Senator Reed takes a tip from Charles Atlas
Guy T. Sturino
April 05, 2006
Yesterday, those who regularly watch the Senate on C-Span got to see one of those poignant movie moments when the 98-pound weakling, after much prodding and encouragement, finally kicks sand in the face of the bully. Senator Reed finally used his right-to-object to keep a majority amendment from being brought to a vote. The result was just like in the movies – a plaintiff wail echoed across the Senate chamber.
We’re not being allowed to move those amendments forward . . . this is disrespectful to the body itself . . .” cried one voice. And, another voice cried, “It would be a travesty to vote on a bill without giving members an opportunity to file an amendment, . . . travesty, unheard of, unthinkable, unprecedented, idiotic, . . .”
They could have been the voices of Senator Feingold and Senator Kennedy during the debate on the Patriot Act. But, they were not.
They could have been the voices of innumerable minority Senators over the past several years. But, they were not.
These were the voices of Senator Frist and Senator Specter, respectively, who suddenly had to deal with the kind of obstruction of the Senatorial process that the majority party has been using for years.
After a lengthy exchange between Senator Frist and Senator Reed, a very frustrated Senator Domenici cried out that, “the minority leader is not right to do this, he is not right!”, and called for all Senators to come together to decry Senator Reed’s actions. Almost in the same breath he absently dismissed Senator Frist’s refusal to allow amendments in the past as not relevant to the current situation.
Where was Senator Domenici’s indignation when Senator Frist was ‘filling the tree’ to block minority amendments to a myriad of bills on health care, prescription drugs, stem cell research, the budget, the defense appropriations bill, etc., etc., etc. Where were these voices in defense of open, honest debate then?
While it is obvious that the tactics being employed in the Senate today are somewhat less than the actions of mature adults, the truth is that they haven’t resembled mature adults for quite some time. And, quite frankly, it’s refreshing to see the bully get knocked on his backside once in a while. Isn’t it amazing how different the world looks when you’re looking up from the floor?
Listening to Senator Frist cry out that the minority is obstructing the Senate is a joke. Senator Frist has refused to let the minority voice be heard on a regular basis, out of what can only be a deep-seated fear of opposition. Even though the Kyl/Cornyn amendment appears to be designed to decimate the path to citizenship in the Immigration bill, it should be voted on. However, if Senator Reed’s denying that opportunity is what it takes to get the nations attention focused on how Senator Frist has been manhandling the Senate, then so be it.
Yesterday Senator Specter commented to Senator Reed that they were engaging in “debate by press conference”. Well, it’s about time that the people were invited to participate in the process. The more people who take the time to witness first hand the kind of childish manipulative, conniving, self-centered and self-serving activities that have been taking place on the Senate floor, the better chance we have of nurturing the flowers and pulling the weeds come November.
If the garden isn’t tended, only weeds will grow.
We’re not being allowed to move those amendments forward . . . this is disrespectful to the body itself . . .” cried one voice. And, another voice cried, “It would be a travesty to vote on a bill without giving members an opportunity to file an amendment, . . . travesty, unheard of, unthinkable, unprecedented, idiotic, . . .”
They could have been the voices of Senator Feingold and Senator Kennedy during the debate on the Patriot Act. But, they were not.
They could have been the voices of innumerable minority Senators over the past several years. But, they were not.
These were the voices of Senator Frist and Senator Specter, respectively, who suddenly had to deal with the kind of obstruction of the Senatorial process that the majority party has been using for years.
After a lengthy exchange between Senator Frist and Senator Reed, a very frustrated Senator Domenici cried out that, “the minority leader is not right to do this, he is not right!”, and called for all Senators to come together to decry Senator Reed’s actions. Almost in the same breath he absently dismissed Senator Frist’s refusal to allow amendments in the past as not relevant to the current situation.
Where was Senator Domenici’s indignation when Senator Frist was ‘filling the tree’ to block minority amendments to a myriad of bills on health care, prescription drugs, stem cell research, the budget, the defense appropriations bill, etc., etc., etc. Where were these voices in defense of open, honest debate then?
While it is obvious that the tactics being employed in the Senate today are somewhat less than the actions of mature adults, the truth is that they haven’t resembled mature adults for quite some time. And, quite frankly, it’s refreshing to see the bully get knocked on his backside once in a while. Isn’t it amazing how different the world looks when you’re looking up from the floor?
Listening to Senator Frist cry out that the minority is obstructing the Senate is a joke. Senator Frist has refused to let the minority voice be heard on a regular basis, out of what can only be a deep-seated fear of opposition. Even though the Kyl/Cornyn amendment appears to be designed to decimate the path to citizenship in the Immigration bill, it should be voted on. However, if Senator Reed’s denying that opportunity is what it takes to get the nations attention focused on how Senator Frist has been manhandling the Senate, then so be it.
Yesterday Senator Specter commented to Senator Reed that they were engaging in “debate by press conference”. Well, it’s about time that the people were invited to participate in the process. The more people who take the time to witness first hand the kind of childish manipulative, conniving, self-centered and self-serving activities that have been taking place on the Senate floor, the better chance we have of nurturing the flowers and pulling the weeds come November.
If the garden isn’t tended, only weeds will grow.
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