I am ashamed of my senator

[Mathius]

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013...ment-in-error/

Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) got into a tense back-and-forth on the Senate floor Thursday over the Texas Republican’s 21-hour anti-Obamacare speech and the House-passed bill that defunds President Obama’s health care overhaul.

Corker accused Cruz of being “confused” and argued Senate Republicans should vote in favor of cloture on the bill sent over from the House because it defunds Obamacare. However, Cruz was quick to remind his colleague that a vote in favor of cloture is a vote in “favor of granting the majority leader [Harry Reid] the ability to fund Obamacare.”

Corker also asked Cruz why he voted for a motion to proceed on the House-passed continuing resolution after he spent 21 hours “filibustering” the bill. He told Cruz, “y’all have sent out released, emails and you want everybody to be able to watch,” but added that the so-called filibuster was not in the best interests of the country or conservative policy.

Cruz seemingly went into “prosecutor”-mode, questioning Corker on every point.
Ted Cruz Gets Into Tense Battle With GOP Senator on Obamacare

(YouTube)

“I know he must’ve made a misstatement when he moments ago suggested that those of us who participated in the filibuster the other day, somehow changed our position in voting for the motion to proceed,” Cruz responded, arguing that he repeatedly stated he would vote for a motion to proceed.

“The senator from Tennessee, being learned in Senate procedure, knows that there’s a big difference between that vote on Wednesday … [because] the vote tomorrow on cloture on the bill is a very different bill,” he added. “And so as I said during the filibuster two days ago…it is the vote tomorrow, cloture on the bill, that matters.”

Cruz said any lawmaker who votes in favor of cloture is “voting in favor of granting the majority leader the ability to fund Obamacare.”

“And I know my friend from Tennessee understands that, so I’m sure his statement suggesting that the vote on the motion to proceed meant anything other than what it obviously meant, I know that was a statement in error,” he told Corker.

In response, Corker argued the bill passed by the House defunds Obamacare, therefore, Senate Republicans should support the bill and therefore vote in favor of cloture. He didn’t address the fact that Majority Leader Harry Reid will undoubtedly restore funding to Obamacare in the Senate — so Cruz reminded him.

Cruz hit back, asking why Sen. Reid and every other Democrat would also be voting in favor of cloture if supporting the motion was the same as voting to defund Obamacare.

So Corker made the same argument about Cruz voting in favor of a motion to proceed, which had unanimous consent in the Senate, meaning Reid and Cruz voted the same way.

“Does the senator from Tennessee dispute that the vote Wednesday was a vote to take up the bill?” Cruz shot back. “The vote tomorrow will be a vote that will do two things, if there are 60 votes…It will, number one, cut off all debate, and number two, what makes the vote tomorrow so significant is” because Reid will restore all Obamacare funding with an amendment and 51 votes.

Corker responded by pointing out that the post-cloture procedure has been in place for a long time.



My poor senator is a simple minded moron who can't see the big picture.

[TheDeSade]

unfortunately, the entire republican party seems to have suddenly been smitten by a case of the to stupid to see the light. It is all a joke. The real story has yet to be told i fear

[jinx]

Observing american politics from outside it (I'm Canadian), I have to say, honestly, that the whole country seems to have gone a bit ... insane. I'm sure as hell no political scientist or expert, but it seems to me that a lot of the problems stem from the same source: that america has become a two party system. Without smaller parties to spread the power out a bit between the two big players, it's become a game of extremes. The republicans seem to care much less about actually doing the job of politics to benefit the country, and instead it's all about politics for the sake of politics itself. They'd rather bring the whole nation to a screaming halt and ruin, and appeal to their most hardcore base, than make any compromises that would actually be good for the whole country. It's become a policy of scorched earth, where they'll oppose anything, regardless of it's reason or importance, for no reason other than because it was put forth by liberals.

And again, from an outside perspective, it really does look like america has nothing but deranged radical lunatics in it! They're the only ones who get news coverage, so they're the only ones the rest of the world sees. Intellectually, I know there must be a huge moderate majority in the middle, people just trying to get by and caught between extremes that don't reflect their desires and interests anymore... but you never see them, and I fear that until they're pushed to the point where they really rise up and demand sanity from their politicians, it's going to get a lot worse before it gets any better.

[Thorne]

jinx, you've pretty much hit the nail on the head. The Republican Party has been taken over by the far right wing, mostly ultra-conservatives and fundamentalists, and are far less interested in doing what's right for the country than in doing what's right for them. As seen by their past, and current, attempts to disenfranchise large portions of the population who are likely to vote a more liberal ticket, and their continuing attempts to derail the ACA (Obamacare). The numbers I've seen show that more than 59% of the American people are in favor of implementing the ACA, while less than 25% are actively against it, yet the Tea Party fiddles around, forcing some 41 votes to defund the ACA through the House, knowing that the Senate would never pass such a bill. Meanwhile, Rome burns.

The best explanation I've heard (I believe it was on Bill Maher) for the GOP's fanaticism is that they are afraid that the ACA will actually work, and show them for the greedy, insensitive bastards that they are. My feeling has been, let the damned thing start, let it work, or not work, and fix things from there. If it does what the GOP keeps implying it will do, which I don't think is even remotely possible, they will be perfectly positioned to sweep the presidency and both sides of Congress in 2016. And may the FSM help us all if that happens!

[Mathius]

The Republican Party has been taken over by the far right wing, mostly ultra-conservatives and fundamentalists, and are far less interested in doing what's right for the country than in doing what's right for them.

The republicans are suppose to stand for small government, fiscal responsibility, and individual freedom, but unfortunately they have been taken over by neo cons who want to increase the government in areas they want, ie military and nsa/cia. The "Tea Party" are trying to to return the right to that position.

As seen by their past, and current, attempts to disenfranchise large portions of the population who are likely to vote a more liberal ticket, and their continuing attempts to derail the ACA (Obamacare). The numbers I've seen show that more than 59% of the American people are in favor of implementing the ACA, while less than 25% are actively against it, yet the Tea Party fiddles around, forcing some 41 votes to defund the ACA through the House, knowing that the Senate would never pass such a bill. Meanwhile, Rome burns.

The best explanation I've heard (I believe it was on Bill Maher) for the GOP's fanaticism is that they are afraid that the ACA will actually work, and show them for the greedy, insensitive bastards that they are. My feeling has been, let the damned thing start, let it work, or not work, and fix things from there. If it does what the GOP keeps implying it will do, which I don't think is even remotely possible, they will be perfectly positioned to sweep the presidency and both sides of Congress in 2016. And may the FSM help us all if that happens!

If the ACA could actually work then why does Obama keep postponing aspects of the bill when they are suppose to be implemented? There are serious problem with the bill let alone the fact that it increases government spending by trillions.

[Thorne]

The republicans are suppose to stand for small government, fiscal responsibility, and individual freedom, but unfortunately they have been taken over by neo cons who want to increase the government in areas they want, ie military and nsa/cia. The "Tea Party" are trying to to return the right to that position.

They CLAIM to stand for small government, but historically they are as bad, or worse, than the democrats about increasing the size, and intrusion, of government once they achieve any power.

If the ACA could actually work then why does Obama keep postponing aspects of the bill when they are suppose to be implemented? There are serious problem with the bill let alone the fact that it increases government spending by trillions.

If the ACA can NOT work, why don't the Republicans let it fail? That would show the whole country that they were right. But they would rather destroy the economy, destroy the country, than run the risk that Obama in particular, and Democrats in general, might actually be right. Almost the entire strategy of the Tea Party, since 2008, has been to block anything Obama attempts, without bothering to push alternatives. All they ever seem to want to actually do is return to the failed policies of Bush and Reagan.

[Mathius]

They CLAIM to stand for small government, but historically they are as bad, or worse, than the democrats about increasing the size, and intrusion, of government once they achieve any power.

This is what the Tea Party caucus is trying to accomplish with in the Reps. Personally I believe that the Rep party leaders are trying to keep this from happening and will cause a party split in the next ten years.

If the ACA can NOT work, why don't the Republicans let it fail? That would show the whole country that they were right. But they would rather destroy the economy, destroy the country, than run the risk that Obama in particular, and Democrats in general, might actually be right.

The ACA is destroying the economy right now. So with your train of thought, I know that by shooting myself in the head I will die. So i should go ahead and shoot myself in the head and prove that I was right?! Premiums are raising, deductibles are raising, people are going from 40 hr work weeks to 29 so their company doesn't have to pay insurance. Several companies have dropped coverage on spouses. Every gov and union work are exempt from having to participate. Small businesses wont expand, because if they do they have to provide an insurance plan.

Almost the entire strategy of the Tea Party, since 2008, has been to block anything Obama attempts, without bothering to push alternatives. All they ever seem to want to actually do is return to the failed policies of Bush and Reagan.

The Obama Admin has done nothing but grow the size of the government, so of course the people who want small gov will try and block everything. The whole point is that gov doesn't create wealth but steal it. I didn't agree with bush or Reagan when they went on spending sprees. Bush was not a Tea Party but a neo con and a RINO.

[StrictMasterD]

Based on what is going on now, with the Goverment in Patrial Shut down, I think it is time to start Recall elections for ALL TEA Part Member and make them Realize it is US THE VOTERS WHO HAVE THE ULTIMATE Power over them and NOT THEM WITH ALL THE POWER OVER AMERICA, let's start recalls or send o VERY CLEAR MESSAGE in 2014

[Thorne]

Not just Tea Party politicians! We need a clean sweep, put all of them out of office and bring in people who know how to get things done. A seat in Congress was never intended to be a lifetime position. People who spend their whole life seeking office are woefully out of touch with what's really going on in the world.

[Mathius]

Not just Tea Party politicians! We need a clean sweep, put all of them out of office and bring in people who know how to get things done. A seat in Congress was never intended to be a lifetime position. People who spend their whole life seeking office are woefully out of touch with what's really going on in the world.

Amen the first thing we need is an amendment for term limits for these fuckers in office!

[Thorne]

Amen the first thing we need is an amendment for term limits for these fuckers in office!

Problem is, those same fuckers have to draft it and approve it before it can be ratified by the states. Good luck with that!

[Mathius]

Problem is, those same fuckers have to draft it and approve it before it can be ratified by the states. Good luck with that!

Constitutional amendments can come from the states or the Congress, it doesn't matter. But States have to ratify the amendments.

[TheDeSade]

There is also a method for the states to bring a constitutional amendment without Congress. It requires a majority of the states to call a Constitutional Amendment Convention. If 2/3rds of the states vote to bring and adopt a Constitutional Amendment at the convention, the Amendment becomes part of the constitution. However, getting that many states legislatures on board is almost impossible.