November 28, 2012

Congress to make history -- but for the wrong reason?

By NBC's Kyle Inskeep, posted on NBC.com on 28 nov 2012:


According to a recent Gallup poll, only 18% of Americans say they approve of the work this Congress has done -- so it's more than likely it won’t go down as one of the more popular congressional bodies.

But with only weeks to go before it concludes, the 112th Congress (2011-2012) is on track to make another type of history.

By passing just 196 bills into law so far, it is in the running to become the least productive Congress since the 1940s.

In fact, that amount is 710 fewer public laws than was produced by the 80th Congress (from 1947-48), which first earned the moniker "Do-Nothing" Congress.

The lack of legislation passed by Congress in recent years has become frustrating to many lawmakers. Outgoing Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) decided not to run for re-election because of the congressional gridlock, partisan politics, and lack of work being done on Capitol Hill.

“As I have long said, what motivates me is producing results for those who have entrusted me to be their voice and their champion, and I am filled with that same sense of responsibility today as I was on my first day in the Maine House of Representatives. I do find it frustrating, however, that an atmosphere of polarization and ‘my way or the highway’ ideologies has become pervasive in campaigns and in our governing institutions,” Snowe said in a statement announcing her retirement last February.

The U.S. House Clerk’s office keeps official records of all congressional activity dating as far back as 1947. During those 65 years and 33 different Congresses, more than 20,000 public laws have been passed.

The 104th Congress (1995-1996) currently holds the holds the record low for passing the fewest pieces of legislation since 1947 -- just 333 bills were passed into law during that two-year span.

The 107th Congress (2001-2002) is next, passing only 377 new laws during its time in Washington.

To avoid earning the distinction as the least productive Congress since 1947, 138 bills must move through the House and Senate before the end of this Congress next month.

And with just 11 scheduled voting days left before the House’s target adjournment date for the year -- and with all eyes fixed on the looming fiscal cliff -- time is running out.

The number of bills passed into law by Congress since 1947:

80th: 906
81st: 921
82nd: 594
83rd: 781
84th: 1,028
85th: 936
86th: 800
87th: 885
88th: 666
89th: 810
90th: 640
91st: 695
92nd: 607
93rd: 649
94th: 588
95th: 634
96th: 613
97th: 473
98th: 623
99th: 664
100th: 713
101st: 650
102nd: 590
103rd: 465
104th: 333
105th: 394
106th: 580
107th: 377
108th: 498
109th: 482
110th: 460
111th: 383
112th: 196 (so far)

November 12, 2012

Before everyone jumps on the bandwagon to let the confederate states secede . . .

Please realize there ARE some sane and rational people living in said states. Over 60% of those who responded to a recent poll on NOLA.com thought the idea of Louisiana seceding 'silly'; 30% said secession was a good idea:


The White House set up the section, We the People, to allow citizens to have their voices heard. If a petition gets 25,000 signatures within a month, the "White House staff will review it, ensure it's sent to the appropriate policy experts, and issue an official response."

The website Gawker notes: "As unilateral secession was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, it remains to be seen if this movement is more than a toothless temper tantrum thrown by armchair revolutionaries."

On Monday morning, the Louisiana petition had more than 13,000 signatures. If the petition gathers 25,000 signatures by December 7, the White House pledges it will be place the petition in a queue for response from the Obama administration."


Here are the vote tallies on the NOLA.com website as of today:

Yes, we would be better off - 30.64%

No, it didn't go so well last time - 5.78%

This is just silly - 63.58%

http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/11/louisiana_other_states_petitio.html#incart_m-rpt-2

November 7, 2012

Say what you will about CNN but . . .

their election coverage is amazing. I just went to their website to check the results of the presidential race in Florida (they haven't called it yet, still processing results) . . . so much data, and in very easy to read graphics! Check out this website . . .


http://www.cnn.com/election/2012/results/state/FL

November 3, 2012

How is Lyin' Ryan doing in Wisconsin, in his other race?

Any chance he will lose that one too?

November 3, 2012

Nate Silver is on Rachel's show right now! - n/t

November 2, 2012

The Young Turks

I recently started watching Cenk Uygur's show, The Young Turks, on Current TV. I love this show!

In my area, it's aired at the same time as the Hardball re-broadcast. Tweety gets on my nerves sometimes. I hate it when he talks over all his guests.

Cenk is my new refuge! And he's pretty cute!

November 2, 2012

Your sanctimonious bullshit is wearing a little thin

I’m getting a little tired of certain people on DU shitting on the efforts of those of us who reside in red states. Sometimes (not always), when a red state DUer relates a story of an attempt to convert a republican or independent, some of you on DU just HAVE to take a dump on our efforts. More often than not, our progress is dismissed.

Yes, one vote for Obama in a red state won’t make much difference today, but there are other, long-term, exponential factors to consider. If one of us can convince one republican or independent NOT to forward an anti-Obama email or tweet to half the world, isn’t that a win for our side? I think it is well worth the effort. And sometimes, that also results in one of our friends or family members having a conversation with a repuke in an effort to dissuade them for voting for the rightwing. Isn’t that a good thing?

I've been working to convince my mother to vote FOR Obama recently and finally succeeded. She has been working to convince my sister NOT to vote for rMoney (my sister won’t commit to Obama, but she absolutely WON’T vote for Robme). My mother has also pledged to DELETE any nasty anti-Democrat emails that she receives.

Yes, both my sister and mother are in red states, as am I, but isn’t their rejection of rightwing propaganda a good thing for us in the short term, as well as the long term?

So many conservative people that I know are tired of the rhetoric. They may not necessarily be Democrats today, but they are sick of the antics of the republicans. Doesn’t it mean something if we can convince people NOT to spread anti-Obama memes and bullshit rumors, and maybe even to write in ‘Jesus’, or ‘Shiva’, or whatever deity, on their ballots, as opposed to voting for rMoney? Voting for Obama would, of course, be preferable, but I’m thinking long-term strategy here.

I believe we are well positioned to win the presidential election next week and retain a Senate majority. Shouldn’t we be working to keep both of those, and retake the House in 2014?

I’m getting a little annoyed with the dismissal of the efforts of those of us who happen to reside in red states. Our efforts are no less significant than those of you who happen to live in blue or swing states, maybe even more significant!

It is no easy thing to be a Democrat living in a red state! Your sanctimonious bullshit is wearing a little thin. I’m not going to call out anyone out in particular . . . you know who you are!

Thanks for your attention . . . End of my ‘Red State’ Rant.