Reid: I Can’t Get Unanimous Support From Dems To Use The Bathroom, Let Alone For Obama’s Jobs Bill

[Pirate Smile]

Reid: I Can’t Get Unanimous Support From Dems To Use The Bathroom, Let Alone For Obama’s Jobs Bill

Senate Democrats are tweaking President Obama's jobs bill, to consolidate support for it within the caucus. The details of the tweaks haven't been disclosed yet, but the goal is to set it up for a test vote later this month that garners the support of more than 50 senators.

There are 53 Democrats, though, and thanks to Senate filibuster rules, the test vote will be held at a 60-vote threshold. Getting over the 50-vote middle-point will allow Obama to claim that a minority in the Senate is obstructing his plan. But it won't stop Republicans from claiming "bipartisan opposition" to Obama's bill. The only way to do that is to get all 53 members on board.

I asked Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) at his weekly press conference Tuesday whether the changes he's making to the bill will win it the full support of his caucus. It's not looking very likely. "You can't trap me into unanimous," Reid said. "As I've indicated here before, to get all my senators to agree that I can take a break and go to the bathroom, I can't quite get that. So we'll get most everyone. There could be -- I don't know who -- but there could be some that don't support it. But it would be a rare situation."

A handful or two of Senate Democrats have expressed opposition to the way Obama's proposed to pay for the legislation, particularly from oil-patch Democrats concerned that the plan as written could result in higher taxes on oil and gas companies. Reid suggested the details of the revised pay-fors will be released soon.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/10/reid-i-cant-get-unanimous-support-from-dems-to-use-the-bathroom-let-alone-for-obama-jobs-bill.php?ref=fpb

[crim son]

1. Divided we fall. n/t

[montanacowboy]

2. Same old bullshit

Dems blocking

worried about higher taxes on oil and gas co's

why do we even bother

[mcar]

26. Yep, and President Obama will be blamed

by the media and others for not getting the jobs bill passed.

[Duct Tape]

32. Nope. I won't blame Obama. I don't like

everything in the bill, but there are some things in there that we really need. If this doesn't pass, I'll blame congress because Obama did his job on the bus tour, in his first speech announcing the bill, and in subsequent speeches. That being said, Obama should not change the name of his game and let those in congress complain all day until they get what they want. He should remain firm with them.

[KoKo]

35. Obama and Dem Party worked HUGE HARD to get Reid re-elected!

So don't look to far past a stone's throw to see why Harry has the "Last Word." Look at who worked to get him re-elected to share the blame. :-(

[graywarrior]

3. Grrrrr

They all need to get voted out

[bigwillq]

11. ....

:thumbsup:

[karynnj]

17. Problem is the oil patch Democrats, if voted out,

will be replaced with new oil patch Democrats or, more likely, Republicans - who we get aye votes on nothing.

The problem is that they are looking out for their state - just as all representatives do. There has to come a time where they accept the problem is great enough to consider the national good. However, I have seen bad votes for EVERY Senator I have looked at that can be explained as voting for their state.

[graywarrior]

28. I hear ya, sistah!

Still, it's frustrating as hell.

[karynnj]

29. It really is

I read everything I could when Senator Kerry was working to get the votes to pass a meaningful, if too weak clean energy bill. It was so frustrating to see even some of my favorite Democrats acting so shortsighted. This is something that requires action and it would have been more productive - and better for their states - if they worked with him to ensure that their were the needed subsidies to help the states that needed it the most - the rust belt.

The left was pretty unhelpful. Many backed the coal state Senators saying now was not the time. Others complained that it gave too much away - and they said this even of Kerry/Boxer which was never close to 60 votes. Then the left praised the Cantwell and Collins version, where the subsidies were spread evenly - even to states that incurred little cost - like Washington that got much of its energy from hydroelectic. This, of course meant it could not get even as many Senators as Kerry/Boxer!

Yet every one of those Senators was doing what their states would have wanted. The problem - on the jobs bill and on that - some times Senators should take hard votes knowing that it is needed for the real good of the country - and likely their state.

[graywarrior]

30. They can't seem to think outside their own regions and truly, their votes

affects the rest of the country negatively, even tho it may help their own state.

[karynnj]

36. Not to mention, there is the short term vs the long term

In this case, in the short term, their state will have oil/gas companies that pay more taxes. This might translate to lower profits and lower dividends and less money given in charity to their state. But, in reality the dividends are likely going mostly out of state.

But the jobs bill will strengthen the economy and it needs a boost. I would suspect that the total money say, Louisiana gets will be greater if the jobs bill as written is passed. However, their temper tantrum gets rewarded because Democrats are already working on alternatives. (The fact is Obama's sources - the oil companies, hedge fund managers and the wealthiest actually is a good choice because the majority of people agree all of these are fair. If we can get all the Democrats behind some version like this - yes, I know herding cats is easier - it will be extremely bad politics for the Republicans to explain their votes against it.

[paulk]

43. I have come to believe over the last several years

that our system of government is irreparably broken, or even worse, can not work for the problems we face in the modern world.

The Senate is an archaic institution that will be our downfall - that a state like Wyoming (smallest pop. continental US) has equal representation as a state like California (largest pop., etc, and if it was a country would be in the top 10 world economies) is absurd.

I read somewhere that the 41 Republican Senators in the 2008 Senate represented 27% of the nation's population. Not sure if I remember that number exactly, but it's in the ballpark. That a quarter of the people in the country can thwart the will (through the filibuster) of the other 3/4's is also absurd.

This gridlock, this system - has to change - yet it seems to be getting worse. I don't have much hope anymore for the future of our country. I don't see a path to how things get better - for the economy - for the environment. And any violent revolution could very well result in a worse situation.

In the long run perhaps the "national good" might actually be the dissolution of the nation...

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

4. Ahhh the US Senate where good ideas go to die. nt

[OHdem10]

5. Those campaign contribution from oil and gas really

talk. As usual kick the working class and poor
to the curb--but they must protect the big guys
with the bucks.

Get the Money out of Politics.

[vi5]

6. Then maybe he should find someone who can...

..and turn the responsibility over to them. Hell, I'd even settle for someone who tried their goddamndedest BEFORE making excuse rather than starting with the excuses and then trying.

[young but wise]

7. As usual.

[Thrill]

8. Thats been the biggest problem for Democrats

Guys like Ben Nelson and Landrieu are basically Republicans.

[Pirate Smile]

9. And we had to have them when we supposedly had 60 votes in the Senate. It had to get past those two

plus Blanche Lincoln, Joe Lieberman, etc.

That is why we didn't have a Public Option.

We had to get some Republicans to pass the Recovery Act and they shrank it down.

The Democratic-controlled Senate is why the President couldn't get Gitmo shut.

Everybody acts like all of those were by President Obama's choice (which is total garbage). The Senators certainly don't pipe up and say "That was me. I killed the public option".

[CakeGrrl]

12. Yes, for all those complaining that the President had so-called Dem "majorities"

He didn't.

Get him some damned Dems willing to unify like the GOP manages to do.

[CrazyBob]

46. I strongly disagree

You seem to say that the composition of the house and senate are the main reason we didn't get what we wanted.

I say the main reason for the composition of the house and senate is the efforts of the president and other Dem leaders. They insisted that we needed Blanche Lincoln and others in order to have enough of a majority to get things done - which most of us knew was a total crock. And once we got the majorities, they were never real, and were totally unusable for anything but gaining more office space for leaders of our party.

[defendandprotect]

15. "Congress is under the control of the oil and coal industries" ... Al Gore/Rolling Stone

this summer --

That's corporate power over our Congress -- and they're involved in many issues

from Global Warming to labor -- !!


There are two sides of the coin of corruption -- i.e., Citizens United

This isn't just about corporations BUYING government - - candidates and elected officials.

This is also about dishonest candidates and elected officials SELLING THEMSELVES and

our SELLING our government to corporations !!

[CakeGrrl]

10. Gee, wouldn't a little "lockstep" be nice once in a while?

Noooooo, can't have Dems vote in a unified bloc.


:eyes:

[Tarheel_Dem]

13. Ditto!

:thumbsup:

[defendandprotect]

14. Maybe they need new leadership -- ????

[Pirate Smile]

16. A noisy portion of Dems don't follow their leaders. They backbite & bitch &

undercut them repeatedly.

Then people can claim "if only we had leaders, we would follow".

Nope, some people seem incapable of that.

The saying - "Cutting off your nose to spite your face" - seems to fit perfectly for a segment of Democrats.

[defendandprotect]

18. Harry Reid hasn't been what you'd call a success story for Dems --

[progressoid]

22. Yep - he's pretty milquetoast IMHO

[Mass]

19. Or we could find a leader in the Senate that can dems to vote on non controversial issues.

There is nothing controversial in the job bill. Who are the Dems who do not want to vote for it and why.

[Pirate Smile]

23. Landreiu wont vote for getting rid of the oil subsidies.

Ben Nelson probably wont for ANY tax increases on the rich from what I've read.

Durbin said there are a few red state Dems who are up for reelection who don't want to vote for any tax increases on anyone - the rich, oil companies, etc.

It is the usual suspects who always screw things up.

I'm sure Manchin is being a jackass too. It is his normal state now.

[Mass]

24. So, force them to vote NO. How many times are we going to play the same game.

In any case, the bill will not pass. So, why not force the GOP to filibuster it (and if Landrieu and Nelson want to vote against popular measures, so be it).

[Pirate Smile]

27. Republicans would claim opposition was "bipartisan". It makes it harder to nail Republicans for

obstructionism when Dems are joining them.

[Inuca]

41. Not "would", ARE

that's what dear McConnell was already saying yesterday. Repeatedly.

[TheKentuckian]

44. We protect our weak links and get them cherry chairmanships, the pukes put theirs

on the backbench and primary them for having been civil to Teddy at some point.

TeaPubliKlans believe in their ideology, we try to disavow ours, meaning Democrats also believe in the Republican ideology.

[vaberella]

20. Who remembers the Public Option--Oh, but Obama did a backroom deal. NO, Dems in Senate did.

The Dems in the Senate killed the PO, not Obama. But the misconception is Obama.

[Autumn]

21. Tell me again why we MUST vote for fucking blue dogs.

:banghead: Those bastards are a fucking joke.

[ellisonz]

25. To retain control of leadership positions in the Congress...

[Autumn]

37. Are leadership positions that important if they

won't vote for what we need? You know quack like a duck and all that shit.

[Inuca]

42. Yes, they are

The leadership determines what is brought up. Do you thik you would have all the nonsense bills that they are wasting their time (and ours) in the House brought up to a vote if Pelosi was stilll Speaker, even if 1/2 her caucus would have been blue doggish?

[Autumn]

45. Catch 22 n/t

[Pirate Smile]

31. UPDATE: Dems Float Surtax On Millionaires To Pay For Jobs Bill

Dems Float Surtax On Millionaires To Pay For Jobs Bill

Seeking to consolidate party support for President Obama's jobs bill, Senate Democrats are considering a proposal to impose a five percent surtax on millionaires to pay for the legislation, according to two party aides.

As currently written, Obama wants the joint Super Committee to increase its deficit reduction target by enough to pay for the whole jobs bill. That way its cost could be offset by spending cuts and revenue measures and other reforms that have bipartisan support. But failing that, Obama's bill would trigger a series of new taxes on wealthy Americans, including oil and gas companies, hedge fund managers and others.

This enforcement mechanism caused some strife in the Democratic caucus. Now, driven by party leadership and Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT), whose powerful Finance Committee has jurisdiction over the jobs bill, they're considering a simpler, less parochial, and thus less divisive measure.

A Senate Dem aide cautioned that nothing's final yet, and the party could ultimately settle on different measures. And there's a history of broad Democratic support for raising taxes on millionaires.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/10/dems-float-surtax-on-millionaires-to-pay-for-jobs-bill.php?ref=fpa

[Inuca]

40. More

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44785065/ns/politics-capitol_hill/

And the WH seems to be OK with it.

But after three weeks of presidential demands for Congress to pass his jobs bill without delay, White House communications director Dan Pfeiffer said Obama was open to Reid's changes.

"We offered a balanced way to pay for the American Jobs Act, but if Congress has a better idea that ensures that everyone pays their fair share, we're open to it," Pfeiffer said.

Also, heard on the radio (hence no link) that Reid seems to have the support of most of the problematic Ds, including if I remember correctly the 2 Nelsons, Manchin (not sure of spelling, West Virginia), Landrieu and I think McCaskill.

[babylonsister]

33. Jeeze. We are our own worst enemies. So tiring. nt

[KoKo]

34. Harry has always had an "apology " for everything. This time he's blaming it on Bathrooms?

:eyes: How he ever got re-elected has puzzled me...but, I figured out that it's because he's ineffectual.

Anyone ever watch the old movie "The Godfather?" There's an inecredible segment about the "Senator from Nevada" at that time the history of that period was.

Does anyone ever wonder why one of the smallest state in the Union has a Powerful Senate Speaker? The one who reads the rules and challenges the legislation along with passing through what "will pass" and what has to be "Held?"

Harry Reid... Yep...Small state in the US West (Gambling State)...but, he RULES THE ROOST. WHY? :shrug:

[Inuca]

39. How he got to be re-elected?

YOu think the alternative was preferable? Remember her, Ms. "2nd amendment remedies"? This aside, Reid is actually quite good at what he is doing (unfortunately McConnell is probably better).

[Hotler]

38. I have no hope. I see no future. eom.

[AtomicKitten]

47. Here's how to fix this crap: Make Dems promise to vote with the party on procedural votes and

not join GOP filibusters. :mad:

Then they can vote however the hell they want on the actual bill. Easy peasy.