Being a literary sort of person, I should probably recognize this whole nonsense of cleverly naming legislation so that Americans will not be outraged at what the legislation really says and does as an ironic device. Fortunately, my low-brow aesthetic most always trumps my literary one, and from here on out I will refer to this practice (system, manner, or condition) as it occurs in politics, as “oppositism.” The noun “oppositicity” will describe the state or quality of being of an “oppositist” mindset. An “oppositist” shall henceforth refer to any politician who insults my intelligence by engaging in oppositism.
I was listening Kimberly Strassel of the Wall Street Journal this morning on CSPAN as she spewed out a bucketful of phony right-wing talking points. One of them was that the new Democratic Congress was a "do nothing" Congress, because they couldn’t get anything passed. The blame, of course, was on the Democrats, because they were just being too darned partisan and not compromising (i.e., giving in to whatever Republicans want).
Mimikatz at The Next Hurray swats this dishonest talking point into the third row, citing a detailed report by the Senate Democrats and calling out our boy Mitch in the process.
"Many people do not know that it is due to him that the Senate has accomplished virtually nothing, while the House has passed over 400 pieces of legislation. Even bills that have been passed by a majority of both houses cannot become law because Bad Boy McConnell will not allow a vote on sending them to a conference committee. We all know that McConnell would not allow a vote on the Webb-Hagel Amendment, leading Majority Leader Harry Reid to file a cloture motion that needed 60 votes. Since the Dems had only 56 votes, debate could not be closed off and there was no vote on the substance of Webb-Hagel. McConnell promises the same on Levin-Reed and Feingold-Reid."
And let’s take a look at all of the important legislation that the House Democrats have passed, only to be obstructed by "nuclear option filibuster Mitch":
Senate Republicans blocked funding for the intelligence community (National Journal Congress Daily, 4/18/07), …denying our country the tools to fight the war on terror. (DPC Report)
Senate Republicans blocked a vote on reforming the Medicare Prescription Drug plan“ (Boston Globe, 4/19/07) and denied seniors lower prescription drug prices. (DPC Report)
Senate Republicans blocked raising the minimum wage (New York Times, 1/25/07) delaying a much needed raise for hard-working Americans. (DPC Report)
Senate Republicans are blocking the appointment of conferees on the 9/11 Commission Recommendations (DPC Report) leaving the United States vulnerable to terrorist threats. (Washington Times, 3/14/07)
Senate Republicans are blocking the appointment of conferees on ethics reform (DPC Report) halting progress on the “most significant ethics reform since Watergate.” (Washington Post, 1/19/07)
Senate Republicans are blocking a bill to bring transparency to campaign fundraising (The Washington Post, 05/09/07) denying the American people the right to know who funds Senate campaigns. (Washington Post, 5/9/07)
Senate Republicans blocked a vote on holding Attorney General Gonzales accountable (Reuters, 06/11/07) refusing to hold the Attorney General accountable.
Senate Republicans blocked legislation to make forming unions easier (Associated Press, 06/15/07) siding with corporations against average American workers. (DPC Report)
It’s quite clear that McConnell and his Grand Obstructionist Party (like Dewitt) are simply going to try to knock down any legislation that the Democrats and the American public want. Then, after grinding all legislation to a halt, they’ll simply sit back and criticize the Democrats for not getting anything done.
Will the MSM pick up this talking point? I think we all know the answer to that. The Democrats need to stay on the offensive and call out McConnell and his fellow obstructionists for blocking the legislation that America overwhelmingly wants and needs: change in our Iraq policy, lowering prescription drug prices, enacting the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission, campaign fundraising reform and ethics reform. If the public can realize the nuance of this legislative process and how it is being manipulated by Mitch & Co. (and I’m sure they’re banking on Americans not being smart enough to figure this out), they’ll know that if they want this kind of reform to pass, they’ll just need to give the Democrats a bigger majority.
I’m not really sure how many supporters John Edwards had in Lexington on Friday morning, but I know that he has a lot more now. The line on John Edwards that is making the rounds is that his best asset in the campaign to win the presidency is not his humble Southern background, health-care platform or charm, but his wife, Elizabeth Edwards. After watching her performance during Friday’s Small Change for Big Change event in Lexington, I think that statement isn’t too far off base.
Elizabeth Edwards performed a rather spectacular hour+ Q & A session with over 200 contributors, fans, and potential voters. And due to the online outreach efforts of the Edwards campaign (thanks to Tracy and Amy, via DMKY’s Shawn Dixon) and the southern charm of DMKY’s own Jim Pence, Jim and I were able speak with Elizabeth face to face for roughly 10 minutes before her public Q & A session.
Though the Edwards staff thought we had a decent chance of chatting with her for a couple of minutes, shortly after we entered the venue and set up our cameras (Jim and fellow film guru Erica), we were told that there was no time for an interview. After Jim disappeared for a few minutes to chat up the Edwards folks, he came back saying that she might be doing a short “meet and greet” with some people.
“What’s a meet and greet?”
“I’m not sure”
“I’ve never been to a meet and greet”
“Yea, me neither”
Ten minutes later, Jim pulled me backstage and one of the staff stopped us and asked if we were the guys from DitchMitchKY and told us that we could speak with Mrs. Edwards in a few minutes, but not on camera or on tape. So while all of the slick, dolled up TV reporters waited for Elizabeth to come out for the Q & A, the blogger in ratty Chuck Taylors and ripped pants, and the hillbilly with the Acapulco shirt were whisked upstairs to meet her.
In a move that will keep thousands and thousands of poor, working, and retired Kentuckians from the medicines they need to live better and healthier lives, Senator Mitch McConnell voted with his fellow Republicans to keep pharmaceutical prices high in the United States to fill fat-cat pockets even fuller with immoral profits. Of course, a little of that immoral profit always ends up back in the pockets of none other than Mitch McConnell himself. Mitch essentially voted to give himself a raise in the campaign coffers!
Senate halts effort to allow prescription drug imports
It’s seen as major triumph for pharmaceutical industry
By Andrew Bridges
Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Prescription drug prices in the United States probably will remain among the highest in the world.
Overseas, brand-name prescription drugs can cost two-thirds less than they do in the United States. In many industrialized countries, prices are lower because they are either controlled or partially controlled by government regulation.
Lawmakers have pushed for years to allow drug imports, saying they would drive down prices in the U.S. Experts disagree by just how much, however.
Consumers won’t have a chance to find out. The Senate on Monday killed a bid to allow competition from lower-priced imports.
In a triumph for the pharmaceutical industry, the Senate, on a 49-40 vote, neutralized the latest push to allow drug imports. Kentucky’s two senators, Mitch McConnell and Jim Bunning, voted with the majority.
Senator Mitch McConnell is so addicted to the campaign cash of his fat-cat benefactors in the pharmaceutical industry that he is prepared to filibuster legislation that would lower the price of prescription drugs for millions of senior citizens. Like many addicts, Sen. McConnell can’t see how his own behavior is self-destructive (and that’s to our benefit).
McConnell, GOP is High on Drug Company Campaign Cash – Shuts Down Debate on Bill to Lower Drug Costs for Seniors
Obstructionism at its Worst: Mitch McConnell, George Bush, the GOP and the Stench of Campaign Cash from Big Drug Companies
Washington D.C. – Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans, high on drug company campaign cash, today shut down a pending debate on legislation which would lower prescription drug process for seniors by allowing Medicare to negotiate with the pharmaceutical industry for lower prices – just as Medicaid and the Veteran’s Administration are allowed to do. President Bush and Congressional Republicans, at the behest of the nation’s drug lobby, prohibited the federal government from negotiating for lower drug prices when the Part D drug plan passed in 2003 – putting company profits ahead of seniors and taxpayers. In addition to the war in Iraq, it was the type of official corruption which resulted in the drug company drafted Part D prescription drug plan which cost the Republicans their majority in Congress in 2006. However, so reliant is the GOP on campaign cash from the drug lobby that they continue to genuflect for drug company executives despite polls which show that 80-90 percent of Americans favor legislation to allow Medicare to negotiate lower prices for seniors and the disabled as part of Part D and despite majority support in the Senate for such legislation.
“Republicans are high on drug company campaign cash,” said Brad Woodhouse, President of Americans United for Change. “Americans should be outraged that President Bush, Mitch McConnell and the Senate Republicans are so dependent on dug company campaign cash that they shut down a public debate on legislation to allow the federal government to negotiate for lower prices prescription drugs for our nation’s seniors,” said Brad Woodhouse, President of Americans United for Change. “Of course, this is the same GOP which came up with the costly, confusing and corrupt Part D prescription drug plan in the first place – a plan designed by and for the drug companies that put drug companies first and seniors dead last.
“Mitch McConnell lead this filibuster because Republicans and their benefactors in the drug industry are horrified at the prospect of their greed and their contempt for seniors being exposed on the floor of the Senate for all of America to see. If there was ever a case where Mitch McConnell deserved the moniker ‘Obstructionist-in-Chief’ this is it. However this fight is not over – seniors and the disabled deserve better and everyone in America knows it. As President Bush’s and Republican political prospects continue to decline and as they continue to dig a deeper and deeper hole for themselves with seniors, the pressure to fix Part D will continue to mount. It is only a matter of time.”
Obstructionism at its Worst: Mitch McConnell, George Bush, the GOP and the Stench of Campaign Cash from Big Drug Companies
McConnell Plans to Lead Filibuster of Consideration of Bill that would lower Drug Prices for Seniors
Word is, though nearly 90 percent of Americans favor allowing Medicare to use its market muscle to negotiate the best prices possible for seniors (and taxpayers) enrolled in the Part D prescription drug plan, backed by the prospect of a veto from President Bush, Mitch McConnell and the Senate Republican Caucus is preparing to filibuster a motion to proceed to a debate on a bill tomorrow to provide for such negotiations.
It should be instructive, if not all that surprising, to the American people and to seniors in particular, that President Bush, Mitch McConnell and the Senate Republican Caucus are so indebted to the nation’s drug lobby that they are furiously scrambling for votes to prevent even a public debate on legislation to allow the federal government to negotiate for lower prices prescription drugs for seniors and to get a better deal for taxpayers who are paying the tab. Of course, this is the same GOP which came up with the costly, confusing and corrupt Part D prescription drug plan in the first place – a plan designed by and for the drug companies that put drug companies first and seniors dead last.
Mitch McConnell is leading this filibuster on the motion to proceed rather than on the bill itself because Republicans and their benefactors in the drug industry are horrified at the prospect of their greed and their contempt for seniors being exposed on the floor for all of America to see. If there was ever a case where Mitch McConnell deserved the moniker “Obstructionist-in-Chief” this is it.
