Posted on 08/01/2008 3:46:38 PM PDT by Cyber Liberty
I just noticed it was you that said “Waste of keystrokes.” Care to use your position of authority to amplify that a bit for this waste?
I meant that it’s a waste of time to pull this thread and log the reason. I don’t care.
CL, com’on cheer up...all your favorite Congress Critters are over at bar having a big helpin’ of the free booze and laughin’ at the peons paying the freight....they got a whole month off and it’s summertime and the living is easy on that guvment dole! Don’t these schmucks just make you wanta gag!
Peace. :^)
there is always someone who isn’t satisified. The Republicans could have stormed the halls of Congress, put most of the dems in prision, and forced a vote and someone, somewhere would be griping it isn’t enough.
So tell me, other than arm chair quarterbacking, what have you done?
More than I wish I had. Yet not enough as it appears.
Let’s watch. Makes me wanna make book on it.
My bad, folks. Apparently, the House Pubbies are really going to continue this. It’s monday morning, and my cynical fugue of Friday is behind me. Let’s read on and get in the ring:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2056155/posts?q=1&;page=201
I was wondering if you saw this!!! Sometimes it’s really wonderful to be wrong! : ) Mea Culpa on my part also! The House Repulicans ARE REALLY serious! : )
Bush indicates he will not call Congress back into session. Limbaugh mentions the Republican House effort. McCain and Cantor challenge Obama to demand that Pelosi call Congress back into session. Move On decides on a counterprotest.
The result:
The story develops legs. McCain signs on. The Hard Left helps the story develop more legs. Bush starts to look wobbly.
My guess is that this will be orchesrated to a large crescendo by Friday, and it will look like McCain and Congressional Republicans put a gun to Bush's head to force him to call the House back into session.
This feels a lot like a Rove project.
From your keyboard to God’s ears. I’ll post a big ol’ Mea Culpa thread if it comes to pass. I’m already thinking it’s an even money bet. I really did not expect them to reconvene today.
Pelosi knew some Republicans were planning to make a stand on drilling during special orders after the House adjourned for the recess. This was considered "normal process" and would have been viewed on C-SPAN only by political junkies like ourselves. Had Pelosi been wise, she would have let it go. But she went into panic mode.
Let's be honest here. Nancy Pelosi is not the sharpest knife in the drawer. I put her a few notches ahead of Patty Murray, but that's not saying much. She is, however, quite cunning on political issues. She decided to shut down the House and the C-SPAN cameras to keep the country from seeing and hearing the Republicans during special orders. This was not "normal process". Her cunning, when mixed with panic, caused her to fall into a trap set for her by House Republicans, and that trap is now tearing up her leg.
The MSM is either placing an embargo on this story or playing it like a fraternity prank. But thanks to the magic of the Internet, the latest communications gadgetry and the New Media, the story got out anyway. (Rove understands the New Media better than anyone.) The Republican base has suddenly been energized, and for the first time in ages Congressional Republicans look like they've grown spines. They are becoming heroes and hammering the Democrats on the one issue that could wreck them and turn this entire election around from the top of the ticket to the bottom.
From the beginning, the goal of this enterprise was to give the president the political cover to call the House back into session, but first the Democrats had to be given the opportunity to come back on their own with their tails between their legs. The idea is to get House Democrats on the record on the drilling issue and do it in full view of a watching electorate. It's superb political theater.
The Senate is a bigger problem. The Senate is still technically in session because once a day a senator comes to the floor for five minutes in order to prevent the president from making recess appointments. Because the Senate is in session, getting senators to come back is beyond the president's constitutional powers.
There are two ways this could be played. First, Harry Reid could be shamed into bringing the Senate back into full session; or second, a quorum of 51 senators could force the Senate back into full session. This would mean that 49 Republicans and 2 Democrats (Lieberman? Ben Nelson?) could come back to the Senate and do business without Reid.
What I had first thought was a poker game is really a chess game.
I'm eager to see how this is played the rest of the week. There are no coincidences in politics, and somebody brilliant is behind this.
I’m really delighted to read your analysis. Would you mind clearing up one thing for me? You say, “Pelosi knew some Republicans were planning to make a stand on drilling during special orders after the House adjourned for the recess.” What does ‘during special orders’ mean?
Thank you.
This is an opportunity for House members to make a speech on any topic dear to their hearts and get the content into the Congressional Record.
The House Republicans had intended to make speeches on oil drilling to an empty chamber with only C-SPAN as a witness. This was enough to send Pelosi over the edge.
Thank you for the explanation. I’ve seen them sometimes talking to what seemed to be an empty chamber, except for one other person, who was also probably waiting to get his comments on the record.
I’m glad that this action was enough to push Pelosi over the edge. It seems that the novelty of being first female Speaker has not worn off. She is still inebriated with power. How petty to turn everything off!
Bump for hope.
Bush says there is no purpose in bringing back Congress unless the Democratic leadership is prepared to schedule a vote on drilling. Translation: "I'm not calling Congress back unless Reid and Pelosi sign the instruments of surrender first." This is called "doubling down your bet".
Mary Landrieu, running for re-election to the Senate from Louisiana, an oil producing state, tells Alan Colmes she favors a vote on drilling now and says she will vote to drill. Thanks to the post-Katrina diaspora from New Orleans, it's now tough for a Democrat to win a statewide election in Louisiana.
McCain will go to Sturgis to visit the motorcycle folks. You can guess what his message will be.
At the end of Day Two, one Democratic senator is prepared to throw Reid and Pelosi under the bus, Bush has upped the ante, the MSM is being forced to take notice, Obama's lead has disintegrated, Hillary is starting to look enticing (yech-h-h!), and the drilling issue has developed legs.
All in all, a good day.
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