Posted on 07/18/2007 9:38:10 AM PDT by tcrlaf
Ratcheting up the stakes in the wake of the GOP's successful blocking of a vote on Iraq withdrawal just moments ago, Harry Reid just announced on the Senate floor that he won't allow a vote on the entire Defense Authorization bill until the Senate GOP drops its filibustering of votes on Iraq.
The move is significant because it could hold up the funding of the Pentagon's fiscal 2008 priorities until the standoff is resolved.
It comes only moments after the Republican filibuster succeeded in preventing a vote on the Reed-Levin amendment, which would have mandated withdrawal by April 2008.
Reid said:
I have temporarily laid aside the Defense Authorization bill and have entered a motion to reconsider.
But let me be clear to my Republican colleagues – I emphasize the word "temporarily". We will do everything in our power to change course in Iraq. We will do everything in our power to complete consideration of a Defense Authorization bill. We must do both.
And just to remind my Republican colleagues – even if this bill had passed yesterday, its provisions would not take effect until October.
So we will come back to this bill as soon as it is clear we can make real progress. To that end, I have asked the Democratic Whip and Democratic Manager of the bill to sit down with their counterparts to work on a process to address all outstanding issues related to this bill so the Senate can return to it as soon as possible.
What this means is that Reid isn't allowing any votes on any other Iraq amendments -- not the toothless Warner-Lugar amendment, not the Ken Salazar amendment that would force adoption of the Baker-Hamilton plan, nothing.
Fellow TPM reporter Spencer Ackerman also says that Reid's move is very significant in another way:
Because the Pentagon's priorities won't become law until a Defense Authorization bill is passed, the Pentagon's fiscal 08 priorities won't get funded until this standoff is resolved -- and Reid is insisting that won't happen until the GOP allows a vote on the Iraq withdrawal measures.
More soon.
I know 'em, I'd just get banned for saying 'em.
Missing: Kennedy, Clinton, Schumer - nice post, though!
Reid; “We will do everything in our power to change course in Iraq.”
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>Every Democrat plan leaves Troops in Iraq<
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So what is Reids course change? Go back to the ‘stay the course’ before the surge?
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Reid is making a huge political mistake which, if they’re properly aggressive, the Republicans can use to destroy him.
President Bush needs to schedule a prime-time speech to dissect Reid’s (and Pelosi’s) idiocy.
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Yep, pronto!
Well, we see just how “fair” the dems are. We see how they would handle control of the government - it would not be government - it would be a dictatorship.
We are seeing the dems try to take over power of the military and the power of the Commander-in-Chief when they do not have that power.
Our government is never safe in the hands of a democrat.
They will never defend American, they will destroy the Constitution, they will wreck total control over the masses.
Very dangerous people - very dangerous.
There’s been nary a peep of protest about a report that Reid’s sons and son-in-law cashed in on Daddy’s connections - a story first reported by the Los Angeles Times.
In the last five years alone, firms with Reid family ties have collected more than $2 million in lobbying fees. “So pervasive are the ties among Reid, members of his family and Nevada’s leading industries and institutions that it’s difficult to find a significant field in which such a relationship does not exist,” the paper said.
For instance, the Nevada Democrat once sponsored an environmental bill that he touted as a bipartisan measure to protect the ecosystem and help the economy in America’s fastest-growing state. But as the Times reported: “What Reid did not explain was that the bill promised a cavalcade of benefits to real estate developers, corporations and local institutions that were paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in lobbying fees to his sons’ and son-in-law’s firms, federal lobbyist reports show.”
The Howard Hughes Corporation paid $300,000 to Reid’s son-in-law, Steven Barringer, to push a provision allowing the company to acquire 998 acres of federal land near booming Las Vegas. According to the Times, other provisions of Reid’s legislation were intended to benefit a real estate development headed by a senior partner in the Nevada law firm that employs all four of the Senate minority leader’s sons.
But as the Times noted, there’s more: “The governments of three of Nevada’s biggest cities — Las Vegas, North Las Vegas and Henderson — also gained from the legislation, which freed up tens of thousands of acres of federal land for development and annexation. All three were represented by Reid’s family members who contacted his staff on their clients’ behalf.”
Reid’s response to the obvious conflicts of interest? “Lots of people have children, wives and stuff that work back here,” he insisted. “It is not as if a lot of cash is changing hands.” Hundreds of thousands, even millions of dollars - not a lot of cash?
This is one more example of the enormous double standard practiced by the Democrats. One wonders how journalists would have reacted had Tom DeLay said that?
Would you care to amplify the corruption of the Reid family?
Perhaps Harry Reid's corrupt practices needs its own thread.
It’s stunts like this that should open American eyes to the evil permeating the left-wing in this country. But I’m not holding my breath.
The tag line works very well on snakes and other types of lowlife vermin. Thanks.
Michigan Senator Carl Levin made a similar statement last month, saying, "We're not going to vote to cut funding. Period."
Levin has, for along time, been playing the "bad cop" in an effort to use the "good cop/bad cop" tactic to influence the Iraqi leadership. He has openly admitted doing so (Google this to find multiple references:senator "carl levin" "bad cop").
I don't care for his politics, and it wouldn't affect his re-election, but, IMHO, I think Levin (unlike Reid)has too much class to cave on this. I know he had to have had some discussions with Reid over what Reid just did, but it would really surprise me if he caved.
That was along my line of thinking. ;)
Maybe this will be the straw that breaks the camel’s back for him.
And YES to all of you, a liberal republican in someone like Lieberman is better than a leftist anti-american POS democrat who caucuses with the dems. BETTER, not perfect. Lincoln Chafee’s loss mattered.
This morning on FoxNews I heard someone saying that this slumber party was a bunch of “gags, giggles, and gimmicks. And cold pizza.” LOL.
I wasn’t in the room, so I’m not sure who said it. Anyone know?
Now they are working on establishing a reputation of being the childish taunting, tormenting and troubling party!!! (filled with GANG-GREEN, by the way)
He’s the one filibustering.
Ratcheting up the stakes in the wake of the GOP's successful blocking of a vote on Iraq withdrawal just moments ago, Harry Reid just announced on the Senate floor that he won't allow a vote on the entire Defense Authorization bill until the Senate GOP drops its filibustering of votes on Iraq... What this means is that Reid isn't allowing any votes on any other Iraq amendments -- not the toothless Warner-Lugar amendment, not the Ken Salazar amendment that would force adoption of the Baker-Hamilton plan, nothing. Fellow TPM reporter Spencer Ackerman also says that Reid's move is very significant in another way: Because the Pentagon's priorities won't become law until a Defense Authorization bill is passed, the Pentagon's fiscal 08 priorities won't get funded until this standoff is resolved -- and Reid is insisting that won't happen until the GOP allows a vote on the Iraq withdrawal measures.If that doesn't happen it will be the time to push for hearings regarding Reid's tax evasion and Feinstein's husband's gov't contracts.
Last night the Senate had a Slumber Party......who else has Slumber Parties? YOUNG GIRLS.....Teenie Boppers have slumber parties!! Our Senators are GIRLIE MEN and WEAK WOMEN!!
That’s exactly what I was thinking. The Dems block support of our brave soldiers so we the American people have to do it themselves. How do we get this thing organized? I’m in.
So much for “oppose the war but support the troops” lie.... Dems show their true colors as the traitors that they are.
Harry Reid et al are DANGEROUS to AMERICA!!! They want us to LOSE!!
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