www.politico.com/news/stories/0507/4046.html
RECOMMEND Democrats are wielding a heavy hand on the House Rules Committee, committing many of the procedural sins for which they condemned Republicans during their 12 years in power. So far this year, Democrats have frequently prevented Republicans from offering amendments, limited debate in the committee and, just last week, maneuvered around chamber rules to protect a $23 million project for Rep. On Wednesday, Democrats suggested changing the House rules to limit the minority's right to offer motions to recommit bills back to committee -- violating a protection that has been in place since 1822. Much of this heavy-handedness is standard procedure in the House, where the majority has every right to dominate, but it contradicts the many campaign promises Democratic leaders made last year to run a cleaner, more open Congress. Just last December, House Majority Leader Steny H Hoyer (D-Md) declared that Democrats "intend to have a Rules Committee ... that gives opposition voices and alternative proposals the ability to be heard and considered on the floor of the House." Republicans made similar promises in 1994, only to renege when they took control of the Congress in 1995. Democrats have made a number of small revisions -- such as meeting earlier in the day -- but their overall record in the new Congress has fallen well short of that goal. "The Democrats have not made good on a single promise they made during 2006, especially when it comes to fostering a more open and deliberative House of Representatives," Minority Leader John A Boehner (R-Ohio) said. "Instead of making the House more open and deliberative, they've gone in the opposite direction, doing things we never even contemplated during our time in the majority." The Democratic spokesman for the Rules Committee sees it differently. "We've passed a lot of bills, and we've passed them through the committees," said spokesman John Santore. The Rules Committee itself is an often overlooked partisan backwater, where members engage in fierce debates about what amendments, if any, members can offer to bills on the floor. Under Republican rule, the committee often met late at night, when few reporters were around to cover the minority's protests. The committee, arguably the majority's most powerful tool, serves as a bulwark for the party in power, allowing it to limit debate on controversial bills and prevent the minority from offering amendments to dramatically alter legislation introduced by the majority. As such, the committee is extremely partisan, and that partisanship often gets personal. Louise McIntosh Slaughter (D-NY), for example, has an extremely strained relationship with California Rep. David Dreier, the committee's ranking Republican, who preceded her as chairman.
Now it looks like the Democratic Party is going to keep things the way they inherited them. As Dem I happy watch as the repubs get what is coming to them. I hope that eventually the dems return more balance to the rules. The press has largely abandoned their essential responsibility of exposing disinformation; instead, too often, they offer us two sets of competing lies.
ImagineNoLiberals Location: NA Party: NA Reply #: 4 Date: May 16, 2007 - 7:58 PM EST Sounds like communism. But let's be honest, the last thing a liberal wants to do is to have competition, therefore, you have this BS that Miss America is trying to create. I can only hope all those conservative americans that actually bought into what the democRATs promised if they elected them to office, will open their eyes and remember "once a liberal-always a liberal". This is exactly what happens when you put liberals in office, they want to control everything, and not for the better.
KatieBeGood Location: Corvallis, OR Party: NA Reply #: 5 Date: May 16, 2007 - 7:58 PM EST Oh, I get it. You deny the Democrats any power for 6 years and now you are whining because the Democrats are doing the same thing to you. You have no moral authority to complain about being treated the way you treated us. Actually, I think that the Democrats have been a far sight better with the Republics than the Republics ever were with the Democrats. And, how about all the Republics using the filibuster when they threatened the Democrats any time they said they might filibuster something. Sorry Charlie, you can dish it out but you sure can't take it.
KatieBeGood Location: Corvallis, OR Party: NA Reply #: 6 Date: May 16, 2007 - 8:01 PM EST Besides, they tried to play nice with the Republics but all they got for it was stonewalling, filibusters and vetoes. I am tired of them asking the Bush Administration to cooperate. It's time for the Democrats to take off their kid gloves and put on their boxing gloves. Subpoena them and then hold them in contempt of congress when they don't honor the subpoena.
ImagineNoLiberals Location: NA Party: NA Reply #: 7 Date: May 16, 2007 - 8:11 PM EST Yeah KatieBeStupid, must be smoking the good stuff-home grown? Republicans didn't deny the Dems power, the voters did, einstein! Dems can't play by the rules so they have to change them, just like the constitution if they had a chance! Who goes to the courts when they can't get something like abortion passed through congress, yes, the Dems.
Vlad the impaler Location: NA Party: Independent Reply #: 9 Date: May 16, 2007 - 9:31 PM EST What I like most about liberals is that they are pissed all the time, more or less from birth on.
winston smith Location: San Diego, CA Party: Democrat Reply #: 10 Date: May 16, 2007 - 9:31 PM EST KatieBeGood: May 16, 2007 - 8:01 PM EST It's time for the Democrats to take off their kid gloves and put on their boxing gloves. Subpoena them and then hold them in contempt of congress when they don't honor the subpoena. The press has largely abandoned their essential responsibility of exposing disinformation; instead, too often, they offer us two sets of competing lies.
winston smith Location: San Diego, CA Party: Democrat Reply #: 11 Date: May 17, 2007 - 1:48 AM EST Vlad the impaler: May 16, 2007 - 9:31 PM EST What I like most about liberals is that they are pissed all the time, more or less from birth on. But I wonder why it is soooo important for you authoritarian types to believe it? I think it is some sorta physiological defencive coping mechanism. When ever rightys are confronted with the consequences of their immoral social policies, it conflicts with their self image that they are "morally superior" . This caricaturization of libs that you keep spouting is simply prejudice. The press has largely abandoned their essential responsibility of exposing disinformation; instead, too often, they offer us two sets of competing lies.
They also ran against lobbyists and are now in their back pocket. It's awfully funny how the Dems are so poll driven yet their sinking approval #'s hasn't gotten them to change course. Now we are seeing how the Latino amnesty crowd has veto power over any immigration policy. As bad as the Republicans were on some issues at least you knew what country you were waking up in every day. I'm glad we lost the last election so Americans can see why the Dems can't be trusted to run the country.
" 2)"but it contradicts the many campaign promises Democratic leaders made last year to run a cleaner, more open Congress." do they want to lose their grip as fast as they took power?
NotAWhinyLib Location: NA Party: NA Reply #: 16 Date: May 17, 2007 - 8:58 AM EST THE DENS MIGHT AS WELL BE MAKING SAND CASTLES... WHILE BUSH IS PRESIDENT NONE OF PELOSI'S AGENDAS WILL GET SIGNED INTO LAW... THERES A NEW SHERRIF IN TOWN AND ITS BUSH,,,, BUSH IS MORE RELEVNAT NOW THAN HE WAS WHEN THE GOP HAD THE HOUSE AND SENATE HE ALONE STANDS BETWEEN THE LIBS AND SANITY.
NotAWhinyLib Location: NA Party: NA Reply #: 17 Date: May 17, 2007 - 9:01 AM EST AND BTW SHOULDNT THE LIBS BE REPEALING THE PATRIOT ACT OR THE NSA SPY PROGRAM? THEY SURE MADE A BIG STINK ABOUT IT WHEN THEY HAD NO POWER, NOW THEY HAVE SOME POWER AND THEY DONT SAY A WORD ABOUT IT..
NotAWhinyLib Location: NA Party: NA Reply #: 19 Date: May 17, 2007 - 9:05 AM EST What I like most about liberals is that they are pissed all the time, more...
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