Tag: Harry Reid

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Politics

Michael Moore To Harry Reid – “Who The Hell Do You Think You Are?” – Video

An emotional Michael Moore berated Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid D-Nev. last night for the decision not to include Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s assault weapons ban in the Democratic gun control bill.

The liberal filmmaker was a guest of CNN’s Piers Morgan last night, criticizing the senior Democrat with rhetoric usually reserved for former President George W. Bush.

“This is just going to keep going on and on and on, until people rise up,” Moore insisted. “Until people take Harry Reid by the collar and say, ‘Who the hell do you think you are, this is our country Harry Reid.’

“He should be ashamed of himself,” Morgan agreed.

Moore asserted that Reid would act differently “if a man with an assault weapon killed Harry Reid’s grandchildren,” berating the Senate leader for being a coward.

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Politics

Republicans Filibustered Hagel – Harry Reid Said It’s “Really Unfortunate.” Really Harry?

Democratic Senate Leader Harry Reid was heard earlier today lamenting the fact that Republicans were filibustering Chuck Hagel‘s confirmation. It must have came as a surprise to Reid, especially after he shook hands with the Republican minority Leader Mitch McConnell, and accepted McConnell’s pledge that Senate Republicans will cut down on filibusters.

Consider this another broken republican promise Mr. Reid… as if you really expected the Republicans to be honorable to their words. Jeeze!

When it became clear to Reid that Hagel’s confirmation was being filibustered, Reid voiced his displeasure;

“It is tragic that they have decided to filibuster this qualified nominee. It is really unfortunate. “This isn’t high school getting ready for a football game, or some play being produced at a high school. In less than two hours, our country will be without a secretary of defense.”

Yes Reid, it is really unfortunate.

What’s unfortunate is the fact that you and the Senate Democrats had a chance to change the Filibuster rules and you chose not to. You saw the way the Republicans have used and abused the filibuster over the last 4 years and instead of putting a stop to it, you crumble to a handshake from a Republican and you believed what he told you. That Mr. Reid, is unfortunate and the confirmation of the President’s nominee to head the Department of Defense is suffering because somewhere along the line, you Mr. Reid, lost whatever backbone you may have had.

The confirmation is now on hold because after the final vote today, Democrats failed to muster the 60 votes needed to end the filibuster. And according to Harry Reid, our country is now without a secretary of defense.

Yes Reid, that is really unfortunate.

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Mitch McConnell Politics

Harry Reid Explains Why He Caved On Filibuster Reform

So yes, Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid caved on filibuster reform, despite telling various reporters that changing the filibuster has to happen. In an interview with Rachel Maddow back in October 2010, Reid said, “this has to change. It’s wrong what they’re doing, cause it’s has never happened before. The Republicans, just this time, have abused the system. And it’s gonna have to change. We’re gonna have to look at ways to change that, because there should not be a 60 vote threshold in the Senate.”

Then on Thursday, when he had a chance to change the filibuster, Reid went back on his “no-60-votes-threshold” claim and for some strange reason, he basically left the filibuster in place.

But he has a reason…

Ezra Klein summed it up best when he said, “Reid and McConnell have come to a deal on filibuster reform. The deal is this: The filibuster will not be reformed.”

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Mitch McConnell Politics

Filibuster Deal Reached – Republicans Are Happy

Well, the word on the street is that a “deal” was reached on Filibuster reform. This “deal” was negotiated between Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid and Republican Minority Leader, Mitch McConnell.

According to reports, this new “deal” will make some changes to how filibusters are done. These changes are:

  • Make it harder to filibuster the “motion to proceed,” which allows the Senate to start debate on a piece of legislation. Senators can still filibuster the actual legislation.
  • Eliminate some of the procedural hurdles to send legislation to a conference with the U.S. House to resolve differences between competing bills.
  • Make it easier to confirm certain judicial nominations. It does not apply to Cabinet positions, circuit court nominations or Supreme Court nominations.

Notice any changes yet? No? Well you’re not alone. Anyone looking at this “deal” is left wondering exactly what did Harry Reid get in return. He basically allowed Mitch McConnell and the Republicans to continue blocking bills just because they feel like it. And what did  Reid and the Democrats get in this “deal?”As far as I could see, nothing.

Republicans are ecstatic though! Said Republican Senator Lamar Alexander, “We all want the Senate to function. I’m optimistic about it.”

Yes Lamar, you should be. You basically have things just the way they were before this so-called “deal” was reached.

You hear this all the time… Democrats have no backbone. Well based on what happened with the filibuster, you’d have to agree that at least in this case, that saying is correct.

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Politics Senate

Filibuster Reform – Senator Harry Reid Says Deal Is Close

Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) said Tuesday that senate leaders are getting close to a deal on filibuster reform and the chamber will take up the issue soon, probably after taking up a bill to award $60 billion in aid to victims of Hurricane Sandy.

“Once we complete that vital legislation,” Reid said of the Sandy bill, “the Senate will take action to make this institution that we all love — the United States Senate — work more effectively.”

“I’m confident we’ll reach an agreement that allows the Senate to operate more effectively in coming months,” he said in remarks on the Senate floor.

Democrats have been vowing to reform the Senate’s rules to make it harder for the minority party to bog down action by requiring nearly every bill to win 60 votes and clear a Republican filibuster. They believe the filibuster, once a legislative tool invoked only rarely, has become abused. Republicans say it is their only way to get a voice in a chamber where Democrats routinely prevent the GOP from offering amendments to key legislation.

h/t Washington Post

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House republicans Politics Senate

Harry Reid – Thanks To Republicans, It May Be Too Late To Avoid The Fiscal Cliff

Sounds like we’re going over!

Republican House Leader John Boehner played around with this all year. He knew we were quickly approaching a deadline, but instead of working with the President to come to a deal of the Fiscal Cliff, Boehner continued the games and now expects the Senate to solve his problems.

But Senate Leader Harry Reid has something to say about that:

Speaking on the Senate floor, Reid castigated Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) for sending members of the House back to their districts last week after he was forced to scrap his “Plan B” tax plan for lack of support.

The Democratic leader said that even if Boehner agreed to hold a vote extending the Bush tax rates for incomes up to $250,000 — as Democrats have demanded to avoid one part of the fiscal cliff — it might not make it through Congress in time to prevent tax increases from beginning next year.

“I have to be honest — I don’t know, time-wise, how it can happen now,” Reid said.

Boehner said last week that he would give members of the House 48 hours notice if they needed to return for a vote on fiscal matters, but GOP leaders have yet to give the order for them to return.

“[Boehner] should call them back today — he shouldn’t have let them go, in fact,” Reid said.

Senators returned to work on Thursday with time running out to reach an agreement on a slew of tax increases and automatic spending cuts that are set to begin in January.

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Mitch McConnell Politics Senate

Republican Mitch McConnell Introduced His Own Bill, Then Filibustered His Own Bill

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) may have made United States senate history today when he beat his own legislative baloney, blocking a straight up-or-down vote on a proposal that he, himself, offered for a vote Thursday morning. The bill, which would have taken the debt ceiling gun away from the head of the U.S. economy by requiring a two-thirds majority to override a presidential increase to the debt ceiling, was McConnell’s idea, but when Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid agreed with McConnell’s request for a vote on the bill Thursday afternoon, McConnell objected.

TPM‘s Sahil Kapur flagged the exchange:

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) wanted to prove on Thursday that Democrats don’t have the votes to weaken Congress’ authority on the debt limit. Instead they called his bluff, and he ended up filibustering his own bill.

The legislation, modeled on a proposal McConnell offered last year as a “last-choice option” to avert a U.S. debt default, would permit the president to unilaterally lift the debt ceiling unless Congress mustered a two-thirds majority to stop him.

McConnell brought up the legislation Thursday morning. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) initially objected, seemingly proving the Republican leader’s point that it cannot pass the Senate. But then Reid ran it by his members and, in the afternoon, agreed to hold that same vote. This time it was McConnell who objected.

“The Republican leader objects to his own idea,” Reid declared on the floor. “So I guess we have a filibuster of his own bill.”

h/t Mediaite

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Mitt Romney Politics taxes

Harry Reid – “For All We Know, Mitt Could Be One of The 47%” Who Pays No Taxes

Democratic Senate Leader Harry Reid took to the Senate floor today and renewed his call for Mitt Romney to release his taxes. Using Romney’s own words that 47% of Americans pay no taxes, Reid said;

“For all we know, Mitt Romney could be one of those who have paid no federal income tax,” he said. “Thousands of families making more than $1 million pay nothing in federal income taxes each year. Is Mitt Romney among those?”

“We’ll never know,” Reid concluded, “since he refuses to release tax returns from the years before he was running for president.”

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Mitt Romney paying taxes Politics taxes

Top Reid Aide Calls Romney’s People “Cowards” And “Henchmen”

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s chief of staff fired back at Mitt Romney’s supporters, calling them “henchmen” and “cowards” for their attacks on the top Democrat.

Reid claims he has a “credible source” who told him Romney has not paid taxes in 10 years, which the GOP presidential nominee says is untrue. The Republican presidential candidate has demanded Reid, D-Nev., to “put up or shut up.”

The name-calling rose when Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus called Reid a “dirty liar” on Sunday.

“They’re a bunch of cowards, and they’re avoiding the issue,” David Krone, Reid’s chief of staff, told Politico. “Lindsey Graham, Reince Priebus — they’re a bunch of henchmen for Romney, and they’re all reading off the same talking points. They couldn’t hold a candle to Harry Reid.”

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Barack Obama democrats Politics

President And Democrats Give Up The Call For Millionaire Tax Hike

Here we go again. In another effort to negotiate in good faith with Republicans and get some agreement on extending the payroll tax break, CNN is reporting that President Obama and the Democrats will drop the millionaire surtax the President has called for over the last few months.

In what would be a major concession, President Obama and Senate Democrats will drop their insistence that a surtax on millionaires pay for extending the payroll tax cut, a Democratic source tells CNN. This would be part of a new Democratic offer.

The move comes after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and other top Senate Democrats met with President Obama at the White House earlier today.

Based on this President’s past, one would assume that Republicans should chalk this one up as another win. But I will caution my fellow Americans. Until we get a full understanding of what they agreed upon, let’s not pass judgement on this administration just yet.

I remember other situations where we thought the president had given up too much. And although there may have been times when we wished he had held out a little longer and stood his grounds against these Republicans, we must admit that when we looked at the overall picture, the president, most of the time,  seemed to come out on top. Thus, we hear all the time, “while everyone played checkers, the president was playing chess.”

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Mitch McConnell Nancy Pelosi Politics Republican

Polls Show Americans Are Really Disgusted With Congressional Republican

John Boehner brags in all his interviews that he got 98% of what he wanted in the debt ceiling debate, but this new poll by CNN proves that what the Republican House Speaker wanted, was not what Americans want.  The poll was conducted after the debt ceiling debacle in Washington, and it finds that overwhelmingly, Americans really don’t like Congressional Republicans.

A lot of that anger seems directed toward the GOP.  According to the survey, favorable views of the Republican party dropped eight points over the past month, to 33 percent. Fifty-nine percent say they have an unfavorable view of the Republican party, an all-time high dating back to 1992 when the question was first asked.

The poll indicates that views of the Democratic party, by contrast, have remained fairly steady, with 47 percent saying they have a favorable view of the Democrats and an equal amount saying they hold an unfavorable view.

“The Democratic party, which had a favorable rating just a couple of points higher than the GOP in July, now has a 14-point advantage over the Republican party,” adds Holland, CNN’s polling director.

Americans are also disgusted in the Republican leaders themselves. Both John Boehner and Mitch McConnell’s unfavorable numbers have increased, and those supporting the two leaders have dropped since the debt ceiling fight.

House Speaker John Boehner’s favorable rating has dropped 10 points, and his unfavorable rating is up to 40 percent, a new high for him.  On the Senate side, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell isn’t faring much better – his unfavorable rating is 39 percent, a seven-point increase since July.

The poll also shows that Democratic leaders Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid have maintained the level of favorable and unfavorable support they had before the debt ceiling began.

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Nancy Pelosi Politics

The Deal – What We Know So Far

President Obama and the leaders of both parties in the House of Representatives and Senate, have finally agreed to a framework for a deal to prevent America from defaulting on paying its bills for the first time in our history. The specifics of the deal are not yet known, but for the first time in months, a possible consensus has been reached.

President Obama spoke earlier tonight and urged all members of Congress to pass the deal, saying there are still some very important votes to be taken by members, but that a general consensus has been  reached on a plan that will avoid default. What do we know so far? The deal would;

  • Cut $1 trillion dollars in 10 years
  • Appoint a special congressional delegation also called a Super congress, will report by November on ways to further reduce the deficit and to find ways to increase revenue through taxes and decide on more spending.
  • Will extend through 2013.
Meanwhile, the Republican Speaker of the House Of Representatives, John Boehner, R-Ohio, set up a conference call with House Republicans for Sunday night, and House minority leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said she would meet with Democrats on Monday. Mrs Pelosi also made the news, assuring the nation that seniors would get their Social Security checks, the U.S. military would be compensated and other obligations would be met.
More information on the deal will be made public soon.
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