Thursday, February 18, 2010
Biden on Washington
I know that the Vice President is prone to making stuff up (see here for examples), so we ought to take what he says with a grain of salt or two, but this is amazing to me. He says that "Washington right now is broken."
Broken? (Who broke it?)
The Democrats hold a 40 plus vote advantage in the House of 'Representatives (257 to 178) and until recently, when the voters of Massachusetts put a Republican in Teddy Kennedy's seat, they had a filibuster proof 60 to 40 vote advantage in the Senate. And a Democrat is in the White House.
They can't get things done?
Let's look back to 1995 when the Republicans took back Congress (with a Democrat in the White House) and passed the major legislative points of the Contract with America. What was the political breakdown then? Republicans held 230 seats and the Democrats held 204. What about the Senate? 52 Republicans, 48 Democrats.
Does anyone recall Speaker Gingrich complaining he couldn't get things done back then, whining that Washington was broken? Did I mention that the other party's guy was in the White House then? Oh yes, I see that I did. Sorry.
By this guy's count, this session, there have been 42 cloture votes (to end debate and take a vote) and only 4 were unsuccessful. Two nominees were blocked (Hayes and Becker) and two minor bills were hung up until amended and then cloture was invoked. So I ask again, Broken?
Man up, Joe and quit whining. With those numbers you Dems can do just about anything you all can agree on.
Broken? (Who broke it?)
The Democrats hold a 40 plus vote advantage in the House of 'Representatives (257 to 178) and until recently, when the voters of Massachusetts put a Republican in Teddy Kennedy's seat, they had a filibuster proof 60 to 40 vote advantage in the Senate. And a Democrat is in the White House.
They can't get things done?
Let's look back to 1995 when the Republicans took back Congress (with a Democrat in the White House) and passed the major legislative points of the Contract with America. What was the political breakdown then? Republicans held 230 seats and the Democrats held 204. What about the Senate? 52 Republicans, 48 Democrats.
Does anyone recall Speaker Gingrich complaining he couldn't get things done back then, whining that Washington was broken? Did I mention that the other party's guy was in the White House then? Oh yes, I see that I did. Sorry.
By this guy's count, this session, there have been 42 cloture votes (to end debate and take a vote) and only 4 were unsuccessful. Two nominees were blocked (Hayes and Becker) and two minor bills were hung up until amended and then cloture was invoked. So I ask again, Broken?
Man up, Joe and quit whining. With those numbers you Dems can do just about anything you all can agree on.
Labels: Joe Biden; Washington's broken; Democratic control of Congress
# posted by Roger Fraley @ 3:45 AM 
