrats lorded it over Republicans for 40 years before Newt Gingrich led the GOP to victory in the 1994 elections.
Republicans pledged not to treat Democrats as they had been treated. But former Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, adopted a strategy of pushing ahead on legislation by demanding loyalty from Republicans and shutting out Democrats.
Democrats complained that they were frequently denied the right to offer amendments, were excluded from House-Senate negotiations over final legislation and were forced to vote on bills for which they were not given time to read.
Democrats howled when GOP leaders, during tight roll call votes, kept open the balloting for hours while they browbeat members to change their votes.
"Both sides carry a pretty heavy load of past sins," said Brooks Jackson of the Annenberg Public Policy Center. The jury is out on whether Democrats will do any better this time, he said, but "memories are long and slights are not forgotten. It's tough to get over that."
It appears that Republicans will have to wait a bit longer before they see how sincere Democrats are about giving them a voice.
The House this week plans to take up legislation to fund most federal programs through Sept. 30, the end of the current budget year. This task was foisted on the Democrats because the last Congress, with GOP in control, failed to pass all but a few spending bills.
With the House trying to work out a deal with the Senate on that spending plan and Congress about to begin work on the 2008 budget, there is no time to open up the bill to proposed changes, Hoyer said.
"I want to tell you candidly," he told the No. 2 House Republican, Missouri Rep. Roy Blunt (news, bio, voting record), "that I believe there will not be a full opportunity" to offer amendments.
___
On the Net:
Congress: http://thomas.loc.gov/
I have to admit, that is pretty funny. Republicans need to quit their whining. This is politics, and specifically this is the U.S. House. Between earmarks, immigration and scandals, Republicans ran one of the worst campaigns I've ever seen. They lost, and this is how things work..
Sorry, but I just can't get teary-eyed over the Republican's current plight. If they want to be players then, dammit, win in 2008! Get a backbone, stand for conservative principles and, maybe, then you will take back the House. Will that happen? I'm not ready to bet my house on it yet.
I think the GOP doesn't mind being in the majority: the members just sit around and wait for Nancy and Steny to call them. And the phone never rings: at least they get peace and quiet.
What a shocker...there is a word for promises from democrats...they are called lies.
"Really hope the 1 issue whiners, "win by losing clowns" and the rest of screaming idiot Know Nothings in the mis named "Conservative" Alternative Media who brought us to this point enjoy the next 40 years as the Minority Party."
Had Bush and the country clubbers acted like Republicans instead of spending like drunken pirates we wouldn't have this problem. Your whine is like blaming the fans when the quarterback throws ten interceptions and loses the game - maybe it makes you feel better but it is so far removed from reality that no one believes you.
And calling other people children - is about as childish as you can get. It's schoolyard taunts like that that are embarassing.
lol. I think you are right! I was sadly laughing through the entire article. I can't believe that the Republicans thought that the Democrats were going to treat them nice after 12 years of being the minority and not getting any cooperation from the Republicans. This is politics. Some of the Republicans need to learn this.
The slights the Democrats suffered during the past 12 years is nothing compared to what the Republicans suffered under Tip O'Neill and Jim Wright.
If the House GOP had any balls and brains, they'd still be the majority.
New Tone Bush?
absolutely
let's blame the loyal customers for not coming to the restaurant anymore when management screws it up
customers are always wrong
absolutely
blame the victim mentality
the last resort of a scoundrel
All of the Republicans need to learn this.
Don't know where I read it, but more than half of the Pubbies in Congress had never known life in the minority. By the time the next election rolls around, all of the Pubbies in Congress will have known life in the minority.
How hard are they willing to fight to right the ship? The early returns are not promising.
imagine that?
democrats not playing fair?
how naive, civil and insane of the gop to expect otherwise
For the President, in case he's having a hard time finding one:
Tip O'Neill
First off I want you to know that I did not follow politics at all during Tip O'Neill's tenur. I was still in grade school and perhaps into high school when he was done. I always hear that Tip O'Neill worked very well with the Republicans and the President which was President Reagan. Am I hearing this wrong (I will admit it is from the media...I know. I know). I just wanted your perspective. One that I trust 100 percent over the media.
100% on target. If I were there, the dems would get a chance to slap their hands. I'D slap their hands for trying to reach across the aisle.
dems had a voice the whole time they were in the minority. They just pushed themselves in front of a camera and grabbed a mike. They don't have an courage, but they've got balls.
O'Neill once in a while played fair. He did keep his word on things, something that Jim Wright didn't do, but it was under him that the partisanship in the House began.
I understand this point of view, Paige. However, the blame shouldn't lie with those that stayed home. It belongs with ineffectual leadership in the Republican majority, starting with the President (and Karl Rove) down to the Senate and the House.
Until "The Pledge", quite a few Pubbies were ready to vote with the Defeatocrats on Iraq. No, this current group of spineless politicians do not deserve to be in positions of leadership.
I'm starting to feel like Bluto in Animal House:
Hagel? He's a dead man!
Warner? Dead!
Brownback? Dead!
...etc
"It seems," said Republican leader John Boehner (news, bio, voting record), R-Ohio, "over the last three weeks that the more we reach out and offer our hand of bipartisanship, (the more) it is slapped away."
Well, Duh! They're vipers, you dope. You're lucky they don't dig up bogus criminal charges on each and every one of you. How long you been in this game? Yeesh!
Grow a spine, GOP. Like yesterday!
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