White House says no to special session of Congress

The Hill ^ | Aug 4, 2008 | Jackie Kucinich, Jared Allen, Sam Youngman

[Finalapproach29er]

Not surprised.
Bush has no loyalty to his party and is a poor politician.
imo

[airborne]

Bush is too busy packing for China to be bothered.

[bestintxas]

No more Bushes or Clintons, EVER....

[IbJensen]

Jackie, daughter of the imbecilic Dennis.

[YLLady]

I've never posted on Free Republic before; but I felt compelled register to say the following:

In my opinion, this is all a power play by Pelosi - she's selling her book “Know Your Power”. And she's displaying hers. As she said on Sunday on This Week “I've got the gavel and I'm not giving it up”.

[catpuppy]

it won't make a difference if Democratic leaders are unwilling to bring up a bill for an up-down vote,” said White House spokesman Tony Fratto.

Good grief. No difference unless you count the number of Republicans who would be elected/reelected, the number of Democrats who would be thrown out of office and the boost this would give the McCain campaign. Once again the President has chosen to play nice while Pelosi, Reid and company are willing to slime him and destroy the nation's economy.

[sarasota]

Good point. Pelosi Galore.

[BufordP]

He can call them back and say WHY he’s calling them back .. repeatedly and loudly.

Lost opportunity #927.

[tom h]

Just like in 2006, the White House is impotent. They will not do anything bold to shake things up.

The only Republican willing to be bold in the last 20 years was Newt Gingrich. And look, he won the Congress. Ever since, it’s been a matter of barely holding onto the majority.

Drat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Rebelbase]

Pelosi’s book is being as well received by the buying public as is Congress’s approval rating by the general public.

Last week it was rated around 960th best seller at Amazon.

[wayoverontheright]

My business has been hurt by high oil prices too, but our side may be better served in November if the Democratic party continues to refuse to allow us to drill.

If you'll think about it, they have a better chance to win in November if they remove this as an issue by getting out of the way of our desire to drill.

[Pistolshot]

The President is correct. It will do no good to call back Congress because the Dihm leadership will not allow an up or down vote. Period.

What WE have to do is keep this in the forefront of the news and attach the Dihms to it.

When they get back to 'work' we need to keep hammering the fact THEY decided to leave Americans deciding on food or gas.

Make them defend leaving, put them on the spot. The RNC should be using a sledge hammer on this one issue. It's a big loser for the Dihms, but they have taken their stance, and even if they don't believe it, they can't change their minds.

[trooprally]

FYI

[nathanbedford]

Nothing could better demonstrate the heartbreaking tone deafness of George Bush and his administration than this remark which encapsulates it all in a single sentence.

As Karl Rove said, his greatest mistake was not persuading George Bush against Bush's inclinations to defend his Iraq war. From that point to this very minute Republican fortunes have deteriorated to the point that when George Bush slinks out of Washington he will leave a defeated, broken and demoralized conservative movement without anyone to lead it out of the wilderness for perhaps a generation.

Historians no doubt will treat George Bush kinder than do today's journalists and they should. But historians are not usually conservatives. Any fair-minded historian of the conservative movement will identify George Bush as the single human being most responsible for the conservative crackup. As conservatives are damaged, so ultimately is the nation damaged.

George Bush has never understood that it is as much a part of his presidential oath to lead his party in a partisan sense as it is to lead the Army as commander in chief. Party politics is what makes the American political system work. It is morally wrong for someone to assume the mantle of leader of his party when he had no intention of actually leading that party (apart from campaigning for his own reelection) or promoting its principles for the good of the nation.

[DJ MacWoW]

He can call them back and say WHY he’s calling them back .. repeatedly and loudly.

But they don't have to act on it. And the press and Dems would eat him alive. "This situation is Bushes fault and big oilman that he is, he's trying to FORCE the House to pass an energy bill for drilling that will enrich him and his friends"

Can you hear it? I can.

[mysterio]

Well, the White House certainly wouldn’t want to delay its month long vacation, either. Working in August is only suitable for us proles, apparently.

[griswold3]

That’s about the size of it.
Right now, we are getting a fuel surcharge but still it doesn’t cover the entire 47% increase in fuel costs since 2006.
Breaking even means there’s no room for growth, no profits for updating equipment or expansion. (There really is a crunch in capital markets. Banks -REAL BANKS- are reluctant to make loans because of the recent defaults on equipment. It’s difficult for start ups.)
Other trucking companies are pulling out and there is opportunity there to expand.

[adorno]

We don't have plans to call Congress into session -- it won't make a difference if Democratic leaders are unwilling to bring up a bill for an up-down vote

With all due respect, Mr. President, that's not the way things were designed to work in these here United States. The congress is a legislative body that was elected by the people, and as such, it doesn't matter what they are "willing" or "unwilling" to do. It should be the "will of the people" that matters.

Mr. President, listen to me: I am your boss, as are the rest of the American people who voted you in.

Supposedly you are working for us. If you agree with us on that, then it is incumbent upon you to listen to the people.

Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid also work for the American people. It is us, the American people, who are asking that you call for congress to be reconvened in a special session to discuss the issue and to pass legislation to make us energy independent.

It doesn't matter that Pelosi and Reid are unwilling to pass a bill or even to bring one up for a vote. Nancy Pelosi doesn't work for herself or for the other congresspeople in congress. She works for the American people, her bosses. Her bosses want her to come back to Washington, along with the rest of congress to work on the number one issue concerning Americans presently, and that's energy.

The U.S. is not a corporation, nor is it a mom-and-pop store. But, if my boss calls me for important work in order to help the company or corporation, then I'd be more than willing to do as requested.

The members of congress are the employees. The American people are the employers. There is no more pressing issue right now than energy. We need for the congress, our employees, to go back to work to get a vote on energy legislation. You are the only one that has the power right now to call the congress back into session. The congress, our employees, are not listening to the people even though polls show overwhelming support for new energy legislation to allow us to become energy independent. It is high time that both you and the congress listen to us. We cannot demand, but we can request. You are scheduled to leave office in a few months. Please, do us, the American people, one last favor. Call the congress back into session.

[BufordP]

When I saw the last name I had a feeling.

[BufordP]

ping