Jobs bill, infrastructure repair and bank 51-47 Senate vote

[Riot]

Part of the Rebuild America Jobs Act, containing Republican proposals of $10 billion to establish an infrastruture bank, and the Republican proposal of $50 billion in immediate job creation funding for roads, bridges and airport construction projects, Constitutionally passed by a majority vote of 51-47 today in the Senate.

However, as the Republicans are filibustering every single thing the Democrats try and pass, just because they want the Democrats and Obama to fail, this bill failed as it didn't get 60 votes to overcome cloture.

Way to go, Republican party! including members Ben Nelson and Joe Lieberman. What a disaster, what a useless mess, what a shame on this country, this political party has become.

[dellinger63]

Bravo! We have wasted enough money. If we have the $50 billion to spend put it towards the debt Obama has created, to the tune of $5 trillion.

[Danzig]

from todays paper:

'After Republicans blocked Obama's infrastructure plan, the president's Democratic allies immediately refused, on a 53-47 vote, to advance a Republican plan to extend federal highway, public transportation and surface transportation programs for two years, ease some environmental rules and give Congress more oversight of agency rule making. It would have been paid for by rescinding $40 billion in unspent funds appropriated for other domestic programs.'




yep, it's all the republicans fault. yepyepyep.

[somerfrost]

Politicians of both parties acting like spoiled children while the country suffers, nothing new but certainly more obvious in difficult times, have to wonder if these folks are so arrogant as to think this type of behavior can be tolerated forever?

[Riot]

Originally Posted by Danzig

from todays paper:

'After Republicans blocked Obama's infrastructure plan, the president's Democratic allies immediately refused, on a 53-47 vote, to advance a Republican plan to extend federal highway, public transportation and surface transportation programs for two years, ease some environmental rules and give Congress more oversight of agency rule making. It would have been paid for by rescinding $40 billion in unspent funds appropriated for other domestic programs.'

yep, it's all the republicans fault. yepyepyep.

Hardly any reasonable comparison. The Republican bill was nothing more than "approve current funding" for some stuff, and cut funding massively for others, and cut regulations - so "job creators feel more confident with less regulation". Not one job created there by the GOP. Just deregulation and funding cuts.

The GOP alternative continued funding transportation and other infrastructure projects at current levels, but also ended a highway beautification program and delayed or eliminated various federal regulations, including a number of environmental rules.

It was criticized by environmental groups, which charged that the legislation rolled back key federal regulations protecting public health and safety and did not spur job creation. Republicans said that reducing federal regulations would help businesses create jobs by lowering their costs.

[Danzig]

don't misunderstand riot. i have no great love for the reps, i think they're a sorry lot. where you and i differ is that you seem to think the dems are the opposite. i do not. i think they're a sorry lot as well.
both parties might have a good apple somewhere mixed in the usual harvest of wormy, mushy fruit. hard to find them tho, and they seldom get anything accomplished, as party politics come to the fore.

you mentioned in the initial post that it was obstructionist per usual. was it a good bill? a good idea? we have the not-so-super committee working to reduce debt, did this add to it or reduce it? supposedly the republicans wanted to shift unused funds from elsewhere (that exists?!?! unused money, really??). i just feel that most likely there is more to the story. a suggested idea isn't necessarily a good one.

i have been out of the loop the last two weeks, having been out of town for more job training, etc have to play catchup...but i have to assume, knowing the n-s-s committee is 'working' that perhaps no new spending bills will move thru at all til they've announced their suggestions. yeah, i can't wait for that!! ha!

I will break Riot out of the false left-right paradigm. It will take time but she's got potential.

[clyde]

Give her some penance!



Give her some penance!

[clyde]

TrackBrat is a huge handicapping fave of mine.

[Riot]

Originally Posted by Danzig

don't misunderstand riot. i have no great love for the reps, i think they're a sorry lot. where you and i differ is that you seem to think the dems are the opposite. i do not. i think they're a sorry lot as well.

The Dems are very different from the GOP, but not opposite or inherently good. Are the two parties the same? Not in the least. That's where we differ, I think. You think they are the same, I do not.

The former Republican party is gone. Jon Huntsman used to be a "conservative" Republican. All that's left is wholly-owned corporate lackey's and John Birch Society members. Michelle Bachmann? Herman Cain? Rick Perry? Seriously? That party is over and done. That's happened before in this country, political parties die and reform all the time.

The Dems? They have about 2/3 of wholly-owned corporate lackeys, indeed. But they are not trying to make this country run under their evangelical brand of religious law, they are not try to end multiple rights of Americans, not trying to steal the last social programs we have to give the money to their corporate masters, are not the Big Government ownership party of spend and spend recklessly.

you mentioned in the initial post that it was obstructionist per usual. was it a good bill? a good idea?

I think it (the Dems proposal from the Jobs Act) was an excellent deal. In fact, the Republican party, before 3 years ago, thought those things were an excellent deal, too, and supported those very same ideas.

Two-faced hypocrites, obstructing the President just for political reasons and not even being shy about saying it in public.

we have the not-so-super committee working to reduce debt,

They are a do-nothing joke, like our historically-notable do-nothing House. Nothing will come of that committee. It was just a way for the House and Senate to pawn off responsibility on others.

These guys don't realize it, but for many of them, their careers are alot more done and over than they think. They have zero pulse on what is happening out in this country. The Republican party has repeatedly voted against multiple ideas that are strongly supported by the majority of the American public. They are completely cocooned in Washington, completely clueless. It will be a rude awakening for most of them, to be unemployed next year.

[Riot]

Originally Posted by Coach Pants

I will break Riot out of the false left-right paradigm. It will take time but she's got potential.

I don't ascribe to a left-right paradigm.

[Danzig]

i think they are the same in that they both play politics, both are obstructionist, and both only have their party's best interests at heart. not the people, not this country. neither side wants to do the right thing, or try to find common ground, as that may put the 'other side' in a good light. they want all that they want, but nothing the other side wants. they may differ in what makes them tick, but they both most certainly tick for one thing only-themselves.
you only hold half the govt at at fault, i think they're all at fault-and have been for years. our problems aren't new, they weren't caused by things that have happened recently. this has all been building for decades, and is only getting worse-since the political game has gotten worse.

[Riot]

Originally Posted by Danzig

you only hold half the govt at at fault,

No. I don't. I just said I don't.

Here is a video highlighting the vast differences between the left (not the Dems, who are not left) and what's left of the base of the Republican party (the hate-filled and gullible) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/1...n_1073755.html

Obviously, this guy is not representative of all the GOP, but yes, he's exactly what the GOP has been trying to appease since Pat Buchanan ran. The GOP doesn't disown these crazies - they encourage it. They feed them lies. The GOP let them out of the upstairs with Sarah Palin, and it's been downhill since. The Republican party has been abandoned in droves these past four years. I'm one of them. No, they are not Democrats, they are calling themselves Independents.

[Danzig]

the last line in the initial post on this thread is why i believe you only hold half at fault. you so often take that line. you consistently point fingers at one party and take them to task for their obstructionism, but almost never have criticism for the democrats. if that's not the case, great.

i think there needs to be a major overhaul, with as many officeholders getting voted out as possible. there's got to be a way to break the hold that lobbyists have, and how else to do that except vote out those who are on the take?

[Riot]

the last line in the initial post on this thread is why i believe you only hold half at fault. you so often take that line. you consistently point fingers at one party and take them to task for their obstructionism, but almost never have criticism for the democrats. if that's not the case, great.

Because the current Republican party is so very much more dangerous and useless than the current Democratic party. The GOP is an easy target, they are so appalling. Plenty to dislike from the Dems, but the GOP easily far outdoes them. They are not the same. You say both sides are obstructionist. Not equally, not at all. You say both sides are out for themselves. Not equally, no. The current Dems are like the GOP was 20 years ago.

Today 13,000 people surrounded the White House, protesting the tar sands Keystone pipeline. Didn't even see that on the evening news. The "mainstream", both the media and the politicos, are completely missing what is happening in this country. Their heads are in the sand. They have also lost control of the narrative. It's being told, live, via Twitter, Facebook and Youtube. And this political force, that will control the next election, isn't beholden to either Dems or Republicans.

I think the first major overhaul is to get money out of elections. Public funding, period. Limit donations to individuals for $100. Citizen's United was a disaster for this country. The Supreme Court will never reverse it, but the election laws can be changed. That will involve throwing out most of the politicians in Washington, yes, indeed.

Oh - and Congressmen and Senators can give up their lifetime of healthcare and guaranteed full pensions for serving just one term.