Author Topic: Wright Speaks for the Left  (Read 6707 times)

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Amianthus

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Re: Wright Speaks for the Left
« Reply #30 on: May 04, 2008, 01:40:49 PM »
The custom of having earmarks for every district and state assures some support from members of a fractious party like the Democratic Party.

For a party that everyone seems to think is "fractious" they vote in lockstep more often than the Republicans do...
Do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight. (Benjamin Franklin)

Xavier_Onassis

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Re: Wright Speaks for the Left
« Reply #31 on: May 04, 2008, 07:37:42 PM »
Certainly this is not true of the really important issues.
"Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana."

Amianthus

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Re: Wright Speaks for the Left
« Reply #32 on: May 04, 2008, 07:50:12 PM »
Certainly this is not true of the really important issues.

Actually, the more important the issue, the more likely the Dems will vote in lockstep.

Feel free to look up the voting records yourself. In most of the votes, the Dems vote pretty much as a solid block, and more Republicans are likely to vote against the majority.
Do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight. (Benjamin Franklin)

Xavier_Onassis

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Re: Wright Speaks for the Left
« Reply #33 on: May 04, 2008, 08:06:50 PM »

Actually, the more important the issue, the more likely the Dems will vote in lockstep.

Feel free to look up the voting records yourself. In most of the votes, the Dems vote pretty much as a solid block, and more Republicans are likely to vote against the majority.
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You are basically saying that both parties do the same thing: the Democrats vote to do something, and the Republicans vote against it.


What you fail to say is that on most issues, the Republicans vote to hold a filibuster in the Senate, where 60% is needed to pass any bill. They block every proposal and nothing happens.

Then they complain about the "do-nothing Congress", when they are the chief reason nothing gets done.
"Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana."

Amianthus

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Re: Wright Speaks for the Left
« Reply #34 on: May 04, 2008, 09:41:14 PM »
You are basically saying that both parties do the same thing: the Democrats vote to do something, and the Republicans vote against it.

Perhaps some reading comprehension is in order. I said that Democrats do it far more often than Republicans. Virtually no votes have all Republicans voting in lockstep, whereas many votes (something like 80% of them) have every single Democrat voting the same way.

What you fail to say is that on most issues, the Republicans vote to hold a filibuster in the Senate, where 60% is needed to pass any bill. They block every proposal and nothing happens.

Then they complain about the "do-nothing Congress", when they are the chief reason nothing gets done.

Hmm. I seem to remember you being one of the ones that lauded the Democrats for holding filibuster after filibuster in the current administration's first term. After all, it was claimed, the minority party cannot get anything done without the filibuster.

Besides, the majority party can eliminate the filibuster anytime they want with a simple majority vote among ONLY the majority party (rules revisions do not require consent of the minority party). This was threatened by the Republicans more than once; surely the Democrats can do it if the Republicans could when they were the majority.
Do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight. (Benjamin Franklin)

Xavier_Onassis

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Re: Wright Speaks for the Left
« Reply #35 on: May 05, 2008, 09:15:12 AM »
Besides, the majority party can eliminate the filibuster anytime they want with a simple majority vote among ONLY the majority party (rules revisions do not require consent of the minority party). This was threatened by the Republicans more than once; surely the Democrats can do it if the Republicans could when they were the majority.
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The Republicans threatened to do this and did not for a reason. It was called the "Nuclear Option", as I recall.

The Democrats are doubtlessly not doing it for the same reason.
"Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana."