Apr 172012
 

Republicans once again demonstrated that they do not represent you last night, when they filibustered and blocked the Buffett rule, as I predicted (no rocket science required).  Even though 72% of Americans favor it’s passage, 72% does not matter to them.  The only number that does matter is 1%.

17buffetSenate Republicans on Monday blocked a move to open debate on the so-called Buffett Rule, ensuring that a measure pressed for months by President Obama and Senate Democrats to ensure that the superrich pay a tax rate of at least 30 percent will not come to a decisive vote.

But the fierce debate preceding the 51-45 vote — the Democrats were nine votes short of the 60 they needed — set off a week of political wrangling over taxes that both parties insist they are already winning.

Senate Democrats intend to return repeatedly to the legislation, named after the billionaire investor Warren Buffett, who has complained that he pays a lower effective tax rate than his secretary. On Thursday, House Republicans will counter with a proposed tax cut for businesses that they say would spur job creation but would cost the Treasury almost exactly what the Democrats’ tax increase would raise.

Republicans say they like that contrast, and their language ahead of the vote on a motion just to take up the Buffett Rule was harsh and aimed squarely at Mr. Obama, who first proposed a 30-percent tax rate floor for anyone earning at least $1 million a year last September. Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican minority leader, went to the Senate floor and all but called Mr. Obama a liar… [emphasis added]

Inserted from <NY Times>

The only Republican to vote for the measure is Susan Collins (R-ME).  She can vote her conscience now, only because she is stepping down. 

Only one worthless, scum-sucking DINO goose stepped with the Republicans: Aaron Pryor (DINO-AR).

Ed Schultz covered the story with Bernie Sanders.

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You just have to love Bernie!  Chris Hayes interviewed Sheldon Whitehouse, and compares this vote to other times Republicans have defied overwhelming public opinion.

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I disagree in part.  I don’t see how most Republican lawmakers could actually believe that their policies are better for America.  It comes down to corruption and greed.  That’s why Republicans represent the super rich, not you.

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  10 Responses to “Republicans Sabotage Buffet Rule”

  1. It is very easy to call the Repigs stupid — They are not– They are greedy– The Dems need to continue submitting the bill and letting the pigs continue to demonstrate their allegiance to the real rulers — and not the people they were elected to represent–

    • Phyllis, I think that what you say is true for the leadership, politicians and pundits, but many of the rank and file vote for them out of stupidity.

  2. Once again, McConnell shows who he represents.  Not his constituents, but his campaign contributors.  I am mortified that he is my senator,

  3. No, Phyllis, they’re stupid. Anyone with the IQ of a lump of coal knows that Rushpublisucm policies will lead to economic ruin and violent revolt, but they keep right at it. If that doesn’t fit the definition of “stupid,” I don’t know what does.

    • JR, I don’t think they worry about that, because they have Academi, aka Xe, aka Blackwater to kill rebelling Americans.

  4. What a fascinating discourse from Chris Hayes.  He is asking a prime question that everybody should be asking — Is my senator or representative working for me, representing the majority, or is he being bought off by monied and powerful special interests?

    Jabber Jowls McConnell — “We’re in a crisis here, and sadly it’s all politics, all the time.  For him [Mr Obama], it’s not about jobs or the economy.   It’s about his idea of fairness, about imposing it upon others, and if we lose more jobs in the process, oh well , so be it. . . .”

    Whoa!  Hold it right there JJ!   72% of Americans support the Buffett Rule and 53% of Republicans support it.  So why hasn’t that translated into Senate votes in support for the legislation?  Had 53% of the Republican senators voted for the Buffett Rule, there would not be the crisis that JJ McConnell claims there is.  Wow! what might have been?!

    Chris Hayes — “. . . the majority of public opinion is essentially supposed to be transferred into legislative outcome, and this is not a perfect one to one process.  . . . in order for democracy to be functional and credible, there has to be some rough correlation between what the majority in the country wants and what the government does.”

    From a recent study — “In almost every instance, senators appear to be considerably  more responsive to the opinions of affluent constituents than to the opinions of middle class constituents, while the opinions of constituents in the bottom third of the income distribution have no apparent statistical effect on their senators’ roll call votes.”

    Chris Hayes — “. . . it goes to a core exestential crisis that democracy faces right now, and that is the question of whether our political institutions can enact into law positions favoured by a majority when those majoritarian positions will result in diminished wealth and power for the most wealthy and powerful in society.”

    JJ McConnell is right, there is a crisis, but it is not the crisis he thinks.  The crisis is aptly stated by Chris Hayes and comes down to can the government enact into law positions favoured by a majority rather than giving in to the monied and powerful few?  That is the crisis that  representational democracy is facing — is there the will by the representatives/senators to represent ALL their constituents on a equal basis?  With the republican/Teabaggers, simply their individual willingness to sign Grover Norquist’s “pledge of allegiance” to the monied and powerful, and stand by it is proof that the principles of representational democracy are all but dead in the party.  For the Republican/Teabaggers, their mantra is “government of the rich and powerful, by the rich and powerful, for the rich and powerful“.  Abe Lincoln is probably spinning in his grave at this distortion and mangling of his ideals from 149 years ago.  And he was a Republican!

    All these pieces of legislation and more have gone down to defeat yet they enjoyed popular support — ending Oil subsidies, the Buffet Rule, the public option in healthcare, the AJA.  All have monied and powerful lobbies.  It would seem that the Republican/Teabaggers for the most part are nothing more than political whores, bought and paid for by the monied and powerful.

    Having identified the question, how do the American people solve the issue?

    1. Cast your vote and make it count.  Vote out those representatives and senators that are not representing ALL the people.
    2. Hold your representatives and senators accountable.  Hold their feet to the fire.  Be an active participant, not a ‘once every four years’ participant.  OWS has shown that this works!
    3. Publish the roll call of each and every vote.  It might be on the government’s website already, I don’t know, but make sure it is widely accessible and publicised.

     

    Everybody can come up with additional ideas.  Make it work.  Make government of the people, by the people, and for the people. 

     

  5. The RepublicanTs care nothing about their constituency. We don’t put money into their coffers. It’s the corporate puppet-masters who pull all their strings.

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