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Day By Day July 13, 2011 – Not Exactly Peanuts
Day By Day by Chris MuirSenator McConnell’s plan for raising the national debt ceiling is ill-advised and questionably unconstitutional. The explosion of the debt is Obama’s problem and the GOP should make him own it. Instead the Republicans are allowing the President the opportunity to demagogue the issue and threaten cutting off senior citizen checks.You will not obtain substantial spending reform on entitlements until after the 2012 elections anyway and you win a majority of the Senate and have a new President.
Republican leaders should quickly approve some bipartisan deal to raise the limit before the economy tanks further and the Democrats go to the airwaves blaming the GOP. This poor economy and high unemployment are Obama’s and Pelosi’s.
Make them own it and worry about major debt reform during the upcoming 2012 campaigns.
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The Old GOP and the Lunar Eclipse – Time to Replace Mitch McConnell
Political cartoon by Michael Ramirez
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell had an opportunity and a mandate from the November elections but he has failed to keep his party united. Even Senator Lyndsey Graham (Maverick 2 with John McCain) is bitchin’ and moaning.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) lashed out at fellow Republicans Tuesday for a “capitulation … of dramatic proportions” to Democrats and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) in the lame-duck Congress.
Graham said Republicans have no one to blame but themselves for allowing ratification of the New START Treaty and other legislation in the period before new lawmakers are sworn in in January.
“When it’s all going to be said and done, Harry Reid has eaten our lunch,” Graham said on Fox News radio. “This has been a capitulation in two weeks of dramatic proportions of policies that wouldn’t have passed in the new Congress.”
Republican senators have broken with the party’s leaders on several key votes in order to advance some of President Obama’s top policies during the lame-duck. GOP members defected to pass a repeal of “Don’t ask, don’t tell” and have done likewise to secure likely ratification for the START Treaty. Some Republicans might allow a health bill for 9/11 first responders to move forward, while three Republicans voted to end debate on the DREAM Act, an ultimately unsuccessful immigration bill.
Time for Senate Republicans to consider electing a NEW leader in January.
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Day By Day December 21, 2010 – Lions of the Senate
GOP Sentate Minority leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky will bear watching this next year. He has been duplicitous to the RIGHT before and seen as a RINO compromiser. Look at this Big Government Food Bill. There really is no reason to accommodate the Democrats on Harry Reid’s mistake.A landmark food safety bill that aims to modernize America’s food inspection regimen appeared destined for the ash heap until the Senate rejuvenated it Sunday in one of the last acts of a busy lame-duck Congress.
The Senate approved the food bill Nov. 30, but a procedural mistake meant that its funding was tied to a now-scuttled omnibus spending bill. Without a funding mechanism in place by the time the new Congress takes its seat in January, the food safety law — the first major upgrade in the US inspections process in 70 years – would be a nonstarter.
Food safety advocates say they knew ultimate passage of the Food Safety and Modernization Act could go down to the wire given grumblings that it amounts to an unnecessary expansion of federal powers to regulate what goes on the American kitchen table
More Big Government from the Obama Administration and the GOP Senate makes accommodations?
I know one or two NEW Senators taking office in January who will hold McConnell and his leadership accountable to the Constitution and conservative principles: Rand Paul and Marco Rubio.
Calling Senator Jim DeMint as the new Republican leader?
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The Day By Day Archive -
GOP Senators Say Deal Likely on Extending Tax cuts & Jobless Benefits – But That is All in Lameduck Session
"Top senators from both parties indicated Sunday that a deal was likely soon on temporarily extending Bush-era tax cuts for all Americans, along with unemployment benefits that have expired.
However, Republican senators made clear they are unlikely to budge in their opposition to other Democratic priorities in the final weeks of the lame-duck session of Congress that ends in early January.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, told the NBC program "Face the Nation" he was "optimistic" about an agreement on the tax rates and jobless benefits, but added there likely wasn’t time for the Senate to ratify a new nuclear arms treaty with Russia or complete work on a major defense bill that includes repeal of the "don’t ask, don’ tell" policy banning openly gay and lesbian soldiers."
I would say that is about right, depending if the far-left Pelosi led House member wish to make a deal. They may decide to block a deal and let the American people suffer under the uncertainty of higher tax rates beginning Jnauary 1.
The GOP will NOT proceed to START, DADT or the DREAM Act before the new Congress and why should they?
Also, Harry Reid’s cynical attempt to ram through online poker legislation for his friends in the Nevada casino industry will also fail.
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GOP Senators to Block All Bills Until Tax Cuts Are Addressed
Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., left, accompanied by Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., center, and Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, speaks at a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington.
As they should.Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell will announce this morning that Republicans will block any legislation from coming to the Senate floor until two key economic issues are addressed: funding the government (the “continuing resolution” which must pass to prevent a government shutdown) and the extension of the Bush-era tax cuts.
McConnell will say that members of his caucus are united in the pledge to use procedural votes to prevent any other non-economic issues — including the new START treaty, the DREAM Act, or the defense authorization bill that contains a potential repeal of the military’s Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy – from coming to the floor for debate.
Power politics to force Obama and the Democrat’s hand on the Bush era tax rates. If they expire, then the GOP will re-enact them in January (the next Congress) and force Obama to either sign the bill or use his veto.
Believe me, Americans care about jobs and taxes – not whether gays can serve in the military and amnesty for illegal aliens.
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Day By Day November 23, 2010 – Junk Science
Chris, why U.S. Senator and GOP Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell from Kentucky is spouting off about “clean”coal is beyond me.While we shouldn’t expect our left-wing elitist of a President to understand last Tuesday’s electoral rejection of his “progressive” prescriptions for America, we should expect Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to get it.
But Sen. McConnell seems to have missed the message, at least when it comes to cap-and-trade — odd for a coal state politician. The day after the election, Sen. McConnell said:
“The president says he’s for nuclear power. Most of my members are for nuclear power. The president says he’s for clean coal technology. Most of my members are for clean coal technology. There are areas that we can make progress on for the country.”
But, the Tea Party organizations and the new House GOP majority are not going to allow this “clean coal” excuse for cap and trade to proceed in ANY way.
Senator McConnell is wrong and indeed with a few more missteps will be OUT as GOP leader in the Senate.
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GOP’s Mitch McConnell: Obama’s Economic Stimulus Package Will Have Little if Any Impact on the Economy
Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky
Duh and remember that there were only three GOP Senators (one who later switched to become a Democrat) who supported the $ 700 Billion Plus bill.Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Monday that President Obama’s stimulus package would have little, if any, impact on the economy — and re-stated his opposition to including any public option in the upcoming health care overhaul.
“I’m very skeptical that the spending binge that we’re on is going to produce much good and, even if it does, anytime soon, ” said McConnell. “And I think the economy is just as likely to begin to recover on its own, wholly aside from this, before much of this has an impact. So I’m very skeptical that this massive sort of spending binge that we’ve engaged in is going to have much of an impact.â€
Technorati Tags: Mitch McConnell
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Day By Day by Chris Muir February 2, 2009 – Freeze-Out
Well, Kentucky is a “RED STATE” and the home of newly re-elected GOP Senate Minority Leader, Mitch McConnell who will lead the efforts against Obam’a Economic Stimulus Bill – so, pffffft.Flap thought President Obama was from Chicagoland anyway? Certainly, not 80 degrees this time of the year.
On the other hand, Southern California (where Flap lives) will be 80 degrees today.
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Technorati Tags: Day By Day, Barack Obama, Mitch McConnell
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Barack Obama’s Biggest Problem: The Democratic Party
GOP Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on The Today ShowIn the wishful thinking department Senator Mitch McConnell points out to the President who his friends really are.
“Frankly, what’s developing here is his biggest problem is with his own party, the Democratic Party, which seems to be drifting away from what he said he wanted, which was for the package to include at least 40 percent tax relief and to be earmark-free.â€
“So he could, ironically, end up with better supporters in trying to achieve the kind of stimulus package—which would be timely, targeted and temporary— from us than he’s getting from the Democratic majority, at least so far here in the Congress.â€
“Listening to what he said he wanted, we think we may be closer to that, oddly enough, than the Democratic majority, which seems to be pulling in the direction of fewer tax — less tax relief and things like fixing up the [National] Mall. You know, most people don’t think that’s the way we ought to spend stimulus money.â€
Obama heads to Capitol Hill today to address GOP lawmakers. Let’s see if Obama shows them some post-partisan love or reminds them that he “WON.”
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No GOP Roll Over Beethoven for Democrat/Obama Economic Stimulus Package
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell speaks during a press conference on Capitol Hill in November 2008 in Washington, DC.
Looks like “The Idiot of the Highest Order”, Senate GOP Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is finally growing a pair.Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) voiced skepticism today about the emerging economic stimulus plan, applying a brake to Democratic plans to quickly pass up to $850 billion in spending and tax cuts soon after President-elect Barack Obama’s Jan. 20 inauguration.
“As of right now, Americans are left with more questions than answers about this unprecedented government spending, and I believe the taxpayers deserve to know a lot more about where it will be spent before we consider passing it,” McConnell said in a statement, which will be publicly issued later today.
No more bailouts until there is a clear outline as to the Obama economic plan and the Congress decides what the hell it is doing besides throwing cheap money at a perceived problem.
41 votes go a long way, now don’t they?
Technorati Tags: Mitch McConnell