McCain Concedes Republicans Have No Case In Opposing Budget Reconciliation
McCain Concedes Republicans Have No Case In Opposing Budget Reconciliation
President Obama has signaled that he is open to using the tactic of budget reconciliation to advance health care reform and cap-and-trade. Reconciliation allows some legislation to be protected from filibusters and passed by a simple majority vote. Speaking at the Heritage Foundation today, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) conceded that when Republicans were in power, they had laid the “groundwork” for reconciliation by frequently employing the procedure to pass major Bush agenda items:
MCCAIN: I fully recognize that Republicans have in the past engaged in using reconciliation to further the party’s agenda. I wish it had not been done then, and I hope it will not be done now that the groundwork has been laid.
Watch it:
McCain has a mixed record on reconciliation bills. Though he opposed the 2001 and 2003 Bush tax cuts passed through reconciliation, he supported other Bush agenda items passed through reconciliation, such as legislation to reduce spending on Medicaid.
McCain’s comments today stand in stark contrast with the central argument being made by other Republican Senators on reconciliation — that it is somehow a radical shift in Senate procedure. For example, Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH), the GOP ranking member on the Senate Budget Committee, compared reconciliation to “running over the minority, putting them in cement and throwing them in the Chicago River.”
McCain is right that Republicans laid the groundwork for using reconciliation. Since 1995, Republicans have pushed everything from the Contract with America, to welfare reform, to tax cuts targeted at the rich, to drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, using reconciliation. Republican leaders even fired successive Senate parliamentarians who disagreed with their use of reconciliation.
Will other Republican Senators wake up from their political amnesia and accept that they have no standing to reject budget reconciliation now?
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The repugnican senators will not wake up from their political amnesia anytime soon. They will continue to be the party of NO without any new ideas for improving America.
March 26th, 2009 at 7:07 pmI guess that settles it then. If the GOP used the process to jam through their agenda, it seems logical to prevent the Dems from using the very same tactic. That’s fair and balanced, no?
March 26th, 2009 at 7:09 pmI really doubt the Republicans will awake from their amnesia because it doesn’t suit their purposes.
They have benefited from the lack of attention on the part of the citizenry and it has enabled them to continue on with their self-serving and ruinous ideology.
March 26th, 2009 at 7:09 pmRepublicans laid their own groundwork as the party of ABSOLUTELY NOT during the stimulus debate, as well as some blue-dog dems.
The reality is that we’re not going to be able to turn this country around by using tactics differing in every way from the republicans. Reconciliation must be used for key agenda items. It’s not always a republican tactic, sometimes it’s just Senate business.
The stimulus ended up underfunded during the kumbaya trial period. The American people now know that we tried being inclusive and nothing got done out of it.
March 26th, 2009 at 7:09 pmFinally, as he begins to think about facing his maker, McCain speaks the truth?
March 26th, 2009 at 7:11 pm“I wish it had not been done then, and I hope it will not be done now that the groundwork has been laid. ”
Unless it would pass legislation he agreed-with.
March 26th, 2009 at 7:11 pmBy neglecting to mention that fact and noting only past and present objections, he’s pretending that this is a matter of ‘principle’ for him. It isn’t, its just politics.
The “Blue Dog Demi-Pukes” are already in serious dookey – over at Politico there’s an article about Boyd being challenged by a left candidate in Florida.
Going against the voters is NEVER a good idea. These Blue Dogs will be challenged and unseated.
March 26th, 2009 at 7:12 pmIt’s not a matter of principle, Johnny Boy! Everyone already KNOWS the history. Nice try to garner up some cred though.
March 26th, 2009 at 7:13 pmSorry but the last time McCain had anything to do with a principle was when he got called to the office in high school.
But Daddy ain’t here to bail him out this time.
March 26th, 2009 at 7:15 pmWho? Oh, yeah, McCain...
(Say folks, how do I go about getting one of these insectuous screen names?)
March 26th, 2009 at 7:16 pmIt is poetic justice that the Democrats are using the same tricks the Republicans used just a few years ago.
March 26th, 2009 at 7:17 pmThat darn ol’ up or down vote the Republicans clamored for and used when they were in power, talk about karma!
March 26th, 2009 at 7:18 pmkellykinsel you are what you say!
March 26th, 2009 at 7:19 pmHey KK
You forgot “right you libs” after your last paragraph!
March 26th, 2009 at 7:19 pmNo, kellykinsel, your ranting hurts. Besides being stupid.
If the program isn’t working (and the stock market says it is slowly taking effect) why are the Republicans going into either terminal spastic fits of lying or, as is the case here, making nice?
Sucks to lose, don’t it, troll?
March 26th, 2009 at 7:19 pmwe love hyperventilating trolls…
March 26th, 2009 at 7:20 pmare you wearing any clothes, kellykinsel?
March 26th, 2009 at 7:21 pmHA HA HA…what was it you were babbling about? I forget?
March 26th, 2009 at 7:22 pmFlagged AGAIN for posting boring drivel.
See you’re still whackin’ off & the oxygen is still not gettin’ to your brain.
March 26th, 2009 at 7:22 pmI still like the cement shoe swimming lesson idea.
March 26th, 2009 at 7:23 pmkk, please don’t swallow your tongue. The other trolls will just think you are break dancing.
March 26th, 2009 at 7:24 pmWhat campaign promise, kkk?
He said consistently throughout the campaign that more troops would be going to Afghanistan.
Advocating violence, how cute.
I didn’t think republitroll could get any dumber than the ones at Huffpo. I was wrong.
March 26th, 2009 at 7:24 pmHe’s at Bush’s house.
March 26th, 2009 at 7:24 pmIs it just me, or does anyone else hear tinselhead’s voice coming across as Malificent from Sleeping Beauty?
March 26th, 2009 at 7:25 pmHey KK @ 22
You forgot, “right you libs” again! Get with it girl!
March 26th, 2009 at 7:26 pmNot sure RUC. Seems to me they are abandoning all the old stuff in favor of new meme’s. Maybe after all these years of using fear to get their way they are getting scared themselves.
March 26th, 2009 at 7:26 pmKelly@22, Kelly, Kelly, Kelly… How long has Obama been in office? And by the way, You can call me anything, but NEVER call me a fool.
March 26th, 2009 at 7:26 pmDo your friends send you into the 7-11 for nachos, kellykinsel, and then drive off without you?
March 26th, 2009 at 7:26 pmKlatuu Says:
Ya gotta wonder if the Old Guy realizes that most of us on the right side of things voted against him and not for the Messiah? I know one person that did and it’s working out better than I could have ever imagined.
I see the gibberish lessons are paying off for you.
March 26th, 2009 at 7:28 pmNo way! Malificent was awesome!
KKKelly’s just a whiner. Not even to 100 days but can’t deliver on any of his ridiculous campaign promises
Hey KK! You forgot “right you libs” on your next post too! Ba ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
March 26th, 2009 at 7:29 pmkellytinsel strikes me as the ugly girl that nobody likes, but gives great skull, so she does get dates…
March 26th, 2009 at 7:29 pmYeah, it’s beginning to reek of sulfur around here.
March 26th, 2009 at 7:30 pmTroll farts.
March 26th, 2009 at 7:30 pmkellyskincell is a flake.
March 26th, 2009 at 7:31 pmkellytinsel strikes me as the ugly girl that nobody likes, but gives great skull, so she does get dates…
You don’t get dates if you’re only interested in blowing yourself…
March 26th, 2009 at 7:32 pmkellykinsel
For someone who criticized teleprompters, your posts sure do come across as machine-fed.
March 26th, 2009 at 7:32 pmI would much more prefer a socialist “agenda” to the lying, hypocritical, sub-human fools who so worship Mammon and practice fake democracy governance with the help of minions like kellykinsel. Let the people prosper for awhile. They are, after all the true source of wealth that the rich take for granted and treat as disposable, and the true power if organized effectively.
All this throwing out of the word “facism” should want you to google “Facism Anyone?” and then ask yourself, who are the true facist (with their minions like kellykinsel)!
March 26th, 2009 at 7:33 pmkkk,
You kept us entrenched in this debacle for six years and you think getting out is simply a matter of flipping a switch? We never thought it would be.
Define logistics, Mr. Party of the Military.
Did you miss President Obama’s speech at Camp Lejeune detailing his exit plans?
March 26th, 2009 at 7:36 pmI have just one question for the trolls.
If capitalism is the end all and be all of existence, how come there is only one major country left in the world that holds it sacred?
March 26th, 2009 at 7:37 pmI don’t think kelly is a woman. He or she uses phrases and language that seem more masculine. Just a suggestion.
March 26th, 2009 at 7:37 pmHuh. I guess there are times when McCrazy isn’t banging rocks together and screaming at trees in the park. Some days he actually makes sense and appears sane.
March 26th, 2009 at 7:38 pm11 kellykinsel Says:
Have you noticed that the stock market has been going up lately? Maybe in wingnut reality, it’s not going up but this is America. I also really love it when a desperate wingnut thinks that typing in all caps will somehow prove their point, what insanity.
I believe Obama as clearly stated his timetable for withdrawal from Iraq. I also believe it was the military commanders in the field that requested more troops in Afghanistan. Are you saying Obama should not follow the advice of his military commanders in the field? I thought Republicans support the military, oh wait, no, they cut the military benefits for veterans.
I am pretty sure that Obama called on Stars and Stripes. You don’t consider Stars and Stripes a major newspaper? This is a time of war, a war started by Republicans, and Starts and Stripes carries news to tens of thousands of our soldiers. You disrespect our soldiers and our nation.
Don’t you love listening to wingnuts whine because they can’t stop the progressive agenda? Obama and the Democrats’ transparency has been staggering when compared to Bush’s criminal administration but still they whine. Hey wingnut, you are in the minority, you don’t get to make decisions anymore.
Amazing that any Republican still has the balls to criticize anyone else. I personally think tax cheats are far less serious a problem then war criminals, but I am a hypocritical lib I guess.
Wingnuts seem to be in uber attack mode. don’t they realize that they have woken America up and we arent buying the Republican propaganda anymore? Hey wingnuts, you lost control of the government. You are not in control. What you want is irrelevant. If you want to regain power, you need to disavow all the dirty tricks Rove and Cheney taught you. It may take fourty years or more for the Republicans to repair their reputation, but I will never trust them again.
March 26th, 2009 at 7:44 pmKay@44, kind of like “Old man shakes fist at cloud.”
March 26th, 2009 at 7:44 pmHi Chicano2nd. The right throwing around fascism … hmm … I didn’t expect that — yes, I thought they knew what fascism meant and adored it. Because in practice, the attributes of fascism includes rampant sexism, an obsession with crime and punishment, treatment of the military as an industrial bloc, and protecting corporate power.
March 26th, 2009 at 7:45 pmShort for McCain: “We did it to ram through out [misplaced] priorities, but the Dems better not do as we did or they’re twarting democracy.”
Bet the GOOPers in the senate are pretty damn glad they didn’t pass that nukular option thingy!
PEACE
March 26th, 2009 at 7:50 pmOOPS! out = our
March 26th, 2009 at 7:51 pmNevar Says: Who? Oh, yeah, McCain…
(Say folks, how do I go about getting one of these insectuous screen names?)
Mouse on up to the top right of the screen and click on profile. Then when in profile change or add a nickname. Save changes [click update profile] Done.
March 26th, 2009 at 7:51 pm“Dems better not do as we did or they’re twarting democracy.””
Goopers have been twarting democracy for some time now, it seems…
March 26th, 2009 at 7:53 pmHe ran on the most conservative platform in American history and has a near-perfect record of supporting the Reichwingers and the trolls still think Flippy McSpin is a stealth “Leftist”. Though I must agree on one point.
After his Jeckel and Hyde act, and the fatal judgment he showed in his choice of running mate, during his campaign no one will ever take anything ol’ Flippy says seriously. Never again.
March 26th, 2009 at 7:53 pmOh, I forgot change the display name publicly [drop down list] after updating profile. My Bad =(
March 26th, 2009 at 7:54 pmCool.
March 26th, 2009 at 7:56 pmThanks, Xisithrus!
Mantis. I like it!
March 26th, 2009 at 7:57 pmouch, jmac – i think they were planning on “de-emphasizing” that point.
you’ll prolly be getting some fussy tweets on that one…
March 26th, 2009 at 7:59 pmI prayed over it. Briefly.
March 26th, 2009 at 7:59 pmNevarmantis Said: I prayed over it. Briefly.
Prey tell!
March 26th, 2009 at 8:01 pmYes they did use reconciliation, dozens of times. But amnesia is what they always get when they think no one remembers.
And of course it is always different when the opposition might do something that they themselves have done. Hypocrites.
March 26th, 2009 at 8:02 pmThanks Xisithrus! Glad to be part of TP’s colony of brilliant insects!
PEACE
March 26th, 2009 at 8:03 pmOT kids, but we are becoming famous! Tune in to Keith Olberman!
March 26th, 2009 at 8:03 pmButterfly Said: Glad to be part of TP’s colony of brilliant insects!
I dunno what kind of insect I am…whatever crawls around O’Reillys place, I suppose, those ones he yells at, those Dayum Insects!
March 26th, 2009 at 8:08 pmshoeless, I’m watching KO, too, and Chris Cillizza used my “boy who cried wolf” analogy in his critique of the GOOP’s non-budget budget announcement. The party of no is rapidly revealing itself to be the party of no substance.
PEACE
March 26th, 2009 at 8:09 pmI want to be the dung beetle insect if no one minds. Imagine the giant piles of dung left behind by the elephants. The only problem is that if I am to be compared to an insect, I should choose one that has a venomous stinger and my beloved dung beetle does not.
March 26th, 2009 at 8:14 pm“Will other Republican Senators wake up from their political amnesia and accept that they have no standing to reject budget reconciliation now?”
Duuuuuhhhhhh …. never?
March 26th, 2009 at 8:14 pmWell with Boehner holding up their fake azz budget today – No they definitely do not have any cause for opposing any budget reconciliation! The repugnicans need to stay FAR away from anything to do with the economy!
March 26th, 2009 at 8:16 pmnever mind what he thinks
what does meghan think?
***
March 26th, 2009 at 8:19 pmThanks to the wonders of Evolution, a fertile imagination, and the blessings of your fellow bugs here at TP, you are hereby granted your venemous appendage, Levi the Oraclular Dung Beetle.
March 26th, 2009 at 8:19 pmFine with me. If a guy can get superpowers from being bitten by a radioactive spider, anything can happen.
I am of course, only a humble ant.
March 26th, 2009 at 8:19 pmGrandpa McSame needs to retire!
March 26th, 2009 at 8:20 pmI am going to roll me up a huge ball of Republican sh*t, so I can lay my eggs. Millions of my offspring will follow the Republican elephant around and we will roll up every ball of shit they drop behind them, increasing our numbers.
Now, as is the way of elephants and dung beetles, some of my offspring will get stepped on by the elephant and crushed into dung beetle soup. This, however, will not deter us. We will hound that Republican elephant everywhere it goes, until it is dead and other TP insects will pick its bones clean.
March 26th, 2009 at 8:26 pmShorter MCCAIN: Feel me now, you non-supportive punks?
March 26th, 2009 at 8:26 pmAs I recall, President Clinton supported welfare reform. But other than that, I largely agree the the GOP ushered through much of its party agendas.
I hope that President Obama and his administration thoroughly think through whatever party lines he succeeds in getting the Congress to pass. As he said in his recent press conference: he likes to think things through prior to acting; hopefully he means it (one can only hope that the stimulus wasn’t an indication of ‘thinking it through’).
-W
March 26th, 2009 at 8:28 pmhttp://bill84121.blogspot.com
Ahem, as TP’s founding insect, let me welcome you all to the Carapace Club. Additional seating can be found, on the ceiling.
March 26th, 2009 at 8:29 pmClinton was the only Republican I ever voted for.
March 26th, 2009 at 8:32 pmAnd a Democrat President has been the only President to reduce the debt or deficit in my lifetime.
Same guy.
Everyone should take some time to know what they’re talking about before they speak.
March 26th, 2009 at 8:33 pmMc cain change, change lol
March 26th, 2009 at 8:51 pmHa! A shiny new insect emerges!
March 26th, 2009 at 9:08 pmI hope there aren’t any dermestid beetles in here or this tbone will be picked clean!
March 26th, 2009 at 9:20 pmOOhhh!@ I gots purply rainbow wingys!!
March 26th, 2009 at 9:56 pmHe’ll pull a McCain. He’ll complain and then tow the party-line. He always did. He always will.
March 26th, 2009 at 10:08 pmDamn I wish I could get here before the trolls get banned and deleted so I would know what’s happening.
March 26th, 2009 at 10:32 pmgummble-bee-itch & RUCeriousDragonfly
Love the new insecty names!!!
March 26th, 2009 at 11:35 pmTo be specific, I am a zebra butterfly. :-)
March 26th, 2009 at 11:36 pmOn topic:
The right smears McCainm saying they always knew he was a liberal in 3…2….1…
March 26th, 2009 at 11:37 pmEven if some of them woke up now, they’ll forever be tainted by what their party leaders have already done. It’s a matter of time before they’re done, and then there may be a lot of weeping. The good kind of weeping though for most of us.
March 26th, 2009 at 11:51 pmDON’T MISS THIS:
Tonight Olberman has the repub leaders waving a “budget bill” in the air, protesting that you can’t say they didn’t submit a budget of their own.
Only problem is that the “budget” doesn’t have any numbers in it.
March 27th, 2009 at 12:01 amGoose, meet gander.
March 27th, 2009 at 12:19 amMapleStreet Says:
I stayed up just so I could see it AGAIN!!! RHAHAHAAAHAEHAHAHEHHEEEEHAHAHA! ROTFL! Not one number in it!
March 27th, 2009 at 1:03 amKlatuu Says:
My God you are an ignorant piece of garbage. Do you think you are anything but PATHETIC when you come here and spew out the stupidity that Rush has programmed you with? Get some self respect man. I mean you are always going to be stupid but at least be ORIGINAL and stupid. You are brainwashed and you are ignorant.
March 27th, 2009 at 1:52 amThe ultimate hypocrisy. You won’t see MSM discussing this pointl At least McCain has the integrity to highlight the truth. Republicons remain the “Party of No”. The leadership in Congress, LOL, are jokes. The whole Party is a Joke.
March 27th, 2009 at 2:19 amWanna see what I look like?
I’m one hot insect.
March 27th, 2009 at 2:29 amI’m going to try that one more time.
Me.
March 27th, 2009 at 2:30 amAnd we can know that McCain sincerely wishes it had done been done then, because he spoke up so vocally and publicly when it was his party doing it.
March 27th, 2009 at 2:57 amNo, most Republicans can’t see the forest from the trees. They are so stubborn in their beliefs and in their insistenance on dividing this country. Until they can put their party differences aside and realize they have to work for the good of the country we are in for a rough ride. They are so worried about what will happen in the next election, that they are overlooking the current term. They also seem to forget that voters have become more involved, and they don’t tolerate the things of the past.
March 27th, 2009 at 6:30 amRemember my way or the highway, you are either with us or you are with the terrorists and mission accomplished. You know, government with attitude. Well, some of those chickens are coming home to roost and with the shoe on the other foot it doesn’t feel so good. Another case of predictable and predicted consequences. Now what was that whine again?
March 27th, 2009 at 8:54 amI repeat, “What goes around, comes around!”
March 27th, 2009 at 9:15 amTo: All the right-wingers;
If you don’t like the way President Obama is making decisions and bringing about new policies, here’s some advice.
Stay true to yourself…remain ignorant, listen to right-wing compulsive liars and drug addicts on television and radio, don’t read anything of substance, don’t take the time to think at all let alone critically, and send your political contributions to Governor Palin so she can have her way at Nieman Marcus.
March 27th, 2009 at 10:59 amGOP = do as we say not as we do.
March 27th, 2009 at 11:21 amKarma is a bytch isn’t it???
Hey NcCain, don’t worry about it, Harry Reid wouldn’t even dream of pulling the same bull**** you republicans pulled to get Bush’s Bills passed.;-) Harry’s nice, is want to play with you guys.
March 27th, 2009 at 1:37 pmgopny Says:
Hey ignorant America hating punk. Go kill yourself. Do YOUR part to make America a better country. Throw yourself off a cliff
March 28th, 2009 at 7:40 am