The Reid-McConnell Senate: Is It Really Such a Mess?

[babylonsister]

http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/08/08/the-reid-mcconnell-senate-is-it-really-such-a-mess/

The Reid-McConnell Senate: Is It Really Such a Mess?
11 hours ago

Jill Lawrence


The Senate is in one of those phases that make normal people wonder what on earth is going on in Washington, and possibly even what possessed the Founding Fathers who created the upper chamber. Writers are lamenting its decline, senators are laying plans for change, and some House members make no effort to hide their scorn.

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Somewhere between McConnell's insistent sunniness and the other side's black mood lies the real Senate – frustrating, dilatory, partisan, always making things harder than necessary, and in some ways a distortion of what the founders had in mind, but hardly stagnant.

The Underestimated Senate Record

Since President Barack Obama's inauguration in January 2009, the Senate has confirmed two Supreme Court nominees, revamped the student loan system and removed obstacles to women and others pursuing equal pay. The Senate also has approved three laws – the economic recovery act, the health care overhaul and financial regulatory reform – that contain within them scores of achievements. Had the major items in these bills been passed separately, the last 18 months would have been crammed with one success after another (or one tough defeat after another, depending on your party). This fall the Senate appears poised to pass a bill to help small businesses, and another to boost clean energy jobs and respond to the BP oil spill.

It's an impressive record, but it has not been treated that way. Part of the reason is that the journey has been ugly. McConnell and his crew are on track to match their 2007-08 record of forcing 139 cloture votes to end filibusters, while Democrats are taking the usual steps -- compromises, cajoling, cringe-worthy deals -- to forge onward. Every move by each side is dissected 24/7 by countless armchair analysts on blogs, talk radio and cable TV.

The Senate also suffers from its high-profile failures, especially in contrast with the House. House rules make it far easier for the majority to prevail, and the Democrats -- with a 77-vote edge -- have been moving at a breakneck pace. Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office lists 345 bills that as of July 9 had passed the House but not the Senate. This week she's calling all 435 House members back from recess to vote on a Senate bill giving strapped states money to help them pay for Medicaid and avoid laying off 300,000 teachers, police officers and firefighters. The House passed a similar bill last December, in plenty of time for school districts to make plans. The Senate finally passed its version Thursday.

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http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/08/08/the-reid-mcconnell-senate-is-it-really-such-a-mess/

[Teaser]

1. yes. it is a crappy senate

and most of it has very little to do with Reid.

[babylonsister]

2. Agreed, but that makes their record of accomplishments

even more remarkable vs. the line I've been hearing all morning, 'is the Senate broken'? That's today's meme.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

3. Remarkable indeed, but yes, I strongly believe that the Senate is broken. n/t

[Enrique]

4. it's great if you're a Republican

we have a democratic president, and large majorities in the house and senate, and we end up with Mitt Romney's health plan.

[karynnj]

5. What! "Somewhere between McConnell's insistent sunniness and the other side's black mood"

There are lots of words I could use to describe McConnell - most even printable - but "sunniness" ???

She is right that if you look at the accomplishments, it has been very good on the Democratic agenda.

[babylonsister]

6. The writer was referencing the previous paragraphs where

McConnell was whitewashing the insistent unsunny mood that has prevailed, thanks in large part to the rethugs. I think the author might have written that a tad facetiously.

[karynnj]

7. Good point - I really was caught for a loop there - especially given the

rest of the article.

[AspenRose]

8. The New Yorker

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/08/09/100809fa_fact_packer?currentPage=all

Long, but enlightening.

[bigwillq]

9. Yes (nt)

[Arkana]

10. It is absolutely a mess.

It's a place where the minority reigns supreme over the majority because Reid has no goddamn testicles. It is singlehandedly responsible for watering down so much of the legislation we have gotten passed in the last 18 months it's scary.

Hell yes the Senate is broken, and the worst part is that there is no way to fix it unless the Senators themselves wake up and realize it.