You want a scandal? Here’s a scandal.

[babylonsister]

You want a scandal? Here’s a scandal.

By Jonathan Bernstein, Published: May 13, 2013 at 5:21


Want a real Washington scandal — one worse than the (phony) Benghazi scandal and the (apparently real, but apparently limited) IRS scandals combined? Try the continuing, and possibly accelerating, obstruction of executive branch nominees by Senate Republicans.

Don’t think it’s a scandal? It’s pretty basic: Republicans, by abusing their Constitutional powers, are — deliberately, in several cases — preventing the government from carrying out duly passed laws.

The New York Times yesterday highlighted two of the more recent ways that Republicans have manipulated loopholes in Senate rules to delay confirmation of Secretary of Labor nominee Thomas Perez and Environmental Protection Agency nominee Gina McCarthy. It’s worth stepping back and realizing: what’s happening here is that Republicans are delaying these nominations beyond their eventual insistence that almost all nominees must get 60 votes. In other words, they’re filibustering on top of their own filibusters.

That’s just two examples. There are numerous others; again, with virtually all nominees required to have 60 votes, one can accurately say that Republicans are filibustering every nomination. But perhaps the worst are the “nullification” filibusters, in which Republicans simply refuse to approve any nominee at all for some positions — the National Labor Relations Board, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — because they don’t want those agencies to carry out their statutory obligations.

In doing so, Republicans are not breaking the rules of the Senate. They are, however, breaking the Senate itself, and harming the government. As with all legislative chambers, and in fact all democratic institutions, the Senate runs on a combination of formal rules and informal norms. But Republicans, by refusing to accept those norms, make it impossible for the normal machinery of government to function.


more...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/05/13/you-want-a-scandal-heres-a-scandal/

[LeftInTX]

1. It sure is a scandel

Without any publicity, except an article here and there....
...sigh

[movonne]

9. and who are financing these people ...the

Koch bros and the rest of the wealthy...they want to bring this country down...so they can buy it all...

[maddiemom]

42. Yep. It's not about having more money than you could spend in many lifetimes.

It's about power and one-upmanship over the relatively few other billionaires on the planet. The rest of us aren't even a consideration, other than to be kept in line. These guys don't worry about a revolution of the type that used to happen. They're able to go anywhere in the world for safety, if their elected lackeys fail them. I'm still aggravated about all the time and money wasted on Whitewater and trying to impeach Clinton. Then Bush II is in office and V.P. Cheney's Halliburton is getting no-bid contracts.

[aquart]

52. Fine. Sell it to the greedy scum.

Then nationalize.

[derby378]

2. Well, Texas Democrats TRIED to send Paul Sadler to the Senate instead of Ted Cruz...

Apparently, our state party apparatus is still in rebuilding mode.

[Enrique]

3. if only there was a way to change the rules so they can't do this

oh well

[Demoiselle]

4. I know what you're saying.

Unfortunately our rules are based on the notion that everybody is going to act honorably. I gave up on Republican "honor" a long time ago.

[timdog44]

20. I know I am not adding anything of import,

but there is not enough breath in one person's body to say honor and republican in the same sentence. Disgusting waste of DNA.

[Plucketeer]

44. There's honor among Retugs

Same as there is among thieves. OH - wait - Rethugs, Thieves - one in the same.

[Bandit]

8. If ONLY enough DEMOCRATS would vote for such a change...

Reid certainly can not do it on his own.. It takes fifty one votes and Reid simply did not have those votes... so blame Reid all you wish but the facts are still the facts....

[rhett o rick]

11. The poster didnt even mention Sen Reid. But IMO Sen Reid must shoulder a good share of the blame.

He couldnt convince 51 Democrats to change the rules. That's his job.

The scandal is that the Republican minority is pushing the Democratic majority around without much of a fight. Why are our Democratic senators not putting up a fight? That's the scandal. Maybe those that give them large campaign contributions are happy with the way things are.

[decrepittex]

27. 51 doesn't do it anymore

We don't operate on a 51 vote majority anymore. It takes 60 now to get anything passed.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

5. This will get no coverage since the hot off the press AP/DOJ scandal breaking . . .

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/13/ap-phone-records-government-intrusion-unprecedented_n_3268569.html

"WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department secretly obtained two months of telephone records of reporters and editors for The Associated Press in what the news cooperative's top executive called a "massive and unprecedented intrusion" into how news organizations gather the news.

The records obtained by the Justice Department listed outgoing calls for the work and personal phone numbers of individual reporters, general AP office numbers in New York, Washington and Hartford, Conn., and the main number for AP reporters in the House of Representatives press gallery, according to attorneys for the AP. It was not clear if the records also included incoming calls or the duration of calls."

[SleeplessinSoCal]

6. hate to ask this, but what the hell is going on?

[rhett o rick]

12. On edit: This has it's own thread here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022838699

[Rex]

7. It is more than a scandal, it is a crime.

The GOP publicly announced long ago that it would actively SABOTAGE the democratically elected official WE all voted for and put into the WH. NOW, since they are admitting to sabotage why can't we hold their feet to the fire with some kind of legal action? Is it not a crime to purposely damage the countries infrastructure?

[Half-Century Man]

16. Not exactly sure.

Trea*son (tre .zen) n. disloyalty to country: act of betrayal. -able a. Treason -ableness n. -ably adv. -ous a. (New Webster's Dictionary and Thesaurus 1991ed)

I say we the people have a sufficient cause to assemble a Grand Jury and present a case of treason against select members of the US Congress and select members of several state Congresses (The Congress of North Carolina's gross violations of Human Rights through manipulations of Voters Rights).
I'm not exactly sure, but said members should have publicly vowed to represent their districts and it's inhabitants.

[judesedit]

10. 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 VOTE! 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 VOTE!!

[malaise]

13. K & Effing R

for the truth

[d_b]

14. if democrats were pulling this shit

every american would know because republicans would never shut the fuck up about it. it'd be a part of their talking points, they'd be calling it treason, they'd be investigating, etc.

but when they pull this shit only junkies like us hear about it, or rachel does a thing on her show. or maybe some obscure house democrat calls them bullies or something. that's about it.

[Demonaut]

30. they are!..mostly Harry Reid ...by empowering these assholes

Reid, why did think they would change? you cannot reason with those incapable of it

[Dustlawyer]

49. Wake up! Do you honestly think Reed trusted McConnel again?

He is in on this act that DC politicians are playing for us. He I part of it as are most Dems. As long as we the people believe they really represent us, we will not insist upon campaign finance reform! They will continue to screw us and say "we tried!"

[davidpdx]

31. And we'd be called un-American

[sheshe2]

15. Treasonous bastards!

Vote 2013 (Edward Markey-D-Mass). Then 2014 VOTE!

[GoCubsGo]

17. These fake "scandals" are just more of the same.

They're just obstruction by distraction. Instead of doing their jobs, they're running a bunch of witch hunts.

[SlimJimmy]

24. Do you really believe the IRS and AP stories are "witch hunts" created by the rethugs?

[GoCubsGo]

25. No, Benghazi is a witch hunt.

The IRS and AP episodes are fake scandals, and both were created by the rethugs. This person explains:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/05/13/1208891/-IRS-v-Tea-Party-DOJ-v-AP-are-BOTH-GOP-Fabricated-Non-Scandals

[davidpdx]

32. A great article

People on DU are buying into the AP story already. It's amazing what people will believe.

[SlimJimmy]

36. The article you linked to at KOS was no real help. The IRS has already

apologized for targeting the groups (not something that happens in a fake scandal). The AP issue is not the issuance of subpoenas, but the amount , depth, and breadth of the subpoenas that were issued (20 subpoenas affecting the records of over 100 reporters). I have deep concerns with both of these incidents. Your mileage may vary.

[kentuck]

18. Yep.

I agree.

[Cha]

19. The republicons by being assholes are

breaking the Senate.

thank you, babylonsistah!

[mrmpa]

21. What about charging the Repugs with malfeasance in office?

Malfeasance in office requires an affirmative act or omission. Second, the act must have been done in an official capacity—under the color of office. Finally, that that act somehow interferes with the performance of official duties.

They have committed an act in their official capacity while in office, that interferes with the performance of official duties. They were hired (elected) to do certain things, one of which is to allow government to perform its duties. The repugs are not letting government do what it's supposed to.

I am writing this as a lay person, but I can see the malfeasance occurring daily. where's the Justice Department?

[davidpdx]

33. I think malfeasance would be letting them off way too lenient for those assholes

They should be charged with with something much more serious than that.

[Buns_of_Fire]

43. First, they'd have to be expelled. Good luck with that.

The only way to get rid of a congresscritter (outside of an election) is by a 2/3 vote of their respective house. Next to their campaign donors, these people must be swearing a super-secret oath to always be loyal to their buddies in The Club.

Although it would be fun to have multiple concurrent resolutions to expel a few of the more blatant assholes from Congress for conduct unbecoming. And then their buddies could file a resolution to expel the person(s) who filed the first resolution. And then their buddies would file an expulsion resolution, and so on and so on. One big circular firing squad.

They don't seem to be doing much else these days, at least they could provide some entertainment.

[Auntie Bush]

22. Why aren't the Dems outraged about this and making lots of waves in the press and media?

If the Dems did this to the Rethgs they'd be howling and screaming their heads off on every show at every opportunity. If they ever get back in office...we'll HAVE to do the same to them and give them a taste of their own medicine. They'd claim we're anti-American and have some emergency hearings.

[ybbor]

23. I'm still so pissed at Harry Reid

What a weak, ass leader we have! Such a wuss!

[Hekate]

26. GOTV 2014 for electable Democrats

That is all.

[HiPointDem]

28. If george bush lying us into a war that killed & maimed thousands of americans doesn't cause a

scandal, i don't know what it will take.

pedophilia maybe.

[Mr. Evil]

29. Sorry, pedophilia won't do it either.

These newspapers were all confiscated. Well, almost all of them to prevent this scandal back in 1989. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. http://freemanireland.ning.com/profiles/blogs/conspiracy-of-silance-the-bush-reagan-pedophile-ring-in-the?xg_source=activity

[filterfreeradio]

34. There IS a Benghazi Scandal...

[hrmjustin]

40. Welcome to DU my friend!

[Fumesucker]

35. This was an interesting paragraph

As I’ve said before, the only recourse for the majority — and recall that Democrats enjoy a 55-seat duly elected majority in the Senate — is to threaten to change the rules if Republicans continue, and then carry out that threat with majority-imposed reform to end filibusters on executive branch nominations altogether. But that would be a loss for the Senate if it had to happen. It’s not a bad thing at all to give the minority party a larger role in the process, and filibusters are part of that; but if filibusters become routine instead of used only for those things the minority objects to the strongest, then the majority will have little choice.

Hasn't this decision already been made and the Democrats blinked?

[SlimJimmy]

37. Yes, we blinked. We had a chance to change the rules at the beginning

of this Senate session, and failed to do so.

[treestar]

45. IMO they are right to be afraid

The Republicans take the WH and the Senate and the Democrats are then on the other end of it. Then people here will be screaming about how stupid it was to change the rules.

[SlimJimmy]

46. Yes, that's a good point. It's certainly a double edged sword.

[Fumesucker]

47. If the Republicans take the Senate they can change the rules

I'm sure their innate sense of fairness would stop the Republicans from doing that though.

Not to mention that we are now in the era of the permanent Democratic majority.

[treestar]

54. They had a chance to and didn't

Both sides know they can be in the minority in the future.

[Fumesucker]

56. Demography is destiny

And the demographics assure Republican minorities forever.

I read it here on DU daily almost.

Old bitter white men are a dying demographic.

[libtodeath]

38. Of course the so called liberal media is all over this

arnt they?

Hello...anyone there in the press corp?

[Ninga]

39. There is no way this article can get traction, go viral...GOP doesn't care, they will continue

To hammer, hammer, away at Obama...


So fucking sad....the Democrats....So fucking impotent...So fucking disorganized...

[chervilant]

41. So f**king complicit...

[intheflow]

48. I heard McConnell on NPR today say theIRS needs to stop stonewalling.

Have you looked in a fucking mirror lately, McConnell?!?!?

[cyclezealot]

50. That is a scandal All right.

As if what they did with the gun disclosure wasn't bad enough.

[Moostache]

51. 100% of the blame for this is on Harry Reid's doorstep.

If he had any guts at all, the filibuster abuse would have ended in 2010...or in 2012...I have ZERO hope for it ending on his watch PERIOD.

The Republicans are incorrigible, but they have plenty of help from Harry Reid's inability to act.

[patrice]

53. Sedition-Lite, at minimum. nt

[Uncle Joe]

55. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, babylonsister.