Senate GOP Shows Some Muscle and Blocks Mortgage Bill
Despite not having the majority that they would like in the Senate, Republican Senators have done a fairly good job of flexing the muscle they have in terms of blocking pieces of legislation that could have an extremely negative impact on the economy.
Of these key pieces blocked is what some Democrats believe would be the “second round of economic stimulus” for the lagging US economy.
This bill that the Democrats tried to push through the Senate essentially does what they are known for, creating more programs and more problems.
Just like any bad piece of legislation that makes its way through the legislature, every effort was made to sugarcoat it to make it sound good, and more importantly to sound as if it is something the American people need.
After the bill was blocked, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid made the following statement:
“The people on Wall Street are high-fiving. They just won again,” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, said after the vote.
“The big banks just won again. The mortgage bankers won again. Oh, there are a few losers out there, like millions of consumers — millions of people who are going into foreclosure or are about to go into foreclosure. They lost.”
Yes, it is indeed another powerful statement by Harry Reid, but is the problem really as big as he makes it sound?
While in Chicago yesterday, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson had some other ideas:
In the early afternoon, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson jumped into the fray, releasing remarks from a speech to be given tonight at the Economic Club of Chicago.
‘So while some in Washington are proposing big interventions, most of the proposals I’ve seen would do more harm than good,’ Paulson is scheduled to say, according to the excerpts released to reporters in Washington.
‘Im not interested in bailing out investors, lenders and speculators,’ he added.
Instead, Paulson is pushing harder for both lenders and borrowers to avoid delays in mortgage relief programs already going on. Paulson noted that 93 pct of mortgages are paid on time and only 2 pct are in foreclosure.
While I wouldn’t consider myself as the most knowledgeable person on many of these matters, I don’t think that the Senate Democrats are doing themselves any justice in terms of getting things passed by trying to push through bills without working with the Republicans.
Since every major candidate running for president is a member of the Senate, the dynamics of the Senate have become even more interesting.
As it stands, the Senate currently has 49 Republicans, 49 Democrats and 2 Independents, with the two Independents caucusing with the Democrats. Basically, the mix has been 51/49.
However, with Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and John McCain on the campaign it becomes much closer to 50/50, with John McCain much more likely to fly back for a vote than any of the others.
The Senate Republicans should take advantage of this opportunity as quickly as possible, and try and get some meaningful legislation pushed through.
In what will most certainly be a close election year, Republicans have got to deliver meaningful pieces of legislation so that they have something to take back to their states and camapaign on.
Good Move by the GOP
I’m pleased to see that Mike Duncan has stepped in to regulate what has simply become an annoying series of statements being made by some prominent Republican leaders and figureheads.
WASHINGTON (CNN) — Republican National Committee Chairman Mike Duncan formally denounced on Thursday the Tennessee Republican Party’s use of Barack Obama’s full name in a recent news release questioning the Illinois senator’s commitment to Israel.
“The RNC rejects these kinds of campaign tactics,” Duncan said in a statement. “We believe this election needs to be about the critical issues confronting our nation.”
Amen!
In such a close race, the GOP’s image cannot be put at risk of being tarnished simply because some people think that it might “wake people up” if they realize that Obama’s middle name is Hussein.
While I understand what they are trying to do, create the sense that he could be a risk to foreign and security policy because of potential ties, there are plenty of other ways that you can go after him. Use his record and not his name to make whatever arguments you are trying to make. If what you’re looking for doesn’t show up on his record (as will be the case with most things), emphasize his inexperience.
When members of the GOP make such a big deal about things like someones middle name, or a picture taken on a trip, it makes us look like we don’t have any arguments, and because of that, have to resort to mudslinging to get our message across.
If we can stick to the issues and be the bigger man in this fight, we’ll win. But, if we keep focusing on things that are for the most part irrelevant to this election, such as names and/or pictures, we’re going to lose miserably. If we lost the White House, there is no doubt that we’ll fall further into the minority in the House and Senate and quite possibly prevent the chances of ever gaining a strong conservative majority on the SCOTUS, at least for many of our lifetimes.
I keep wondering about the Ron Paul supporters
Everyone knows that Ron Paul isn’t going to be the next President of the United States, but despite that he still has a strong army of dedicated volunteers and activists who are ready to go at the drop of the hat to do whatever the campaign needs.Yes, some of his ideas are quite “out there,” and yes, he seems like a quirky guy at times. But the fact that he has built such a grassroots army, of what seem to be strong conservative and libertarian activists is something that Republican’s cannot overlook.
I came across this video today on youtube:
Even though the odds are obviously stacked against him, and his people know that he can’t win, they are still ready to go without question. I wish many so-called Republicans would be that loyal and dedicated to their party (particularly many in congress, though we’ll save that for another post)
Now that McCain is going to be the nominee for the GOP, the question that must be asked is how the Republicans are going to tap into what has become this large base (in the activist sense) of Ron Paul supporters?
As of now, I don’t know if there is a way into that base, they seem completely loyal. But eventually, Ron Paul is going to have to step out of the race if he is going to run again for his seat in Texas and I’m hoping these people won’t lose their fire.
Even though Ron Paul supporters don’t agree with John McCain on a few issues, and sure, many probably don’t even like him, at the end of the day the question that has to be asked, is which of the two remaining candidates is going to be the best fit for their issues. I’m hoping that John McCain will be the obvious answer for many of them, especially since this looks like its going to an extremely close election.
Interesting Obama Video
It’s no Obama girl, but I still kinda like it. I really hope the GOP comes out with some creative videos, we need something more appealing to the younger Republicans. McCain has an interesting background, and while I’m sure a song like “I’m Hustlin” isn’t the best fit, there has to be something!
…. if only I were a little more creative…
Robert Byrd Continues to Fascinate Me
While there is no doubt in my mind that when it comes to policy and political style, Robert Byrd isn’t going to rank anywhere near the top on my list of favorites, but I have to be honest, when it comes to his dedication to serving in the Senate, he wins hands down.
Just like Strom Thurmond (who would be #1 on my list if he were still alive), Byrd loves the Senate and all that it has to offer.
Even at the age of 90, and with broken bones, he’s still planning on making a return to the Senate:
From the Hill:
Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) will return to Capitol Hill next week after being hospitalized because of severe back pains, his office announced Thursday.
Byrd, 90, has been hospitalized at Walter Reed Army Medical Center since Tuesday after sustaining a back injury from a fall at his Virginia home on Monday night. X-rays showed that Byrd suffered no broken bones from his fall, according to the senator’s spokesman, Jesse Jacobs.
Byrd will undergo physical therapy “to ensure he is steady on his feet when he returns to his Senate duties next week,” Jacobs said.
Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) will return to Capitol Hill next week after being hospitalized because of severe back pains, his office announced Thursday.
Byrd, 90, has been hospitalized at Walter Reed Army Medical Center since Tuesday after sustaining a back injury from a fall at his Virginia home on Monday night. X-rays showed that Byrd suffered no broken bones from his fall, according to the senator’s spokesman, Jesse Jacobs.
I guess when half of your state is named after you, the motivation and stamina becomes endless.
I wouldn’t put it past Senator Byrd that if he had to, he would deliver one of his famous Senate speeches from a hospital gurney wheeled onto the Senate floor. I guess in old age, some retire, and others just try and rule the world