What happened to the jobs bill in the Senate today is like a microcosm of everything wrong in DC:

[Poll_Blind]

So first, if you haven't been clued in yet by reading the news: The jobs bill doesn't have the support of either the Republicans (surprise!) or enough Democrats to pass. If it were to come to a vote in the Senate today it would not pass.

Again, even in the Democratic-controlled Senate, the President's jobs bill would not pass. Which is why they were debating the Chinese currency bill today instead of the President's jobs bill, and why they're quickly trying to rewrite parts of it so that it might at least have a chance of passing in the Senate. Nobody is under any impressions that it's going to pass in the House.

The President knows this. Harry Reid knows this. Part of this jobs bill's political lifecycle is that it won't pass (at least immediately) and give the President the ability to make speeches saying "See? I'm trying to do something! But they just won't let me. That do-nothing congress!" What ever happened to a jobs bill on Day One, BTW?

Anyway, the President's speech (you know, the one where he says "Pass this bill NOW!" 17 times?) and the fact that it doesn't even have enough Democratic support to pass in the Senate strikes the Republicans in the Senate as funny. So, during the debate on the China currency bill the Republicans tried to add the Obama jobs bill as an amendment to it, which Harry Reid can't let happen because it doesn't even have enough Democratic support to pass as written, currently.

It would also bring to an abrupt halt the President's speaking tour which focuses on how congress isn't doing anything about his jobs bill. (!)

And so, in an act of desperation Reid had to use a procedural maneuver called "filling to tree" which stopped further amendments to the Chinese currency bill.

And you'd think the fucked-up would stop there but there's a little footnote to it all: The Currency Exchange Rate Oversight Reform Act of 2011 appears to be a good bill but one which may not get enough votes to pass tomorrow without further amendments. The Republicans don't want it to pass and they may have just helped kill two birds with one stone by forcing Reid into a corner.

How fucked is all that?

That's just one day in politics in Washington, and a very narrow slice of it at that.

:puke:

BTW, all during today there were political attacks and counter-attacks, feints and charges in our Capitol. Sabers were rattled, saber blades flashed.

But if you were out of work this morning, you'll probably still be out of work tonight and this jobs bill (whatever you think of it), is no closer to being passed.

PB

[Angry Dragon]

1. There are parts of the jobs bill I do not like

[abelenkpe]

2. sorry

I still don't get why democrats in the senate aren't willing to pass the jobs bill. Who are these democrats btw? What don't they like?

[Proud Public Servant]

5. Here's a partial answer

From Politico

Sen. Mary Landrieu, a Democrat from the oil-and-gas state of Louisiana, said she won’t back the bill because it raises $40 billion by repealing some subsidies for oil and natural gas drilling. Others are concerned with the bill’s limitations on itemized tax deductions for families making more than $250,000 a year.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1011/65231.html#ixzz1Zw7eSKBB

To his credit, Reid is trying to deal with these Dems by putting a millionaire tax in the bill instead.

[abelenkpe]

10. We should cut subsidies to oil and gas though

Shouldn't we? Gotta read up on this during lunch...Thanks!

[Proud Public Servant]

13. Agree, absolutely n/t

[Poll_Blind]

7. You should check out this article from the Kansas City Star:

The one linked http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x2042823">here.

It's really a bit more expansive than excerpts will allow it to be condensed and the opposition among Democrats falls over a spectrum of motivations. They go into a couple of different cases in the article.

PB

[TBF]

3. And this is why folks are in the streets.

When normal methods do not work, we escalate.

[undeterred]

4. I'm out of work and I can't afford to be out in the streets.

And I'll still be out of work tomorrow and the day after that too.

[Altoid_Cyclist]

6. This brings up one of my biggest fears....

I'm afraid that someday my mind will deteriorate to the point of being able to understand the BS that takes place in DC.

Games..games..and more games while people are struggling to survive in "the greatest country" on the planet.

[HappyMe]

8. Well, that's just great.

:mad: I guess I will be emailing to ask just what the hell their problem is.

[FarCenter]

9. Senate Democrats rewrite Obama's jobs bill

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/story/2011-10-05/Democrats-Obama-jobs-bill/50668374/1?csp=34news

Reid and Schumer are making sure that the bill will never get through the House. (Not that it has much of a chance, anyway.)

[Poll_Blind]

11. Yep. This bill is worth more to the President dead than alive. If it happens to...

...reach a watered-down enough level that it does pass both houses, the President can declare "Victory!" over passage of a bill which only bears passing resemblance to the one he submitted.

I thought this excerpt from your article was probably the most telling:

Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said there was opposition to Obama's plan because people making $250,000 or $300,000 in high cost areas, like New York, don't consider themselves rich.

"Drawing a line at $1 million is the right thing to do," Schumer said.

Hrm....

I love how they jump from 250k to a million. What about $400k, $500k, $750k for crissakes?

PB

[chill_wind]

15. Bone for the GOP. Thanks Chuck.

Schumer Adopts GOP Argument Against Obama Tax Plan

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/10/schumer-adopts-gop-argument-against-obama-tax-plan.php?ref=fpb

But because Schumer's argument so closely mirrors theirs, GOP staffers -- who typically attack Schumer as a partisan -- are blasting his statement to reporters, to portray Obama's agenda as out of the mainstream.

Polling tells a different story. Most Democrats support allowing the Bush tax cuts to expire for income above $250,000, as do most people in the country. Schumer disagrees for parochial and political reasons, but Republicans will now and forever cite his cri de coeur to suggest their opposition to Obama's plan is broad and bipartisan.

[KoKo]

12. Good observations. K&R...

:-(

[WI_DEM]

14. Why can't the Dems in congress just pass it because it's dead in the House anyway.

At least it would save the president the embarassment of losing the Senate thanks to dems voting against it.

[Poll_Blind]

18. Democrats who are under pressure to vote against it wouldn't want to risk fallout from a symbolic...

...vote, either. One thing that everyone should seriously consider is that if the President planned for this bill to actually pass, he would have at least consulted with the Senate Democrats to make sure they were all on the same page (legislatively) before submitting it. That's an action that President Obama frequently avoids, preferring to submit something and then just kind of "see what happens".

The closest consultation the President has made, especially from late last year onward, is with the Republicans. Then, after working out a supposed "deal" with them he puts out the legislation and uses Biden and others to hopefully convince Democrats in the House and Senate to comply. This latest turn is a departure from even that.

This is just kicking a ball out into the middle of the field. If nobody picks it up and runs with it, he can blame congress which is key to 2012 re-election campaign. If somehow this does get passed in some watered-down form, he can still claim victory after a "hard fought" battle- which was really the interim when they were rewriting and watering down the legislation he submitted in the first place.

This is mostly kabuki. Definitely kabuki from both sides, sadly, but kabuki all the same.

PB

[loyalsister]

23. These are all good points, but

I know from experience that outside groups and political leaders are very good at threats and incentives to get congress to change their votes.
It was very common for them to vote one way in committee and change their vote when it came to the floor.

[chill_wind]

16. K & R.

[KamaAina]

17. What ever happened to a jobs bill on Day One, BTW?

It wasn't focus-grouping as well, because his poll numbers were higher. :eyes:

[opihimoimoi]

30. The Cantor Group said NO.....they will rue the day...

Having revealed a plan to starve America for jobs to make Obama a failure is dispicable and UnAmerican...the Cantor/Boner

gang gonna have to explain why they are stifling job building at this crit time...

The Blues gonna wipe the floor with red shammys

[exelwood]

19. This was a terrible thing to happen...

O'Connell was laughing! Did you see the smirk on his doughy face?? They will be like dogs with a bone over this, limbaugh and his ilk will trumpet it every time the President tries to talk up the bill.

[opihimoimoi]

20. America will heal as soon as the Baggers leave the House..trust me...

[Poll_Blind]

21. Oh? Explain how that works if you don't mind.

PB

[opihimoimoi]

22. The Baggers are the obstacle toward solving our econ mess...rid them nx year...vote in Blue Dems and

watch progress bloom...

the Baggers have demonstrated nothing but negative....no real solutions...only gripes and nit picking

[Poll_Blind]

24. I just don't see that much of a difference between then and the likes of McConnell.

I agree that Cantor is an absolute fucker though but it's tough to say Boehner is somehow better or less obstructive.

PB

[opihimoimoi]

25. common traits: Hubristic , rigid, temper, myopic, avoids apologies, rejects reason, etc

[lonestarnot]

26. I wonder if it all isn't beyond repair at this point.

[opihimoimoi]

27. Get with OPTIMISM....the POLARITY IS POSITIVE...we are HUMANS...

able to leap faraway planets, tunnel under rivers and channels, bridge over troubled waters, solve for whatever we want...

Its never too late until the skinny rabbit dies...

[lonestarnot]

29. +

:hug:

[opihimoimoi]

31. Thanks.... :o)

[midnight]

28. Firstly everyone, Congress, needs to either do their jobs or resign...

Their job requires a Full Jobs Bill.... And the Fed needs to step in and let the money roll... not give some hanky panky speech excuses about the economy not being able to perform... Is this the best we got? O we can do better!