Elections Have Consequences

by Josh Orton, Mon Nov 10, 2008 at 04:33:27 AM EST

Even before we know the final outcomes of the Senate races in Georgia, Minnesota, and Alaska, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is already working to maximize the new Democratic majority. From The Hill (via AMERICAblog):

Senate Democratic leaders plan to cut Republican committee seats to reflect the new balance of power in the upper chamber, according to Democratic aides.

Republicans will lose at least one seat on most committees and may lose as many as two on some of the larger panels, such as the powerful Appropriations committee.
...
Don Stewart, spokesman for Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.), said Democratic and Republican leaders had not yet met to negotiate the new committee ratios. He questioned whether the Senate would automatically follow precedent on the issue.

"There's lots of precedents for lots of things," said Stewart. "None of that stuff is going to start until everyone is back in town and we know how many members we have."

I laughed out loud at the "there's lots of precedents for lots of things" line. Indeed there are - and this is the one for winning.

I know there's a lot of attention on what happens to Lieberman (and there should be), but Joe's fate is not the only new reality in the Senate. The map has changed. It's a new day.

Tags: Election 08, Harry Reid (all tags)

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Re: Elections Have Consequences

Mitch McConnell needs to explicitly state that cutting seats for the minority party is normal.

If McConnell doesn't repudiate this BS whining they Reid should give the GOP something to whine about. They lose two extra seats on every fucking committee until they say cutting seats is absolutely reasonable. Then they get one of the two extra cuts back.

Republicans need to learn that elections have consequences and dishonest bad behavior won't be tolerated.

by Carl Nyberg 2008-11-10 05:27AM | 0 recs
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Re: Elections Have Consequences


I don't understand this. What do they mean "negotiate"?

The Democratic caucus needs to meet in closed session, decide what is to be done, and then tell the whining, puking, anger-crazed, obstructionist, terrorist-sympathizing, America-hating minority party with its Obama-Derangement-Syndrome how many seats they'll be allowed to have, how many hours they will have to review our legislation before voting on it, and which Democrats will be vetting their proposed amendments before deciding whether to allow them to be introduced.

If they object, Vice President Biden can rule as a matter of form which matters require only a simple majority for passage.  Let 'em lie in the beds they made.

by admiralnaismith 2008-11-10 05:48AM | 0 recs
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Re: Elections Have Consequences

Poor Joe!  There's going to be even less room for him in the Republican party now!!!  I'm sure they can find him a spot near the cloak room or something....  I hear those senators give great tips!

by LordMike 2008-11-10 05:53AM | 0 recs

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