The new civility...

[ElNono]

The question is why the House even wasted a day with this show when they already know any repeal is not surviving the Senate and much less a presidential veto.

How about stopping the symbolic and actually get to work?

[Winehole23]

How about stopping the symbolic and actually get to work?

Temporizing may not be the worst move for the GOP. I doubt they have any clear idea what they're going to do, but to be fair, the true extent of their political sway given the current dynamics very much remains to be seen.

With the Senate and the Presidency in the hands of the other party, the GOP's options besides the symbolic ones are not too numerous.

Moreover, the sort of conciliatory moderation that will be possible will also be disagreeable to the GOP base, and therefore will be avoided like the plague. Expect more gridlock, lost (symbolic) causes and bloviation. It's way easier than governing and it doesn't carry the taint of collaborating with liberal elitists right before an election...

Besides, collaborating in government now would only build up the legitimacy of an adversary whose legitimacy to govern has been under constant attack for decades.

[Winehole23]

...at a juncture where the ins utional prestige of the parties and the US Congress has never been lower.

[Stringer_Bell]

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, not only did Democrat Steve Cohen compare Republican House Members to Nazis, he was wrong in doing so. Incivility aside, let's look at what he said:

No one knows who Steve Cohen is. No one has seen him pushing his brand of self-righteous bull all over the airwaves. Bachmann, on the other hand, through some ungodly miracle, has successfully annointed herself as a mouthpiece for the masses. The fact that you were interested in knowing instances of her shows what either A) You agree with her or B) You've never had the misfortune of hearing her speak, in which case you're better off just taking our word for it that she's an idiot.

Either way, I can completely understand why Spurminator would decline digging up youtubes and articles...the sheer mass of bull attached to that woman is enough to give anyone a splitting headache if they try to focus it all in one place.

...as discussed at Yoni's all-night, blood libel cafe.

This is what I imagine the kitchen area to look like after they invite Liberals over for discussion...

[Winehole23]

That is a great scene, Stringer_Bell.

[Wild Cobra]

The question is why the House even wasted a day with this show when they already know any repeal is not surviving the Senate and much less a presidential veto.

How about stopping the symbolic and actually get to work?

Sometimes such things are necessary, and welcomed. I know I'm going to rattle both my senators cages over this since it went through the house.

[boutons_deux]

"Sometimes such things are necessary"

why? the Repugs do nothing to advance the country, to solve the countries problem. All they do is pander to their fringe base and protect/enrich their corporate paymasters.

What are there plans for getting jobs and housing problems solved, which is why the Dems got voted out, NOT because of health care. Repugs have no mandate to repeal health care.

[Winehole23]

What are there (sic?) plans for getting jobs and housing problems solved?

For better and for worse, there aren't any. There's not much stomach right now for big new spending programs.

I think the plan is to muddle along until we've convinced ourselves "normality" has been restored. It could be a long wait.

[boutons_deux]

Repugs will let the country rot, doing nothing and blocking anything, until at least the 2012 election, then blame the rot exclusively on Magic Negro and the Dems. That worked great in 2010 election. America will get suckered again

[ElNono]

Temporizing may not be the worst move for the GOP. I doubt they have any clear idea what they're going to do, but to be fair, the true extent of their political sway given the current dynamics very much remains to be seen.

With the Senate and the Presidency in the hands of the other party, the GOP's options besides the symbolic ones are not too numerous.

Moreover, the sort of conciliatory moderation that will be possible will also be disagreeable to the GOP base, and therefore will be avoided like the plague. Expect more gridlock, lost (symbolic) causes and bloviation. It's way easier than governing and it doesn't carry the taint of collaborating with liberal elitists right before an election...

Besides, collaborating in government now would only build up the legitimacy of an adversary whose legitimacy to govern has been under constant attack for decades.

You're telling me there's NOTHING they can work on that they could find a common ground on? I mean, this is essentially a topic where you absolutely know there will be no consensus at this time.

Sometimes such things are necessary, and welcomed. I know I'm going to rattle both my senators cages over this since it went through the house.

Wasting time is necessary? I'm not talking about just the GOP.
We're paying their salaries with our tax dollars. The least they can do is work on things that are actually attainable.

[Winehole23]

The least they can do is work on things that are actually attainable.

Like what, in your view?

[Winehole23]

You're telling me there's NOTHING they can work on that they could find a common ground on?

We'll see. The mass killing last week inspired bills to limit speech and control guns. Perhaps another horrendous attack will inspire even more congressional overreaction.

[ElNono]

Like what, in your view?

Plenty of stuff to work on. Take your pick.

[Wild Cobra]

Thing with this health care legislation, almost nobody read it, and are now sorry they voted yes.

[ChumpDumper]

Has anyone actually read it since?

[ElNono]

Thing with this health care legislation, almost nobody read it, and are now sorry they voted yes.

Yeah, that's why democrats won't change their vote and repeal it

[Yonivore]

Yeah, that's why democrats won't change their vote and repeal it

You may be right.

But, the Repeal of Obamacare passed by a much larger margin than the monstrosity that forced it on a unwilling public.

How did the 3 Democrat House members that voted to repeal vote last time (assuming they're not Freshmen).

What was the vote count in the Senate? How many of the RINOs and Democrats that voted yes are up for election in 2012?

[DMX7]

Talk about playing politics. What a waste of time.

[ElNono]

You may be right.

But, the Repeal of Obamacare passed by a much larger margin than the monstrosity that forced it on a unwilling public.

How did the 3 Democrat House members that voted to repeal vote last time (assuming they're not Freshmen).

What was the vote count in the Senate? How many of the RINOs and Democrats that voted yes are up for election in 2012?

It doesn't matter how many votes it got in the House. It was a show.
They already knew they didn't have the votes in the senate.

Again, I think if the GOP actually comes up with a reasonable replacement and willing to compromise, maybe everybody can win.

[Yonivore]

It doesn't matter how many votes it got in the House. It was a show.
They already knew they didn't have the votes in the senate.

Again, I think if the GOP actually comes up with a reasonable replacement and willing to compromise, maybe everybody can win.

You don't know how many votes there are in the Senate.

The 112th Congress was elected to repeal Obamacare. The House has held up it's bargain. Now the Senate will need to go on record as either defying the public they serve or following the House.

Then, on to Obama...

[ElNono]

You don't know how many votes there are in the Senate.

The 112th Congress was elected to repeal Obamacare. The House has held up it's bargain. Now the Senate will need to go on record as either defying the public they serve or following the House.

Then, on to Obama...

Leaders of the Democratic-controlled Senate have said that they will not act on the repeal measure, effectively scuttling it.

IOW, it was a show.

[DMX7]

You don't know how many votes there are in the Senate.

The 112th Congress was elected to repeal Obamacare. The House has held up it's bargain. Now the Senate will need to go on record as either defying the public they serve or following the House.

Then, on to Obama...

Obama has already said he is vetoing it if it reaches his desk. Was he elected to repeal his own legislation, Yoni?

[Winehole23]

Plenty of stuff to work on. Take your pick.

I meant, what stands out to you as important? "Everything" doesn't exactly narrow it down.

[Yonivore]

Leaders of the Democratic-controlled Senate have said that they will not act on the repeal measure, effectively scuttling it.

IOW, it was a show.

It ain't over 'til it's over.

Using Senate rules, it's possible to force a cloture vote as early as next week. But even if not, the rule under discussion will prevent the bill from being sent to committee where, as you know, it'll never see the light of day again.

Then, once that's done, the bill can be "held at the desk" for up to two years -- plenty of time for Republicans to either flip the Senate or twist some arms (not to violently, of course).

Long shot? Sure. But, if the election of 2010 was about Obamacare, the Senate Republicans need to grow a pair and start confronting Harry Reid.

[DMX7]

It was not about Obamacare and Obama is not letting it become law.