Vulnerable Senate Democrats Complain, Obama Is Sucking Up All The Cash

33 Senator seats are up in the 2012 election cycle, 10 Republican seats and 23 Democratic seats and Republicans need a net gain of 3 Senate seats (if a Republican wins the presidential campaign) or 4 Senate seats if Obama is reelected, to take control of the Senate and boot harry Reid out of the Senate majority leader spot.



2012 is crucial for Senate Democrats and they are asking the Obama machine to not lock up and max out their richest Democratic donors, via The Politico.

“We have a huge number of incumbents who are up this cycle and a lot of them have taken tough votes to enact significant portions of this president’s agenda and I think that there is a sense that there should be an all-hands-on-deck approach to keep the Senate in Democratic hands,” said one Democratic official familiar with the meeting.

If Obama's policies were more popular, if his disapproval numbers on specific areas weren't so high (71 disapproval on the economy was reported yesterday), then those Senate Democrats that took those "tough votes to enact significant portions of this president’s agenda" could always ride his coattails but those coattails are not there anymore, so they need money.



Money the Obama team is sucking up in his attempt to save his own job for four more years.

Majority Leader Harry Reid and other top Senate Democrats have also asked for at least $10 million in aid from the Democratic National Committee as well as the president’s re-election campaign to help underwrite expensive TV ad campaigns and on-the-ground efforts for crucial Senate races in 2012, according to Democratic sources.



In a recent meeting in Washington, Reid, along with Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), the third-highest ranking Democrat, and Sen. Patty Murray (Wash.), who chairs of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, made their pitch to Messina, according to Democratic sources.



Messina would not agree to the request not to max out big donors, and no decision was made on the amount of financial backing that Senate Democrats will get from the DNC and the Obama-Biden campaign.

Without control of the Senate or the House, Barack Obama, if reelected, would spend fours years as a lame duck president but he doesn't really care if anything gets done, all he cares about is not being a one term president.



Gallup chart 8/17/11



With disapproval numbers like the ones above, it is very likely that Obama will be one term prez and he may just take Senate Democrats down with him.



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Senate Democrats Throw Temper Tantrum At Media

Despite recent findings from The Hill that show that 68 percent of media reports in a politically biased manner with 46 percent saying the media favors Democrats and only 22 percent believing media favors Republicans, Senate Democrats are still bitterly complaining to the media that they do not report the Democratic position often enough.

When Jonathan Karl, a correspondent for ABC News, asked why Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) had blocked a short-term FAA extension offered by Republicans on the Senate floor Tuesday, Democrats lost their patience.

“There’s a certain naivety that comes with your question,” said Boxer. “The story here today is the fact that our leader is reaching out to [House Speaker John] Boehner [R-Ohio] to say, ‘If we want to resolve a particular issue, whatever it might be, let’s talk about it,’ but not have one side say, ‘Take it or leave it or people will be out of work.’ And the essence of your question doesn’t understand that.”

Democratic Sens. Harry Reid and Charles Schumer added their complaints as well.

One reporter asked why Democrats didn’t swallow the cuts to small airports in their states to pass the short-term authorization and then return in September “to fight another day.”

But Reid retorted that Republicans would find other “hostages” to force Democrats to back down on the labor issue.

Democrats charged Wednesday that the media has fallen for the red herring of cutting subsidies to small airports.

“The fact is that you’ve got to dig a little bit behind the surface here of what this is really about,” said Boxer. “Whatever the issue is, this is about government by threats, government by one side making its demands …”

“And these folks falling for it,” Reid interjected, gesturing to the reporters in the Senate radio and television gallery.

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), who is in charge of the Democrats’ messaging operation, then broke in.

“In all due respect, the issue is not essential air service, it’s not even a labor issue, it’s the issue of hostage taking,” he said.

The Politico reports John Boehner's response:

Republicans are pointing to remarks Reid made to reporters Tuesday in which he was open to accepting the House version if Boehner didn’t act on a clean bill.

“The only reason 80,000 jobs are at stake is that Senate Democratic leaders chose to play politics rather than keep their word and pass the House bill,” Boehner spokesman Michael Steel said. “That’s indefensible, and they should end this crisis immediately.”

More reaction from The Daily Caller:

“All it will take to end this crisis is for the Senate to pass the House-approved FAA extension,” Boehner said. “The only reason so many jobs are at stake is Senate Democratic Leaders chose to play politics rather than pass the House bill. I respect the fact that Senators have certain objections, but they have had two weeks to respond to the House bill and done nothing, leaving tens of thousands of workers in limbo. The House has done its job, and now it’s time for Senators to do theirs.”

Republican House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman John Mica echoed Boehner’s comments.

“Senate Democrats had a House-passed FAA extension before them for two weeks but chose to do nothing,” Mica said. “Instead of passing this simple bill, Senate Democrats chose to protect outrageous ticket subsidies, as much as $3,720 per ticket in Ely, Nevada, on the backs of 4,000 furloughed FAA employees and thousands more out-of-work airport construction workers.”

Amazingly enough the media reported Democratic complaints and their temper tantrum but still did not get a straight answer to the question itself.

The Lonely Conservative provides the reason why Democrats blocked the short-term FAA extension. Seems the House GOP had stripped out favors to union bosses in their bill.

The Daily Caller provides ample examples, with dates,links and quotes, showing how very accommodating the media actually was in in mimicking the Democratic talking point calling Republicans "terrorists," using terms such as "hostage taking" during the debt deal negotiations.... but that isn't enough for these whining, sniveling, complaining Democratic Senators that simply did not wish to explain why they blocked the short-term FAA extension that passed the House of Representatives, which resulted in the temporary lay off 4,000 workers and potentially thousands more.

So now these Democratic Senators, who are showing how incompetent they are at their own jobs, think they should be in charge of what questions journalists and reporters ask, how they should be phrased and how they should report those answers.

This is your ridiculous item of the day.

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Democrats Kill Cut, Cap And Balance Act In The Senate

After passage of the Cut, Cap And Balance Act in the House of Representatives, the bill went to the Senate where Democrats proved once again they have no intention of controlling the out-of-control spending in Washington, by killing the Act along a straight party line vote in the Democratically controlled Senate chamber.

The Senate voted 51-46, along strict party-lines, on Friday to kill the House Republicans' "cut, cap and balance" legislation.

The measure would have cut spending by $111 billion in 2012, capped spending over the next decade and prohibited more borrowing until Congress had passed a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution.

In the meantime, progress appeared to be made in the ongoing negotiations between Obama and House Speaker John Boehner but are being jeopardized by Senate Democrats who are reportedly outraged over a lack of tax increases and are bitterly complaining about being left out of the negotiations.

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Take Action Now!

By Findalis of Monkey in the Middle

Support Security Assistance for Israel 

Please urge your members of Congress to support the U.S. commitment of $3.075 billion in security assistance for Israel for fiscal year 2012. Congress must stand by America's commitments to Israel, particularly at a time of turmoil in the Middle East.

Sign the petition here and let your elected officials in Washington know how you feel, and how you will vote.

Let your voice be heard!!!!!

Saturday Cartoons- The News, Cartoon Style

Political cartoons representing the latest news are an entertaining way of describing the week or months events and on a slow Saturday news day, I find it amusing to see some of the great cartoons out there.

Recently Obama was taught a little history lesson, very publicly, by Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It was like Bambi meeting Godzilla. Netanyahu carried his momentum on with an awesome speech at AIPAC and then received a wonderful welcome by the U.S. House of Representatives, where Democrats and Republicans alike gave him over 25 standing ovations.

Glenn McCoy accurately captured the moment brilliantly.



The last time the Senate passed a budget was April 29, 2009, over 750 days ago and Harry Reid, Democratic Senate Majority Leader, was recently quoted as saying it would be "foolish" for Democrats, who control the Senate, to propose a budget for 2012.

Nate Beeler provides the visual for this story.



Jobless claims rose by 10,000 last week and the unemployment rate is at 9 percent. Recent news showed that Texas, over the last ten years, was the only state to hit a private-sector job growth number in the six figures with 732,800 and California had the worst decline by losing 623,700 private-sector jobs. Doing the addition and subtraction, I found that 22 Red States, controlled by Republicans had totaled a 451,600 private-sector job increase from April 2001 to April 2011. 21 Blue States and DC (for 22) totaled a decrease of 2,041,300 private-sector jobs in the same time frame.

Should say something to what policies work better than others and who understands how to increase job creation and who is very good at decreasing it.

Dr. Helen wonders why so many "now hiring" signs are out, yet unemployment keeps rising.

Eric Allie creates the cartoon visual on the new unemployment "normal".



In other news, the Supreme Court, in a 5 to 4 ruling, ruled that 46,000 inmates over the next two years be released due to overcrowding in the California prison system.

What Could go wrong? ummmm.... perhaps mistakenly releasing an estimated 450 inmates with "a high risk for violence? Oh and another 1,000 presenting a high risk of committing drug crimes, property crimes and other offenses were also let out.

Oooops?

Bob Gorrell presents the "get out of jail free" cartoon for this idiocy.



Another week in politics bites the dust.

Cartoons from TownHall Political Cartoons

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When Obama Screws The Hooch He Goes Big- Senate Dems To Rebuff Obama On '1967 Lines'

Gotta hand it to Barack Obama, when he screws up, he does it big and not only did the House of Representatives send their own little message to Obama over his ill chosen Israel/palestinian "1967 lines" wording but now Senate Democrats are in major damage control mode and might issue their own rebuke of Obama by supporting a resolution intended as a rebuff to Obama.

The Hill reports:

Senate Democrats are expected to support a resolution intended as a rebuff to President Obama’s call for basing Middle East peace talks on the 1967 Israeli-Palestinian borders.

More:

Democrats in both chambers are scrambling to fix the damage caused when Obama called for the 1967 borders and land swaps as a basis for peace.

Some Democrats have tried to downplay the rift, but Israel’s strongest supporters in Congress say there’s no denying that Obama made a tactical mistake in handling the relationship.

Talk about an understatement.

Also, according to The Hill, the resolution would show broad consensus within Congress that the 1967 Israeli-Palestinian borders are not only “indefensible,” as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated, but also contrary to U.S. national security interests.


Now, just for fun because I liked it soooooo much:



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Video- Rand Paul On Libya War: 'The Senate Has Abdicated It's Responsibility'

I've told my caucus, 'Come loaded with all your questions; ask questions in this classified setting. And then if in fact you want to do more legislatively, you're entitled to do it. The War Powers Act we believe is valid, is very clear, setting forth timelines."--- Harry Reid to reporters, Tuesday, March 29, 2011: Source Bloomberg)

12 minute video below of Rand Paul (R., Ky.)speaking on the Senate floor about his proposed resolution reasserting congressional authority regarding the committing of the U.S.. and our resources to war. (H/T The Corner for the video)



Paul talks about the War Powers Act and specifically highlights his proposed resolution is, in fact, the exact words of Barack Obama in 2007 and the purpose of this resolution, according to Paul's office is "the measure aims to put the Senate on record affirming Congress as the body with constitutional authority on matters of war.”

....To make his point, Paul quoted, in the legislative language, from Obama’s 2007 remarks on the subject: “The President does not have power under the Constitution to unilaterally authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation.”

At the 3 minute 48 second mark in the video Rand expresses that "I am appalled that the Senate has abdicated their responsibility".

The specific wording of the War Powers Resolution:

SECTION 1. This joint resolution may be cited as the "War Powers Resolution".

PURPOSE AND POLICY

SEC. 2. (a) It is the purpose of this joint resolution to fulfill the intent of the framers of the Constitution of the United States and insure that the collective judgement of both the Congress and the President will apply to the introduction of United States Armed Forces into hostilities, or into situations where imminent involvement in hostilities is clearly indicated by the circumstances, and to the continued use of such forces in hostilities or in such situations.

(b) Under article I, section 8, of the Constitution, it is specifically provided that the Congress shall have the power to make all laws necessary and proper for carrying into execution, not only its own powers but also all other powers vested by the Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any department or officer thereof.

(c) The constitutional powers of the President as Commander-in-Chief to introduce United States Armed Forces into hostilities, or into situations where imminent involvement in hostilities is clearly indicated by the circumstances, are exercised only pursuant to (1) a declaration of war, (2) specific statutory authorization, or (3) a national emergency created by attack upon the United States, its territories or possessions, or its armed forces.

What Rand Paul did was attach this amendment to the small-business re-authorization bill that the Senate was to vote on.

This put Harry Reid in the position of having to allow the Senate to be put on record either agreeing with Barack Obama in 2007 or agreeing with him now since he committed our U.S. armed forces to actions in Libya without receiving congressional permission to do so.

So, Harry Reid, Senate Majority Leader, did what he does best.. he ran. Reid adjourned the upper chamber and postponed all pending votes until Monday.

NRO reports:

“Paul’s Libya amendment has brought the Senate to a standstill because Reid doesn’t know how to handle it,” one GOP aide tells me. “If he allows a vote, Democrats are forced to either disagree with then-senator Obama or with President Obama. It’s possible that Reid just yanks the bill or files cloture, seems he may do anything to avoid a vote on Paul’s amendment.”

Following up on the issue, Paul has issued a press release of a letter he has sent both Reid and McConnell:

Dear Leader Reid and Leader McConnell:

As you know, Senator Paul recently made a motion to have the Senate vote on the following sense of the Senate:

“The President does not have the power to unilaterally authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve an actual or imminent threat to the nation.”

The motion Senator Paul made has the vote as the pending business in the Senate, ready for a vote at any time. He did not ask for extended debate, and his motion would take up a maximum of 30 minutes of the Senate’s time.

Though brief, it would be an important 30 minutes for the Senate. It will be the only 30 minutes spent on discussing and voting on whether or not the President has the power under the Constitution to attack another country without congressional authorization.

We believe the answer is that he does not. We also believe Congress has an obligation to stand up and declare whether or not we intend to hold the President to his constitutional oath.

While we realize there are other matters the Senate had planned to work on, it is our belief that there is very little we are doing that rises to the level of a constitutional question regarding war. Voting for whether or not to send our sons and daughters to war is the most important and most difficult decision we should ever make as a nation and as senators. We do not take this responsibility lightly, and we believe the Senate is abdicating its responsibility at this very moment.

The bombing and military action against the Libyan government will be two weeks old by the time we return to session next week. That means congressional debate on this war is two weeks overdue.

We feel strongly enough about this matter that we are writing to inform you of our intentions. The Senate has already agreed to move a bill on Tuesday morning. In order to ensure our rights are protected, we will serve notice now that upon completion of H.R. 4, we will object to further votes on amendments to S. 493 until such time as the motion on presidential war authority is scheduled for a vote. We are happy to work with the leaders of both parties on the timing of the vote for next week, and would be happy to allow other business to proceed as soon as an agreement is reached.

Lest it be said only Republicans and Conservatives are concerned about Barack Obama's complete disregard for congressional authority over matters of war, Liberals are also highlighting the matter vehemently.

TPM:

The White House would forge ahead with military action in Libya even if Congress passed a resolution constraining the mission, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said during a classified briefing to House members Wednesday afternoon.

Clinton was responding to a question from Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) about the administration's response to any effort by Congress to exercise its war powers, according to a senior Republican lawmaker who attended the briefing.

The answer surprised many in the room because Clinton plainly admitted the administration would ignore any and all attempts by Congress to shackle President Obama's power as commander in chief to make military and wartime decisions. In doing so, he would follow a long line of Presidents who have ignored the act since its passage, deeming it an unconstitutional encroachment on executive power.

Andrew Sullivan:

Many of us supported this president because he promised to bring back the constitutional balance after the theories of Yoo, Delahunty, et al put the president on a par with emperors and kings in wartime. And yet in this Libya move, what difference is there between Bush and Obama? In some ways, Bush was more respectful of the Congress, waiting for a vote of support before launching us like an angry bird into the desert. Hillary Clinton, channeling her inner Cheney, said in a classified Congressional briefing that her administration would simply ignore the War Powers Resolution of 1973 that requires the president to seek Congressional approval within 60 days of the conflict starting. If the congress voted against continuing the war, it would be irrelevant to the administration. Beat that, King George II.

[SNIP]

The president is violating his constitutional duty to enforce the laws (to himself as well as anyone else). He has no constitutional right to simply waive the War Powers Resolution. In my view, we need a debate in the Congress on this as soon as possible.

Glenn Greenwald concludes after his typical diarrhea of the keyboard:

Most Democrats, liberals, and even traditional conservatives and libertarians purported to find such lawlessness outrageous and dangerous during the Bush years. It isn't any less so now.

Bottom line, Harry Reid, as evidenced by the opening quote of this post, agreed that his caucus, his Democratic Senators, were "entitled" to "do more legislatively," in regards to Obama and the War Powers Resolution but when a Republican Senator does just that, using Barack Obama's own words, Reid runs for the hills and refuses to hold a vote on it.

As a side note, I find one particular statement by Kevin Drum over at Mother Jones to be quite disturbing:

But the reason I voted for Obama in 2008 is because I trust his judgment. And not in any merely abstract way, either: I mean that if he and I were in a room and disagreed about some issue on which I had any doubt at all, I'd literally trust his judgment over my own.

I find that statement incomprehensible. A person should never abdicate their own intellectual thought. A person should never give in to the "he is smarter than me so I will accept whatever he says" mentality.

You listen to both sides of an argument, sometimes another person's view will help you adjust your own thinking, clarify issues you hadn't previously considered and perhaps even change your mind once the facts and opinions are laid out.

But you never, ever, simply give up your right to individual thought.

It is people like Drum that gave way to creation of the term "Obamabot."

“Consider the reasons which make us certain that we are right... but not the fact that we are certain. If you are not convinced, ignore our certainty. Don't be tempted to substitute our judgment for your own.”--- Atlas Shrugged

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Freshman House GOP Members To Harry Reid: 'your record on spending in the Senate is one of failure '

On top Speaker of the House, John Boehners public statement to Senate Democrats telling them if they really have a budget plan to they should “pass the damn thing” and stop “rooting for a government shutdown,” (Video here) now we have 30 (so far) freshman GOP House members sending Harry Reid a letter telling him "Mr. Reid, your record on spending in the Senate is one of failure."

Mr. Reid,

We the undersigned call on you and the Senate to pass a long-term Continuing Resolution; a resolution that hears the calls of the American people and makes reasonable, responsible spending cuts.

Mr. Reid, your record on spending in the Senate is one of failure. You have failed to pass a budget, failed to restrain spending, and failed to put our country on sound fiscal footing.

We do not accept your failure as our own.

The American people did not send us here to fail. Make no mistake: any government shutdown is the result of your lack of leadership. America has a $14 trillion debt and you offered a mere $6 billion in cuts. The House heard the calls of the American people and offered $61 billion in cuts, but the Senate has not sent us a Continuing Resolution in return.

We have received nothing from the Senate except denials of the dire straits of our nation’s fiscal health.

The House of Representatives is accomplishing what we were elected to do. We’ve cut spending. We’ve terminated wasteful programs. We’ve funded the government.

Mr. Reid, we are letting you know that we will rally on the Senate steps every day until you pass a long-term Continuing Resolution. We call on all Americans to join our fight in restoring our country’s fiscal health.

The House of Representatives is doing our job, Mr. Reid. The Senate needs to start doing theirs.

Mr. Reid, it’s time to pass a bill.

Bound together and determined,

[Signatures]

Ouch.

Speaker Of The HouseTo Democrats: If You Have A Plan, 'Pass The Damn Thing' And 'Stop Rooting For A Government Shutdown'

Video below:



Video lifted from NRO who provides it in an update:

UPDATE: Video of House Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio) from Wednesday morning’s press conference. If Senate Democrats really have a plan, he says, they should “pass the damn thing” and stop “rooting for a government shutdown.”

The budget battle continues....

[Update] Freshman House GOP Members in a letter to Harry Reid: 'your record on spending in the Senate is one of failure '

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Obamacare News: Vulnerable Senate Democrats May Push Roll Back Of Individual Mandate

Perhaps seeing the writing on the wall with two Federal judges now ruling that the individual mandate portion of Obamacare aka Affordable Care Act, unconstitutional, with one ruling that due to a lack of severability the whole Obamacare law must be declared void, a handful of Senate Democrats are now looking for a way to roll back that part of the law.

Doesn't hurt that the Democrats in question, Senators Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Ben Nelson of Nebraska, Claire McCaskill of Missouri and Jon Tester of Montana, are all up for reelection in 2012.

Harry Reid has 53 Democratic votes in the Senate and if he loses these four and perhaps more, then Republicans could very well get a simply majority on certain issues, especially issues such as Obamacare to which the majority of the public still opposes as a whole.

That isn't all though.

The Politico:

And it’s not just health care. The senators are prepared to break with the White House on a wide range of issues: embracing deeper spending cuts, scaling back business regulations and overhauling environmental rules.

Obamacare has been an albatross around the necks of Democrats with many believing the trouncing or as Obama phrased it, the shallacking, the Democrats suffered in November which cost them six seats in the Senate and the largest gains seen for a party in the House as Republicans won control of the House of Representatives, was partly due to Obamacare and how Democrats and Obama jammed the law through against the opposition of Americans.

No doubt vulnerable Senate Democrats will still have that albatross around their necks in the 2012 elections, with each vote against repeal being used in campaigns against them.

Whether they work with Republicans in repealing the most egregious parts of Obamacare because they see the writing on the wall and know the courts may very well rule against the Obama administration or whether they are doing this to simply save their Senate seats, this is an opportunity to start dismantling as much of Obamacare as possible.

Then if Obama vetoes any legislation that hits his desk which would do just that, that albatross will then be hanging on his neck, visibly, to be used against him in his reelection bid in 2012.

And it will be.

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Obamacare- Republicans Should Force Democrats To Vote With The People Or Against Them

From GOP committee on rules, where items will be posted for transparency allowing the public to see what the GOP in the House of Representatives will have on their agenda:

To be considered during the week of January 10, 2011

• H.R. ___, Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act

• H.Res. ___, Instructing certain committees to report legislation replacing the job-killing health care law.

News reports show Republicans in the House of Representatives are expected to hold a vote to repeal Obamacare on January 12, 2011 and the expected warning from Senate Democrats, who still control the Senate, is "don't bother", and "we will block it".

First- Republicans campaigned heavily on repealing Obamacare and/or defunding it at every opportunity if the Senate doesn't pass the House's repeal or if Obama uses his veto power should the Senate actually pass a repeal bill (highly doubtful).

Second- Obamacare aka Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) was opposed at the time of passage by a plurality or majority of Americans, whether pollsters used likely voters or simply adults. (Scroll RCP link to see earlier polling from a variety of organizations)

Third- A majority of Americans continue to oppose the Obamacare law, as a whole. On average, 52.8 percent oppose Obama and Democrats' health care law with 40.5 percent favoring it, leaving a spread of 12.3 percent against.

Fourth- Recent polling shows the majority (60 percent)of likely voters want the Obamacare law repealed.

Fifth- Other polling shows that between those that prefer a full repeal and those that want portions repealed, still fall into the majority when added together.

During the debate before Obamacare was signed into law, the liberal left and Democratic politicians continued to cherry pick items from the bill to try to convince the public that polling showed those individual issues were popular.

The problem was and still is, the bill was not passed in pieces and popular smaller fixes to our health care system. It was turned into a monstrosity of almost 2,000 pages long chalk full of unpopular mandates and regulations.

In there lies the problem for Republicans who favor repeal but an even larger problem for Democrats who will fight against any repeal.

Republicans promised to try for a full repeal. Democrats controlling the Senate, or Obama with his veto pen, will not allow that, but this original vote on full repeal will put everybody on record for the voters, in the public eye and transparent on who is fighting for what the majority of Americans want and who is fighting against what Americans want.

After this initial vote, Republicans can, should and probably will start attacking individual parts of the law and target them for repeal votes as well, again, forcing Democrats in the Senate where 23 of them will be up for reelection in 2012 to take a public stand for or against the majority of American voters.

Barack Obama also is up for reelection in 2012 and Republicans need to force him to take a public stand on those same unpopular issues.

To that end, Representative Steve King (R.-Iowa) believes Republicans should include language that prohibits any funding for implementation of Obamacare in literally every appropriations bill that passes the House of Representatives this year.

This would force Barack Obama and Senate Democrats to continuously go on record in favor of something the American people oppose.

Under King’s plan, congressional Republicans would first force a straight up-or-down vote on repealing Obamacare in the House and Senate, but then follow that up by inserting language into all appropriations bills saying that no money from the bill can be used to implement the federal health-care program President Obama signed last year.

“So, my proposal is this then: Each appropriations bill that comes through, we need to put language in it that prohibits any of the dollars that are appropriated in those funds--and I would add to that any funds heretofore appropriated--from being used to implement or enforce Obamacare,” said King.

King acknowledged that his approach would first lead to a showdown with a Senate that has a Democratic majority and is still led by Sen. Harry Reid (D.-Nev.), who helped enact the Obamacare health-care legislation last year.

“I think that would be a wonderful thing to watch,” said King. “With all of the Senate Democrats that are up for election in 2012, they will have some difficult decisions to make and I think a lot of them already know how they will be if confronted with that eventuality.”

If the Republican-majority House held the line against the Democrat-majority Senate and did not allow any funding for Obamacare in the appropriations bill passed in the coming year, the issue would land on Obama’s desk. As president, he would be faced with a choice of either signing bills that defund Obamacare but fund other government functions, or vetoing bills that fund other government functions because they cut-off Obamacare.

“At some point those bills start to reach President Obama’s desk and then he has to decide whether he’s going to accept the language that prohibits the implementation of Obamacare,” said King. “That’s where the crunch comes.”

Democrats across the board saw in the November midterms, from losing the largest number of seats for a party in the House of Representatives in over 70 years, to watching their majority in the Senate shrink to seeing massive turnovers in state legislative chambers in favor of the GOP, what happens when they ignore the will of their constituents and pass laws opposed by the majority of those constituents.

One has to wonder if they heard the message voters overwhelmingly told them or if over the next two years they are willing to offer Republicans a replay of those results.

Putting Democrats on record consistently throughout the next two years and refusing to allow any appropriation funds to go toward Obamacare until the unpopular aspects of that law can be repealed and/or changed, will fulfill one of the major promises Republicans campaigned on and is smart politically looking forward to 2012.

Voters have shown they remember and they do not appreciate being ignored and in November 2012, Obamacare may very well be the final nail in their coffins and the end to many Senate Democrats' political careers.

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Filibuster Reform: I Say Give It To Democrats

Democratic Senators sign a letter urging the Senate to change the rules of the filibuster. Go for it!!

Whenever one party holds the majority in the Senate, that same party screams about the filibuster procedure when the minority party can force a vote to require 60 out of 100 Senators instead of passing a bill with a simple majority.

It slows things down, yes, but it also gives a voice to the minority party and their constituents. When any one party wins a majority, the minority party isn't supposed to go home and wait for the next election and hope that they win back the majority. The rules are set up the way they are for a purpose and that is exactly what filibusters do.... preserve the integrity of Senate body and force them to compromise in certain areas where no compromise would be made if the ruling party simply could shove through whatever agenda they wanted with no opposition.

With that said... I say if Democrats are so short-sighted that they do not take into account that in 2012 they have 23 seats up for grabs in the Senate with Republicans only a handful and that for the next two years the GOP has control of the House of Representatives, so without cooperation barely anything could make it to Obama's desk for signature, give it to them.

Reform the filibuster and let them take their chances in 2012 and also let them pray that they do not lose control of the Senate and/or the Presidency, because if they do then the reform they are chomping at the bit for now, will come back and bite them on the ass in a major manner.

[Update] William A. Jacobson, from Le-gal-In-sur-rec-tion, makes the point a little more clearly than I just did.

With a solid Republican majority in the House, the filibuster takes on less importance for Republicans. The threat of a filibuster still will play into the politics of judicial nominations, but not much else. With so many Democrats in the Senate up for reelection, the "centrist" block of Democrats may make a filibuster unnecessary in most events.

So if Democrats change the filibuster rule, will they be shooting themselves in the foot?

In 2012 there is a reasonable likelihood of a Republican majority in both houses of Congress. If Obama loses, and Republicans find themselves in the position Democrats have been in the past two years, things could get very interesting with relaxed filibuster rules. Even if Obama wins, the ability of a Republican Senate to pass on legislation to Obama -- requiring a veto -- will be an important political tool.

What goes around, comes around. Senators, having the long memories they do, understand this, even if the rabble in the left-wing blogosphere do not.

The proposed changes would not eliminate the filibuster, it seems they would actually makes things move along more slowly in the Senate, contrary to the hype that claims it would speed things up, but hey, the Senate is supposed to be the deliberative body.

I say contrary to the hype because if Senators actually have to get up and filibuster (talk almost endlessly) and they do it, then things slow to a crawl and those of us that watch C-Span from time to time to see the Senate in action, will need pots and pots of coffee and may even expire of boredom, although the media will have more statements and gaffes to report on!!

Message to the far left- Go for it!! Do not cry, whine, stomp your feet and beat your chest though, if in 2012, Republicans take the Senate and/or the White House and your party cannot use the same methods to protect their constituents and are forced to abide by the reform rules that Democratic Senators are pushing for now with the help of the liberal blogopshere.

(This post has been added on to and updated)

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Looks Like Republicans Got Clean CR Bill By Trading Food Bill

Sunday night the Senate passed the food safety bill that had been determined to be dead and from the headlines this morning it is beginning to look like Republicans traded their opposition to the food safety bill for a clean Continuing Resolution bill to keep government running until March.

Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky tells CNN's "State of the Union" that he and Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada have a deal on the measure. The budget year began Oct. 1 but Congress hasn't passed any of its annual spending bills.

Last Thursday, Democrats pulled back a $1.3 trillion spending bill after Republicans decided not to support it. Republicans complained about special projects in the bill, its overall cost and the lack of time for debate.

Was the cost of getting Harry Reid, who still has control of the Senate agenda, to agree to a clean CR bill, one that didn't jam all the appropriation bills into one huge omnibus, the food safety bill?

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Stopping Reid: DeMint Will Force Entire 1,924 Page Omnibus Bill Read Aloud; Contact Numbers Supplied!

Below the post are the names and numbers of Democrats up for reelection in 2012 and the four Republican's contact information that have indicated they are contemplating voting for this omnibus bill.

In a move designed to run the clock out on Harry Reid so he cannot shove the newly unveiled 1,924 page Omnibus bill, costing $1.1 trillion and loaded with 6,600 earmarks aka pork, down America's throat before the 111th Congress ends and the 112th begins, Senator Jim DeMint (R-S.C.)will force the reading of the the entire Omnibus bill on the Senate floor, which jams 12 different appropriation bills into one giant mess.

Along with that, DeMint will insist the new START bill also be read aloud.

The Onmibus bill alone could take anywhere from 40 to 60 hours of floor time.

The readings could eat up a substantial amount of time in the closing days of the lame-duck Congress, in which Senate Democrats are racing against the clock to pass through a number of priorities. Democrats hope to pass a tax-cut bill, on which they'll vote Wednesday afternoon, along with a repeal of "Don't ask, don't tell," the START Treaty and the DREAM Act immigration bill.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) "hoped" in a floor speech Wednesday that DeMint would not force a full reading, calling the move a "colossal waste of time."

Floor readings of measures before the Senate are typically waived by unanimous consent without any objections. But if a senator were to require that lengthy bills be read, the delay could take hours. (The omnibus is over 1,900 pages.)

I said yesterday when first reporting on this gigantic, pork laden bill, that this was Harry Reid's final FU to America and Republicans needed to do whatever it took to stop Reid and DeMint is stepping up to the plate to do just that.

Harry Reid is determined to jam as much as possible through in the last days of this session of Congress and reactions to this last minute bill which has had no substantial deliberation and virtually none if anybody has had a chance to actually read, including those expected to vote for it.

November 2, 2010 voters overwhelmingly rejected the Democrats way of doing business, especially spending tax payers money like drunken sailors and Republicans in one of their first gestures showing they understood the message signed on to a two-year ban of earmarks.

Democrats still control both house's of Congress until January when Republicans take control of the House of Representatives and add will enjoy another five seats (6 but one has already been seated) in the Senate which will help rein in Harry Reid's mischief such as this omnibus bill.

Until then, Republicans have no choice but to fight against this type of last minute rush spending to lock Congress into it these figures for the next year.

The purpose of forcing the omnibus bill to be read aloud will be to run out Reid's time, as The Politico explains.

With the window closing on the 111th Congress, forcing a reading of the omnibus spending bill could further extend the lame-duck session until the end of the year, or force Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to scale back an ambitious agenda, which includes a repeal of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, ratification of the START treaty, confirmation of stalled nominations and a vote on an immigration bill known as the Dream Act.

To that end, Senate Republicans, with this move are doing their part, John Boehner is publicly pressuring Barack Obama to veto this 41.1 trillion omnibus bill, The Hill reports:

"If President Obama is truly serious about ending earmarks, he should oppose Senate Democrats’ pork-laden omnibus spending bill and announce he will veto it if necessary," Boehner said in a statement.

A lot of chatter will show there are Republican earmarks in this bill and The Hill article shows why:

"I am actively working to defeat it. I think there are many Senate members who have provisions in it for their states who are also actively working to defeat it," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Tuesday. "This bill should not go forward."

Congressional Republicans are instead pushing a much more modest bill that would fund the government for a few months, and let the empowered GOP Congress next year pick up the slack instead.

The current omnibus bill cobbles together spending contained in several other bills that never received congressional action this year. That means that earmarks inserted by both Democrats and Republicans are in the omnibus, because the basic legislation was crafted before House and Senate Republicans adopted their earmark moratorium.

"Instead of making reckless spending decisions in the waning days of the lame-duck session, Senate Democrats should stand down so we can get to work on cleaning up Washington’s fiscal mess," Boehner said.

Emphasis mine.

Reactions

U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) released the following statement regarding the Democrats' proposed omnibus spending bill:

“After neglecting to pass a budget and any of the thirteen annual spending bills this year, today we learn Senate Democrats now want to sandwich them together, totaling almost 2,000 pages, and jam them through in the waning moments of this Lame Duck session before anyone can read them. This political end-around reveals just how quickly my colleagues across the aisle have already forgotten the voters’ message in November, and I urge Senate Democrats to keep the wishes of the American people in mind as they consider this move.”

U.S. Senator Jim DeMint, chairman of the Senate Steering Committee and member of the Joint Economic Committee, made the following statement after Senate Democrats released a 1,924 page omnibus spending bill with thousands of earmarks attached.

“President Obama and Democrats have apparently learned nothing from this November’s election. This nearly 2,000-page omnibus filled with thousands of earmarks shows they are still determined to ram through as much big-government spending as they can in this lame duck session. Americans loudly demanded an end to the runaway spending, but Democrats are intent on raiding every taxpayer dollar that they can grab from the Treasury on their way out of power. This bill also funds the unconstitutional Obamacare law that Americans oppose and have asked Congress to fully repeal. Democrats haven’t given Republicans or the American people time to read the bill, but I’ll join with other Republican colleagues to force them to read it on the Senate floor.”

Senator John McCain:

“Mr. President, at 12:15 p.m. this afternoon, my office received a copy of the omnibus appropriations bill. It is 1,924 pages long and contains the funding for all 12 of the annual appropriations bills for a grand total of over $1.1 Trillion. It is important to note that the 1,924 pages is only the legislative language and does not include the thousands of pages of report language which contain the details of the billions of dollars in earmarks and, I’m sure, countless policy riders.

“While we continue to uncover which earmarks the appropriators decided to fund – thanks to a new online database – we at least know what earmarks were requested by Members and how much those projects would cost the American people if they were all funded. Taxpayers against Earmarks, www.washingtonwatch.com and Taxpayers for Common Sense joined forces to create this database. According to the data they compiled – for fiscal year 2011 Members requested over 39,000 earmarks totaling over $130 billion. Absolutely disgraceful. I encourage every American to go to the website www.endingspending.com study it, and make yourselves aware of how your elected officials seek to spend your money.

“In the short time I’ve had to review this massive piece of legislation – I’ve identified approximately 6,488 earmarks totaling nearly $8.3 billion. Here is a small sample:

$277,000 for potato pest management in Wisconsin

$246,000 for bovine tuberculosis in Michigan and Minnesota

$522,000 for cranberry and blueberry disease and breeding in New Jersey

$500,000 for oyster safety in Florida

$349,000 for swine waste management in North Carolina

$413,000 for peanut research in Alabama

$247,000 for virus free wine grapes in Washington

$208,000 beaver management in North Carolina

$94,000 for blackbird management in Louisiana

$165,000 for maple syrup research in Vermont

$235,000 for noxious weed management in Nevada

$100,000 for the Edgar Allen Poe Cottage Visitor’s Center in New York

$300,000 for the Polynesian Voyaging Society in Hawaii

$400,000 for solar parking canopies and plug-in electric stations in Kansas

“Additionally, the bill earmarks $727,000 to compensate ranchers in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan whenever endangered wolves eat their cattle. As my colleagues know, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Gray Wolf program is under intense scrutiny for wasting millions of taxpayer dollars every year to ‘recover’ endangered wolves that are now overpopulating the West and Midwest. My State of Arizona has a similar wolf program but ranchers in my state aren’t getting $727,000 in this bill.

“Mr. President, I will have much more to say about this bill later this week. I assure my colleagues – we will spend a great deal of time talking about this bill and the outrageous number of earmarks it contains. But for now let me just say this: it is December 14th – we are 22 days away from the beginning of a new Congress and nearly three full months into fiscal year 2011 – and yet we have not debated a single spending bill or considered any amendments to cut costs or get our debt under control. Furthermore, the majority decided that they just didn’t feel like doing a budget this year. How is that responsible leadership?

“This is the ninth omnibus appropriations bill we have considered in this body since 2000. That is shameful and we should be embarrassed by the fact that we care so little about doing the people’s business that we continuously put off fulfilling our constitutional responsibilities until the very last minute.

“One thing is abundantly clear to me – that the majority has not learned the lessons of last month’s election. The American people could not have been more clear. They are tired of wasteful spending. They are tired of big government. They are tired of sweetheart deals for special interests. They are tired of business as usual in Washington. And they are tired of massive bills – just like this one – put together behind closed doors, and rammed through the Congress at the last moment so that no one has the opportunity to read them and no one really knows what kind of waste is in them.

“Let me be clear about one thing – if the Majority Leader insists on proceeding to this monstrosity - the American people will know what’s in it. I will be joined by many of my colleagues on this side of the aisle to ensure that every single word of this bill is read aloud here on the Senate floor.

“I encourage my friends on the other side of the aisle to rethink their strategy and move forward with a short-term continuing resolution to fund the government into next year when a new Congress takes over – a Congress that was elected by the American people on November 2nd. “The majority may be able to strong arm enough members into voting for this omnibus – but they will not win in the end. The American people will remember – and I predict that we will see a repeat of November 2nd in the very near future.”

U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor Wednesday regarding the need to pass a sensible CR rather than a 2,000-page omnibus spending bill:

“Yesterday Democrat leaders unveiled an Omnibus spending bill that some have described as one last spending binge for a Congress that will be long be remembered for them.

“The Senate should reject it.

“It appeared to some of us that we were making good progress on the economy when lawmakers in both parties agreed Monday to let taxpayers keep more of their own money.

“But yesterday, Democrats unveiled a 2,000 page spending bill that repeats all the mistakes voters demanded that we put an end to on Election Day.

“Americans told Democrats last month to stop what they’ve been doing: bigger government, 2,000-page bills jammed through on Christmas Eve, wasteful spending.

“This bill is a monument to all three.

“It includes more than $1billion to fund the Democrat health care bill.

“For those of us who’ve vowed to repeal it, this alone is reason to oppose to Omnibus.

“It’s being dropped on us with just a few days to go before the Christmas break, ensuring that no one in Congress has a chance to examine it thoroughly before the vote.

“And ensuring that Americans don’t have a chance to see what’s in it either.

“This too is reason enough to oppose it.

“For two years, Republicans have railed against the Democrats for rushing legislation through Congress. But this is, without doubt, one of the worst abuses of the process yet.

“The voters made an unambiguous statement last month: they don’t like the wasteful spending, they don’t want the Democrat health care bill, and they don’t want lawmakers rushing staggeringly complex, staggeringly expensive bills through Congress without any time for people to study what’s buried in the details.

“This bill is a legislative slap in the face to all those voters who rejected these things.

“For the first time in the modern era, Congress hasn’t passed a single appropriations bill.

“Democrats have been too focused on their own left-wing wing wish to take care of the basics.

“And now, at the end of the session, they want to roll all those bills together, along with anything else they haven’t gotten over the past two years, and rush it past the American people just the way they jammed the health care bill through Congress last Christmas.

“I think a more appropriate approach is to pass a sensible, short-term CR that gets us into next year, when the new Congress will have the opportunity to make a determination on how to best spend taxpayers’ money.

“The government runs out of money this Saturday. Congress should pass a short-term CR immediately.

“We need to pass the tax legislation we voted on earlier this week.

“And we should accomplish the most basic function of government — we can at least vote to keep the lights on around here.

“I mean, the deadline for funding the basics of government was October, and here we are on December 15^th proposing treaties.

“Pass the tax legislation and keep the lights on.

“Everything else can wait.”

The midterm elections proved one thing without a doubt, voters remember and vote accordingly and to that end, while Republican Senators move to block this out-of-control omnibus spending bill and Republican House leaders prepare to battle it in the last days of the House being controlled by Nancy Pelosi and a majority of Democrats, there is something we can do.

There are 23 Senate Democrats that will be up for reelection in 2012 and we can let them know that shoving this last minute spending spree down American's throats will be remembered and we will once again act accordingly if they force it through using their majorities in the last days of the 111th Congress.

The list below was created to block the DREAM Act, but the same Democrats need to understand their reelection chances are zero if they manage to force this omnibus bill through at the last minute as Reid is attempting to do.

CONTACT INFO

Daniel Akaka, Hawaii:

141 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-6361
Web Form: akaka.senate.gov/email-senator-akaka.cfm


Jeff Bingaman, New Mexico.

703 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-5521
Web Form: bingaman.senate.gov/contact/

Sherrod Brown, Ohio.

713 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-2315
Web Form: brown.senate.gov/contact/


Joe Manchin, West Virginia.

1 RUSSELL COURTYARD WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-3954

Maria Cantwell, Washington

511 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-3441
Web Form: cantwell.senate.gov/contact/


Benjamin Cardin, Maryland

509 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-4524
Web Form: cardin.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm


Thomas Carper, Delaware.

513 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-2441
Web Form: carper.senate.gov/contact/


Robert Casey, Jr., Pennsylvania

393 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-6324
Web Form: casey.senate.gov/contact/


Kent Conrad, North Dakota

530 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-2043
Web Form: conrad.senate.gov/contact/webform.cfm


Diane Feinstein, California

331 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-3841
Web Form: http://feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactUs.EmailMe


Kirsten Gillibrand, New York.

478 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-4451
Web Form: gillibrand.senate.gov/contact/

Amy Klobuchar, Minnesota.

302 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-3244
Web Form: klobuchar.senate.gov/emailamy.cfm

Herb Kohl, Wisconsin.

330 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-5653
Web Form: kohl.senate.gov/contact.cfm


Claire McCaskill, Missouri

717 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-6154
Web Form: mccaskill.senate.gov/?p=contact


Robert Menendez, New Jersey.

528 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-4744
Web Form: menendez.senate.gov/contact/


Ben Nelson, Nebraska.

716 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-5274
Web Form: billnelson.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm

Bill Nelson, Florida.

720 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-6551
Web Form: bennelson.senate.gov/contact-me.cfm


Debbie Stabenow, Michigan.

133 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-4822
Web Form: stabenow.senate.gov/email.cfm

Jon Tester, Montana.

724 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-2644
Web Form: tester.senate.gov/Contact/index.cfm

Jim Webb, Virginia.

248 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-4024
Web Form: webb.senate.gov/contact.cfm

Sheldon Whitehouse, Rhode Island

502 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-2921
Web Form: whitehouse.senate.gov/contact/

Barack Obama is also up for reelection in 2012.

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Phone Numbers

Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461

Web Form: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact

DeMint forcing the reading of the 1,924 pages aloud on the floor should give us all ample opportunity to have our voices heard, loudly and clearly.

Also, a few Republican Senators are contemplating voting for this monstrosity:

Sen. Bob Bennett (R-Utah)- retiring so he might be a lost cause.

Sen. Kit Bond (Mo.)

Washington, DC Office
274 Russell Senate Office Building.
Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-5721

Web Form: http://bond.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactUs.ContactForm


George Voinovich (Ohio)

Washington D.C. Office
524 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
(202) 224-3353

Web Form: http://voinovich.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.ContactForm



Susan Collins (Maine)

DC Office Information
413 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-2523
Fax: (202) 224-2693

Web Form: http://collins.senate.gov/public/continue.cfm?FuseAction=ContactSenatorCollins.EmailIssue&CFID=66116476&CFTOKEN=59190063

PS- I know folks are busy during the holidays. shopping, wrapping, mailing, decorating... but stopping Reid in these last days of this congressional session has to be a priority, please take some time out of your schedule and help.

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Dems Roll Out Pork Laden Omnibus Bill, 1,924 Pages, Over $1 Trillion

[Update] Help stop the Omnibus bill that Reid is trying to shove through, go here, scroll to the bottom and start dialing please.

I guess Democrats figure they should get one last hurrah and send a big FU to voters across the country as they do it since Harry Reid, obviously not giving a damn about what voters do and do not want, has unveiled a 1,924-page, $1.1 trillion omnibus bill, chock full of pork.

The omnibus spending bill is reported to cost $1.1 trillion, according to The Hill.

Republican Policy Committee chief Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) said that the attempt to pass the omnibus spending bill ignored the will of the American people.

“The attempt by Democrat leadership to rush through a nearly 2,000-page spending bill in the final days of the lame-duck session ignores the clear will expressed by the voters this past election,” Thune said in a statement. “This bill is loaded up with pork projects and should not get a vote. Congress should listen to the American people and stop this reckless spending.”

The lame duck session of Congress ends on Jan. 3, 2011. The next Congress officially begins later that same day. In that Congress, the division in the House of Representatives is 242 Republicans and 193 Democrats; and in the Senate, 47 Republicans and 53 Democrats.

Malkin reports on U.S. Senator Jim DeMint, chairman of the Senate Steering Committee and member of the Joint Economic Committee's statement after Reid rolled this omnibus bill out:

“President Obama and Democrats have apparently learned nothing from this November’s election. This nearly 2,000-page omnibus filled with thousands of earmarks shows they are still determined to ram through as much big-government spending as they can in this lame duck session. Americans loudly demanded an end to the runaway spending, but Democrats are intent on raiding every taxpayer dollar that they can grab from the Treasury on their way out of power. This bill also funds the unconstitutional Obamacare law that Americans oppose and have asked Congress to fully repeal. Democrats haven’t given Republicans or the American people time to read the bill, but I’ll join with other Republican colleagues to force them to read it on the Senate floor.”

Reid also has other things he wishes to jam down America's throat before the GOP takes control of the House in January and by god he is prepared to force everyone to stay until the very last second to do it.

Forget about going quietly into the night.

Senate Democrats on Tuesday unveiled a broad agenda for an end-of-session sprint that, in other years, could be a whole year's worth of activity — ranging from an arms-reduction treaty with Russia to a major immigration bill to overturning the ban on gay troops.

And that's not to mention the nearly 2,000-page, $1.1 trillion massive spending bill Senate Democrats said they'll try to push through. The bill contains hundreds of pork-barrel spending projects and new rules governing everything from airport baggage to detainees at the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

"We're not through. Congress ends on Jan. 4," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat.

The omnibus spending bill is likely to get the most attention, spanning 1,924 pages and spending an average of $575.13 million per page.

Consider this FU from Reid to America as a Merry Christmas present and a Happy New Years all rolled into one.

Nevada? Aren't you so happy you kept him as your Senator? You must be so proud.

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Democrats Can Say Goodbye To DREAM Act In Lame Duck Session

Harry Reid and far left Democratic politicians are planning to schedule a vote on one or all of the five different versions of DREAM Act that have been floated during the lame duck session of Congress and the GOP is standing firm against pushing through the rest of the Democratic agenda before newly elected Senators are seated and the House turns over control to the GOP in January after voters swamped the polls and stripped control from Nancy Pelosi and Democrats.

It is not only the Senate GOP that is refusing to cooperate with Harry Reid in the Senate though, centrist Democrats and Democrats who are up for reelection are not exactly thrilled with jumping off the cliff as Reid would like them to.

The Hill Reports "Short goodnight expected for the DREAM Act during lame duck."

Even as Democrats in both chambers prepare to consider the measure this week, Republicans and centrist Democrats are already lining up to shoot it down.

The climb is particularly steep in the Senate, where Republicans will filibuster the hot-button bill, and even former sponsors now stand in opposition.

Sen. Orrin Hatch, for instance, was the lead sponsor of the original DREAM Act when it emerged nine years ago. But already facing pressure from conservatives surrounding his 2012 reelection bid, the six-term Utah Republican is "sprinting to the right" away from the proposal, according to Frank Sharry, executive director of America's Voice, an advocacy group lobbying for the bill.

"He's not on any of our 'get' lists," Sharry said.

Hatch spokeswoman Antonia Ferrier declined to comment Friday on whether Hatch supports the underlying policy. She said Hatch's opposition — at least in the near term — stems from the recent vow among Senate Republicans to deny everything that hits the floor before the Bush tax cuts and government funding issues are settled.

"Everything's a 'no' until the tax issue is resolved," Ferrier said.

Harry Reid already knows all of this as the GOP penned a letter and sent it to him making it very clear that until the Tax issue is dealt with, the issue ranking the very top of the list for Americans, the GOP will filibuster and stop anything else from the Democratic last minute to-do list.

For that reason, we write to inform you that we will not agree to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to any legislative item until the Senate has acted to fund the government and we have prevented the tax increase that is currently awaiting all American taxpayers. With little time left in this Congressional session, legislative scheduling should be focused on these critical priorities. While there are other items that might ultimately be worthy of the Senate's attention, we cannot agree to prioritize any matters above the critical issues of funding the government and preventing a job-killing tax hike.

To top matters off, we now see that Reid is also going to try to pass one last Omnibus bill, by shoveling 100+ other bills into one large bill to try to get his socialist, far left liberal agenda through at the last minute before the 5 addition GOP Senators are seated in January and the Republicans take control of the House.

Democratic efforts to push through more than 100 public lands and water bills in the lame duck session are reaching a fever pitch, with the recognition this is the last chance many of them have to become law.

Voters got sick of Reid/Pelosi/Obama doing that over the last two years and the Democrats are still trying to play the same game as they did before the elections, showing that they didn't learn a thing from the "shellacking" (Obama's word) that they took on November 2, 2010.

Americans and legal residents who have been battling against Democrats trying to provide amnesty to illegal immigrants have been pounding the phones letting their elected Representatives and Senators know it would be political suicide to jam through the DREAM Act during the lame duck session of Congress (after elections before the newly elected members are seated) and to that end, below is a long list of numbers to call and contact forms to fill out.

Democrats up for reelection and Republicans that need reminding of just who elected them.

From a previous post:

Daniel Akaka, Hawaii:

141 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-6361
Web Form: akaka.senate.gov/email-senator-akaka.cfm


Jeff Bingaman, New Mexico.

703 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-5521
Web Form: bingaman.senate.gov/contact/

Sherrod Brown, Ohio.

713 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-2315
Web Form: brown.senate.gov/contact/


Joe Manchin, West Virginia.

1 RUSSELL COURTYARD WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-3954

Maria Cantwell, Washington

511 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-3441
Web Form: cantwell.senate.gov/contact/


Benjamin Cardin, Maryland

509 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-4524
Web Form: cardin.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm


Thomas Carper, Delaware.

513 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-2441
Web Form: carper.senate.gov/contact/


Robert Casey, Jr., Pennsylvania

393 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-6324
Web Form: casey.senate.gov/contact/


Kent Conrad, North Dakota

530 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-2043
Web Form: conrad.senate.gov/contact/webform.cfm


Diane Feinstein, California

331 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-3841
Web Form: http://feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactUs.EmailMe


Kirsten Gillibrand, New York.

478 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-4451
Web Form: gillibrand.senate.gov/contact/

Amy Klobuchar, Minnesota.

302 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-3244
Web Form: klobuchar.senate.gov/emailamy.cfm

Herb Kohl, Wisconsin.

330 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-5653
Web Form: kohl.senate.gov/contact.cfm


Claire McCaskill, Missouri

717 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-6154
Web Form: mccaskill.senate.gov/?p=contact


Robert Menendez, New Jersey.

528 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-4744
Web Form: menendez.senate.gov/contact/


Ben Nelson, Nebraska.

716 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-5274
Web Form: billnelson.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm

Bill Nelson, Florida.

720 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-6551
Web Form: bennelson.senate.gov/contact-me.cfm


Debbie Stabenow, Michigan.

133 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-4822
Web Form: stabenow.senate.gov/email.cfm

Jon Tester, Montana.

724 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-2644
Web Form: tester.senate.gov/Contact/index.cfm

Jim Webb, Virginia.

248 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-4024
Web Form: webb.senate.gov/contact.cfm

Sheldon Whitehouse, Rhode Island

502 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-2921
Web Form: whitehouse.senate.gov/contact/

Barack Obama is also up for reelection in 2012 and if he allows Senate and House Democrats to slam the DREAM Act through during the lame duck session, well perhaps letting him know we are watching and will remember in 2012 is in order as well.

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Phone Numbers

Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461

Web Form: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact


Further, names of Republicans were provided by Michelle Malkin and she asked these names be passed around as well.

Sen. Murkowski of Alaska 202-224-6665
907-271-3735

Sen. Lugar of Indiana 202-224-4814
317-226-5555

Sen. Brownback of Kansas 202-224-6521
785-233-2503

Sen. Voinovich of Ohio 202-224-3353
614-469-6697

Sen. LeMeiux of Florida 202-224-3041
904-398-8586

Sen. Collins of Maine 202-224-2523
207-945-0417

Sen. Snowe of Maine 202-224-5344
207-874-0883

Sen. Brown of Massachusetts 202-224-4543
617-565-3170

Sen. Johanns of Nebraska 202-224-4224
402-758-8981

Sen. Gregg of New Hampshire 202-224-3324
603-225-7115

Sen. Hutchison of Texas 202-224-5922
214-361-3500

Sen. McCain of Arizona 202-224-2235
480-897-6289


They can claim they are aware, they learned their lessons, they understood the message.. they can claim anything they want, but actions are louder and more telling than words and promises.

They should act accordingly and vote against DREAM Act during the lame duck session.

Time to start dialing folks to prevent this last hard push from far left liberals to provide amnesty to illegals.

.