Senate gets ugly

Posted by | February 1, 2017 08:48 | Filed under: News Behaving Badly Politics

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Capitol Hill’s “upper chamber” sells itself as the genteel, “grown-up” branch of the legislature. And it was until Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and his fellow travelers decided to sabotage President Obama just over eight years ago. And now, the internecine anger and recriminations are showing in a quite public way:

amid controversial directives from the White House, Democratic opposition to President Trump’s political appointees and protests around the country.

Democrats on Tuesday slowed the pace of confirming Trump’s Cabinet nominees to a crawl, outraging Republicans, who accused them of unprecedented obstruction. The tactical move triggered a leading Republican to label Democrats “idiots.” Meanwhile, a liberal Democrat accused one of Trump’s Cabinet picks of lying to the Senate.

And the Supreme Court battle hasn’t really gotten started yet.

Democrats boycotted a meeting of the Senate Finance Committee, preventing scheduled votes on Trump’s picks to head the Treasury and Health and Human Services departments. They also filibustered a vote on Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), nominated for attorney general, in the Judiciary Committee, forcing Republicans to adjourn the meeting without action.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) blasted Democrats for intentionally causing “chaos” and called their behavior “foolish.”

“They’re manufacturing issues on a daily basis to drag this process out and to treat this president’s initial Cabinet appointments differently from the way we’ve treated presidents of the Democratic Party in similar circumstances,” McConnell fumed at an afternoon press conference.

McConnell said Republicans were not enthusiastic about President Obama’s Cabinet picks in 2009 “but we did not prevent him from getting up and functioning.”

“Totally different treatment by the Senate majority at the beginning of Obama from what we’re experiencing here,” he said.

On his first day in office, six of Obama’s Cabinet nominees were confirmed.

As of Tuesday afternoon, senators had confirmed only three Trump Cabinet members: James Mattis as secretary of Defense, John Kelly as secretary of Homeland Security and Elaine Chao as secretary of Transportation.


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Copyright 2017 Liberaland
By: dave-dr-gonzo

David Hirsch, a.k.a. Dave "Doctor" Gonzo*, is a renegade record producer, video producer, writer, reformed corporate shill, and still-registered lobbyist for non-one-percenter performing artists and musicians. He lives in a heavily fortified compound in one of Manhattan's less trendy neighborhoods.

* Hirsch is the third person to use the pseudonym, a not-so-veiled tribute to journalist and author Hunter S. Thompson, with the permission of his predecessors Gene Gaudette of American Politics Journal (currently webmaster and chief bottlewasher at Liberaland) and Stephen Meese at Smashmouth Politics.

23 responses to Senate gets ugly

  1. Buford2k11 February 1st, 2017 at 08:52

    We need and want the full and total GOP PLAN to obstruct Congress…For however long the trump/gop abomination is in power…NO MERCY…

  2. robert February 1st, 2017 at 09:14

    There seems to be confusion with the gop once they are elected

    https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/88/ee/cf/88eecf890cff7526f555cccea29a2120.jpg

  3. allison1050 February 1st, 2017 at 09:33

    I watched Maddow this morning and she summed it up quite nicely with a chart showing the timeline of “ugly” but she didn’t have that photo of that ugly guy though.

  4. crc3 February 1st, 2017 at 09:34

    The Turtle has no ground to stand on and has no right to complain about obstruction after what he pulled during the Obama years. The Dems need to stand their ground and never give in. THIS IS WAR!!!

  5. mea_mark February 1st, 2017 at 10:14

    If the republicans don’t like it, too bad. They shouldn’t have nominated a bumbling, bloviating buffoon who is a sick, malignant narcissist for president. The country doesn’t need a sick illegitimate president and we don’t need a cabinet that reflects that sickness.

  6. oldfart February 1st, 2017 at 10:52

    “outraging Republicans, who accused them of unprecedented obstruction.”

    GOOD…
    For 175K a year, it’s the least they can do.

  7. granpa.usthai February 1st, 2017 at 11:21

    I use to think republicans LOVED TO LIE, but I’m now just starting to understand it’s their very nature.

    no wonder their electoral SELECTED crybaby pumpkinhead, even though he LOST THE GENERAL ELECTION by 3,000,000 votes.

  8. granpa.usthai February 1st, 2017 at 11:22

    ” it’s my job to make sure he’s a one term POTUS”

    -anybody remember who said that?

  9. William February 1st, 2017 at 11:28

    What? Obstruction in the hallowed halls of our Capital? I’m shocked.https://www.youtube.com/embed/lpotL6eeaB0

    • anothertoothpick February 1st, 2017 at 11:57

      I remember that ugly f*cking speech.

      Boener was drunk and it was obvious.

  10. Mike N. February 1st, 2017 at 11:44

    On his first day in office, six of Obama’s Cabinet nominees were confirmed.

    Maybe that’s because Obama didn’t nominate sketchy, fringe candidates.

  11. Bunya February 1st, 2017 at 13:26

    Democrats should obstruct everything put forward by the GOP. It’s time for democrats to start playing hardball.

    • Kick Frenzy February 2nd, 2017 at 00:54

      I disagree.
      They shouldn’t just try to obstruct every single thing.
      Judgement should be used and if something passes muster, regardless of who wrote it, it should be at least given a hearing and voted on with it’s merits in mind.

      Otherwise we just perpetuate the divide and create more problems instead of solutions.

      We don’t need to say “obstruct everything”.
      We just need to say “be fair and smart with everything”.
      (Plus, under those circumstances, a lot of stuff will still be fought against anyway.)

      • Bunya February 2nd, 2017 at 10:18

        We tried that already. It didn’t work. The GOP is like a petulant child, and if being “fair and smart” doesn’t get them what they want, they’ll take it. When the Bush administration was in office, the democrats gave them whatever they wanted. And what did we get? 9/11, an unnecessary war for profit, a tanking economy, rising unemployment and overall disdain for the American people. That was a disastrous administration – and we elected the clowns for a second term.
        .
        Nope. I think it’s time to fight fire with fire. Obama didn’t have the opportunity to pick a new SCOTUS after Aleto dies, but the republicans threw a hissy fit, the democrats backed down, and now that tRump’s in office, he appointed a notorious misogynist. This isn’t going to go well with the democrats, because they’ll just sit back and let tRump and his ilk destroy the country – for 8 years (maybe more). The only way he’ll be impeached is if he pisses off the GOP.

        • Kick Frenzy February 2nd, 2017 at 19:10

          Oh, I’m not saying there shouldn’t be any push back or that Dems shouldn’t give Republicans hell.
          I’m just saying it needs to be smart and not a blanket obstruction of anything and everything, without knowing what you’re signing on to object to in the future.

          I cannot condone fighting derp with more derp.

  12. joe student February 1st, 2017 at 15:46

    Democrats are just continuing the “McConnell Rule” where legislation may pass, but it will not have any bipartisan votes. The Republicans will have to own every piece of legislation.

  13. bpollen February 1st, 2017 at 16:18

    I find it hysterical that, under a headline saying “Senate Gets Ugly,” we have a picture of Sen. Mitch McTurtle… Truth in advertising!

  14. Stan Ubeki February 1st, 2017 at 17:46

    Shit’s gettin’ real. Watch Al Franken trash Jeff Sessions in the confirmation hearing. Searing speech.

  15. spacegod February 1st, 2017 at 18:11

    All I can say is ha plus ha.

  16. Mensa Member February 1st, 2017 at 23:04

    << Republicans, who accused them of unprecedented obstruction.

    Republicans have absolutely no credibility on this subject.

  17. Dcbos February 2nd, 2017 at 12:28

    Such Bullshit from our legislators; lying cheating and getting wealthy are what they are all about;soon they’ll be sending our kids to another war to enrich themselves and their CRETIN owners.

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