Abuse of Power WSJ: Abuse of Power

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704625004575089362731862750.html ^

[cycle of discernment]

The Wallstreet Journal

March 3, 2010

Abuse of Power

An undemocratic disservice to our people and to the Senate's institutional role.

A string of electoral defeats and the great unpopularity of ObamaCare can't stop Democrats from their self-appointed rendezvous with liberal destiny—ramming a bill through Congress on a narrow partisan vote. What we are about to witness is an extraordinary abuse of traditional Senate rules to pass a bill merely because they think it's good for the rest of us, and because they fear their chance to build a European welfare state may never come again.

*** The vehicle is "reconciliation," a parliamentary process that fast-tracks budget measures and was created in 1974 as a deficit-reduction tool. Limited to 20 hours of debate, reconciliation bills need a mere 50 votes in the Senate, with the Vice President as tie-breaker, thus circumventing the filibuster. Both Democrats and Republicans have frequently used reconciliation on budget bills, so Democrats are now claiming that using it to pass ObamaCare is no big deal.

[I Buried My Guns]

"...The Kenyan is taking us to the brink of a Constitutional crisis...."

I daresay that The Kenyan is taking us to the brink of a Civil War.

[AD from SpringBay]

In 2010 Senators and Representatives need to run on the ‘Repeal Obamacare’ platform.

[maine-iac7]

...

[mwl8787]

We can still defeat this in the House. Pelosi and her handmaidens are counting on our capitulation.

Burn up the phone lines. The real contest is in the House, not the Senate. Call every member, including all GOP members.

202-224-3121

[The Sons of Liberty]

abuse of traditional Senate rules to pass a bill merely because they think it's good for the rest of us

I;m not sure the Senate thinks it is good for the rest of us. They may pass it because der Fuhrer 0bamao has decreed that they do so.

[Trust but Verify]

After they’re thrown out in November, the very next bill is to repeal the whole thing.

That would be GREAT, but unfortunately, Obama isn't going to sign off on a repeal.

[FReepaholic]

...OBAMANOMICS—TRICKLE DOWN DESTRUCTION of the economy...

The Dems and the media all made fun of the Reagan administration for their so-called "trickle down economic" policy.

Well hell, if giving all your money to the federal government in hopes they give some back to you in goods and services ain't "trickle down economics", I don't know what is.

[Springfield Reformer]

My understanding is that if it passes, and if we get congressional majorities in November, we might not be able to repeal it immediately, but we still have a decent shot at gutting the funding and otherwise stalling implementation until 2012. Assuming we can beat back amnesty for illegals, the entitlement effect should not lock in so strongly that it can’t be overcome. That is one way this is significantly unlike any of the earlier entitlement programs, and it offers a real hope for a different outcome if the American people remain strong and patient in their resolve to overcome it.

Another interesting question. If any given reconciliation-passed law sunsets in five years, what is the effect if the House passes the Senate Christmas bill, which was not created under reconciliation, and then the modifications to placate the House ARE passed under the reconciliation rule? Does that not mean that in five years, the reconciliation-spawned amendments would drop off, leaving the original, unmodified Senate bill as the final version in perpetuity? I’m not saying it’s so, but I am curious how those rules interact, and I have not heard anyone address the question. Thoughts, fellow FReepers?

[zeugma]

After they’re thrown out in November, the very next bill is to repeal the whole thing.

Won't happen. Ever. Even if pubbies had a veto-proof majority in the house and senate, it would stand.

As it is, if they gain control in Nov., they'll pass some kind of symbolic bill that O will veto, and they'll claim they "did their best".

[expatpat]

Sounds good, but you will need 60 Senate votes to repeal it and to over-ride POTUS vetos.

[Touch Not the Cat]

.
Bump!

[throwback]

Thanks for trying, but still not very encouraging. Where will we get the politicians with the courage to gut funding when we can barely get any to stand up with Bunning to withold a trivial 10 billion? I just never thought this would actually go through because even the moron majority opposed it. Now, I see why it will regardless of the majority.

[zeugma]

Has Robert Byrd, who wrote the reconsilliation law, even said ANYTHING?

To his credit, he actually has, amazingly enough.

[Springfield Reformer]

I understand your point. However, the Bunning business appears to be more or less a deliberate smear setup. Team O is doing all it can to paint the narrative that the R’s are planless obstructionists, a favorite theme of Progressivism. While I don’t disagree with Bunning’s stand in the abstract, what he did is get drawn into a skirmish set up as a distraction from the real location of the fight.

Standard military tactic, and because we are up against a foe who is treating this as all out war, and not as normal legislative deliberation, we should expect such underhanded tactics and not be deflected by them. I believe the more experienced GOP leadership is fully cognizant of the risks and benefits associated with each such sortie and has made a command decision to avoid a direct conflict over Pay-Go and other lesser zones of conflict until we finally kill ObamaCare. Yes, I could be wrong, but we won’t know till the whole strategy plays out.

Meanwhile, there will be a number of new faces come November and they will almost all be there with the kind of single-minded focus required to put the brakes on this runaway Administration. We will win because there is a God in Heaven, and because we will never, ever quit. Are we clear on that? :)

[Mariner]

"But with a 2/3 override vote needed for an Obama veto, how are they going to get it passed? "

That part is simple if the congress-criters have the will...and THAT's dependent upon the passion of the electorate.

The House can simply REFUSE to fund Obamacare in any budget they pass...in perpetuity.

If the Senate, or the Prez refuse to go along, the government shuts down. No money. Period.

[norton]

I hadn't considered the sunset angle up till now - good point.

Also, considering a future congress/administration acting to dump the whole thing:
If you think that our half of the population is mad today, wait until the other half learns that someone wants to take away their freebies down the road.
Just don't expect much in the way of compromise when it happens.

[norton]

I'm sorry to add this, I know it'll cost me.

But, when I pay $1,000 a month for the privilege of possessing any form of health insurance (for two)...

When I have nearly $4,000 in uncovered costs currently in dispute after having already paid way over $4,000 in related co-payments for the same period...

When two of my past bosses had the life long luxury of enjoying AF retiree medical, and Cal state medical, and their double dipped industry retirement medical...

And were crass enough to brag about it...

I can't get too sweaty over an increase in Tricare co-payments.

Don't begrudge earned benefits, but those two instances/four individuals represent eight policy premiums that someone other than the recipient should not be paying for.

[ConservativeMind]

The best then would be to not put in money to fund it.

[A.A. Cunningham]

The Wall Street Journal

[Ronbo1948]

I hope Obama and his Leftard lackeys understand that passage of Obamacare is tantamount to a declaration of civil war against the Republic and they had better be prepared for its horrors such as massive physical destruction of life and property.

Like Dirty Harry said, “Go ahead, Punk - MAKE MY DAY!”