Cue the Clown Music.
You think that I'm joking, but I'm not.
By Moe Lane Posted in Archived — Comments (36) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
Yet another Update: TPM Muckraker weighs in. Also, watch Harry squirm! Apparently Senator Reid doesn't think Speaker Pelosi is thoughtful enough for real legislators (via Glenn).
Update: I can no more resist this picture than I could the latest Harry Turtledove alternate history. Thanks to UNCoRRELATED:
Irony, irony, all is irony.
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By all means, tell me again about the well-oiled, relentless and perfectly-tuned juggernaut that is the Democratic legislative machine:
The Senate is boiling with excitement right now. For background, the Senate is proposing very weak earmark reform rules. In contrast, Speaker Pelosi and the House Democrats implemented some very strong earmark rules in the lower chamber last week.
In response, Senator Jim DeMint, who is a very strong advocate for more transparency, figured, “Let’s just offer Pelosi’s reforms as an amendment to the Senate bill.”
It was a very clever strategy. Dick Durbin, the Majority Whip, threw a fit on the Senate floor and offered a motion to table it (kill it).
Let's be clear about the rich irony here. Senate Leadership tried to kill a bill that House Leadership supported and passed. Harry Reid and Dick Durbin are basically saying that they want their pork no matter what, even if it embarrasses their own party.
(Via Instapundit)
And hijinks ensued. Ensuing, in fact; they still haven't finished with this one, yet.
Read on.
There are times when being a geek is a bit of a chore. For example, right now? Right now I'm metaphorically dressed in a Star Trek II Command uniform, sitting in my this-is-going-to-look-futuristic,-right? chair and looking straight at the viewscreen showing a scowling Nancy Pelosi with Eighties hair and enhanced cheekbones. I'm looking at her, deadpan, and saying "Speaker. I'm laughing at superior organization." and then cutting the signal. Time for the nebula chase scene.
Amazing that I ever got married, huh?
Anyway, this is just teh too rich for words. The House Democrats - and, let me add, while the House bill isn't perfect, it's better than I expected - aren't agreeing with the Senate Democrats, who apparently aren't agreeing with each other, either. We've got delays and quorum calls and, wow, all sorts of those legislative gimmicks that the average voter just swoons over! And, best of all? This isn't Democrat versus Republican! We've got a seat at the reform table!
Harry, you magnificent bastard. You will be the absolutely best Senate Majority Leader that the GOP could have hoped for.
More links: Human Events, Examiner.com & Americans for Prosperity.
Moe
PS: I'm laughing, Speaker.
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Cue the Clown Music. 36 Comments (0 topical, 36 editorial, 0 hidden) Post a comment »
I love Harry Turtledove and had no idea he had a new book out....what is the title etc?
pst The last one I got was Settling Accounts:The Grapple it is the latest in the best alt history series ever. It starts in 1880's with a second war between the states when the confederacy (who won the civil war when the reb messenger doesn't lose General Order 10(?)3 and no Antietam) buys part of Mexico to be bicoastal. Now, 10 books later, we are through WWI and most of the way through WWII with North and south going at it. "In at the Death" is next with no release date. I tell every person that says the words "history", "war", "read", "book" about the series. It is tremendous. He also recently did a quickie couple books where Japan invades Hawaii after pearl harbor. first is the invasion second is the US reconquest.
I'm sorry Mr. Lane, but Harry Turtledove MATTERS. Harry Reid, pah. My only beef is the rank hypocrisy will get zero recognition outside of the right-o-sphere. Hypocrisy gives me ulcers.
"I am here. My own dear people of England, you are come at last, and I...am...still...here."
That'll be the one that they teach in class.
The Fuzzy Puppy of the VRWC.
What are the odds this gets play outside the blogosphere ?
Veritas magna est et praevalet.
interviews with Kerry and Obama asking them why Reid is wrong.
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Bipartisanship = give + take. Republicans give. Democrats take.
but then I remembered that "racist" and "fascist" are just multipurpose words in a lefties' limited vocabulary.
In Vino Veritas
The original comment was an anti-Muslim reference, though since Islam is not race I'm not sure how it would qualify as "racist."
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Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself. - Milton Friedman
Struck me as a horrible pun, on top of the questionable thought behind it.
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Even those who learn from history are surrounded by those doomed to repeat it.
Racist is not the correct term for the comment. I just thought it was inappropriate and not worthy of the discussion taking place on this board. It certainly was anti-Muslim.
... but I don't think it's anti-Muslim on its face.
It's a play on Muslims and our religious prohibition against eating pork ... that is only mildly amusing.
I think it was tasteless, and probably walked the line. But I'll defer to your judgment.
Kind of a moot point, what with him being gone.
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Even those who learn from history are surrounded by those doomed to repeat it.
Neither do I...
_______________________________
If "pro" is the opposite of "con", what is the opposite of "progress"...
Envisioning when all that is Left is the Right.
Contrary to the above commenter, I have not conflated remarks about Islam with racism.
This, however, is racism. Goodbye.
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Even those who learn from history are surrounded by those doomed to repeat it.
I'm saying that this is racism, and the other was not.
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Even those who learn from history are surrounded by those doomed to repeat it.
Well, we all know which of those four things they want more of.
Having analyzed their leadership, I detect two-dimensional thinking.
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"Tradition is the democracy of the dead. It refuses to submit to that arrogant oligarchy who merely happen to be walking around"
-G.K. Chesterton
Victor Davis Hanson recently recommended that the President and SECDEF should do what George C. Marshall did at the beginning of WWII. Marshall looked throughout the Army for promising one-star generals, with new warfighting ideas and fire in their bellies, and made them four-stars. Hanson is urging Bush and Gates to do the same thing--look through the Army or Marines for the stellar colonels or brigadier generals who have fresh ideas and a spirit of fight, and promote them.
We should do the same in the Senate and House.
Find the fighters, the Young Turks, who have the desire to fight and the smarts to do it craftily. Jim DeMint sounds like such a fella--who are the others? Find them, and put them in the front.
"Who will stand/On either hand/And guard this bridge with me?" (Macaulay)
It may be a War of Ideas, but we need leaders that can win the battles and skirmishes, leaders that can suffer the slings, arrows &etc.
Republicans in power have been outflanked by more crafty opponents at every turn.
Our leaders need to be motivated by loftier goals than job security, seniority privileges and career ambitions. The key character traits: integrity, passion, and RESOLVE.
Is anyone besides me happy to see the Democrats fighting with each other?
My giddyness aside, this is why the Democrat party (as currently constructed) will accomplish almost nothing in the next two years. The party is built with many, many single-issue advocacy groups that are united with POWER being their only goal. Oh, they want attention too.
I'll enjoy watching McConnell, Lott, Demint and others consistently out-maneuver them. "Hogans Heroes" comes to mind..
"I just disproved my own argument. Where's my degree from Paul Maguire University??" -- Bill Simmons
anything on this on the Sunday Morning news shows, and I wonder even if the lefty and left leaning bloggers will notice or care.
But when it comes to earmark reform, I actually like the house version better-I think when it comes to who is spending our tax dollars and for what purpose transparancy is the way to go.
I am just waiting for all the loopholes. In the end I bet we end up with something more like the senate's version, but the media won't tell us, and we will think we have the house version.
...who on the Left cares about earmark reform as earmark reform, as opposed to earmark reform as a flail with which to beat the Right.
Also, I'm not as interested about what will be said on the news shows as in what will be hissed at the next Democratic Congressional get-togethers. Reid dissed the House pretty hard.
The Fuzzy Puppy of the VRWC.
As I wrote here, Harry's 'reform' legislation explains why Robert Byrd favored earmark reform.
both skeletal hands clutched to concave chest, pained look on wizened, mummified face. How could idiots through out the country not believe this man?
Even Clinton placed only one dirty paw on his chest when he was lying to us, Reid has copied and done him one grasping claw better.
It's all theatre and to Blockbuster America it matters.
"a man's admiration for absolute government is proportinate to the contempt he feels for those around him". Tocqueville
The so-called "Culture of Corruption" was a big part of the Dem victories in '06. The moderates and independants that made the difference in these elections are not going to allow the Dems to get away with this hypocricy. I think DeMint and his colleagues should continue to pound away and highlight the hypocrisy.
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Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself. - Milton Friedman
It's nice to see Romney weighing in strongly on this issue.
Orlando, FL – Today, Governor Mitt Romney released the following statement strongly supporting U.S. Senator Jim DeMint's (R-SC) efforts to stop wasteful spending of the taxpayers' money in Washington. Senator DeMint's amendment will help reform the spending process in a way that brings more transparency and accountability.
"Senator DeMint has shown both courage and conviction for standing by his reform principles and resisting those on Capitol Hill who want to preserve the status quo on wasteful spending. Senator Harry Reid and Capitol Hill Democrats need to recognize that Washington can't continue to pile earmarks onto spending bill after spending bill. Instead, they should embrace Senator DeMint's amendment and stand up for taxpayers and fiscal responsibility."
http://www.mittromney.com/News/Press-Releases/DeMint_Spending_Reform
"When it comes to protecting our citizens, there is no place for political correctness" -- Mitt Romney
It will probably leak out eventually, but it would be fun to speculate as to what Nancy "I have the Power!" Pelosi said to Harry Reid when she heard about his "leadership" today.