Metal Sludge Gossip Board

Today the Democrats had to use their soon-to-be-gone supermajority power to block a Republican fillibuster on an obscure Dept. of Labor nominee, Patricia Smith - nominated for the solicitor of labor position.

Smith did a fantastic job as NY labor commissioner fighting wage abuses. The Republicans said "no" because they are douchebags and don't want a strong labor department.

But mostly they said "no" because that's all they fucking do. They are committed only to fucking with Obama and could give two shits about making government work.

Seriously, if you identify with these fuckwads you should be ashamed.

I don't know, anybody that's been appointed to ANY position by the Obama administration hasn't exactly been sparkling.

JakeYonkel wrote:I don't know, anybody that's been appointed to ANY position by the Obama administration hasn't exactly been sparkling.

They have absolutely no good reason to oppose Smith's nomination. It's political bullshit pure and simple.

thejuggernaut wrote:How could they block a Republican filibuster ?

With the little known "Double Secret Anti Filibuster" clause.

Perhaps the democrats could take some lessons from the republicans in effectively using power. For fuck's sake, they had a super-majority and they couldn't even pass what was to be their signature bill, and now the republicans are balking them on the pissiest of confirmations. I'm not saying I agree with what the republicans are doing; I'm saying the democrats need to stop being such whiny pussies and get the job done.

tin00can wrote:Perhaps the democrats could take some lessons from the republicans in effectively using power. For fuck's sake, they had a super-majority and they couldn't even pass what was to be their signature bill, and now the republicans are balking them on the pissiest of confirmations. I'm not saying I agree with what the republicans are doing; I'm saying the democrats need to stop being such whiny pussies and get the job done.

I agree, it's completely pathetic the way the Dems have allowed themselves to be bullied.

They voted for cloture and are pushing her through.

Crazy Levi wrote:

JakeYonkel wrote:I don't know, anybody that's been appointed to ANY position by the Obama administration hasn't exactly been sparkling.

They have absolutely no good reason to oppose Smith's nomination. It's political bullshit pure and simple.

From ABC.com

Enzi and other Republicans claim Smith misled lawmakers during testimony last year about her role in creating a New York program that allows labor unions to help uncover wage-and-hour violations.

Smith has conceded that she "misspoke" in explaining how the program was created and about plans to expand it. But Democrats describe the misstatements as minor and say she was simply unaware that one of her deputies consulted with union officials about creating the $6,000 program.

"It was simply a mistake in her testimony because she didn't know what her staff was doing," Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, the chairman of the health committee, said in a floor speech.

What? She may have lied about something? Who'da thunk it.

VinnieKulick wrote:They voted for cloture and are pushing her through.

Crazy Levi wrote:

JakeYonkel wrote:I don't know, anybody that's been appointed to ANY position by the Obama administration hasn't exactly been sparkling.

They have absolutely no good reason to oppose Smith's nomination. It's political bullshit pure and simple.

From ABC.com

Enzi and other Republicans claim Smith misled lawmakers during testimony last year about her role in creating a New York program that allows labor unions to help uncover wage-and-hour violations.

Smith has conceded that she "misspoke" in explaining how the program was created and about plans to expand it. But Democrats describe the misstatements as minor and say she was simply unaware that one of her deputies consulted with union officials about creating the $6,000 program.

"It was simply a mistake in her testimony because she didn't know what her staff was doing," Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, the chairman of the health committee, said in a floor speech.

What? She may have lied about something? Who'da thunk it.

LOL. it's a complete non-issue. She didn't "lie" about anything.

Okay, and Roger Clemens 'misremembered" not taking steroids. Got it.

Also, you MIGHT remember a few stories in the press about how the Democrats stalled every Bush Federal Court appointments. Or, is blocking them a different scenario?

VinnieKulick wrote:Okay, and Roger Clemens 'misremembered" not taking steroids. Got it.

Also, you MIGHT remember a few stories in the press about how the Democrats stalled every Bush Federal Court appointments. Or, is blocking them a different scenario?

I don't remember that at all, please post some links where the dems filibustered Repub nominations.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_W._ ... troversies

Yeah, I know it's wikipedia, but you can check all the footnote sources.

Barry O made an important point to the Democratic Senate caucus today: not only did the Republicans fillibuster more bills last year than were fillibustered in the 1950s and 1960s combined, once the Dems got the cloture votes and the bills could be passed with a simple majority, many of them passed by margins of 90-10 or 80-15... that tells you everything you need to know about where the Republicans' priorities lie.

It's a local story.