One Party Rule is the LEgislature - courtesy of Republican Rules Commitee

[JohnWxy]

There was an excellent report on a recent NOW broadcast about what is going on in the House of Representatives and how the Republican Ruled Rules Committee has been operating to prevent debate or even allowing members to find out what they are voting on. The recent budget approval is an excellent example. The members only had about two hours to look over a 600 page budget Bill for about $2.6 Trillion.

This should be a MAJOR story but, as usual, the MSM has carefully stayed away from this subversion of democracy so masterfully executed by the Republican Party (this has been achieved largely through the efforts of two men, Newt Gingrich and Tom Delay). MSM oft' comments on the ineffectuality of the Dems but they have never mentioned how the Republicans have subverted the legislative process to achieve their goal of ONE PARTY Rule of the nation.

http://www.pbs.org/now/transcript/transcriptNOW150_full.html

Here are some excerpts from the program, from an interview by Maria Hinojosa of Congressman Jim Cooper (D-Tenn) on the Budget approval process. (all emphases are my own__JW)

MARIA HINOJOSA: Congressman Jim Cooper of Tennessee, a fiscally conservative Democrat, says spending in Washington is out of control.

CONGRESSMAN JIM COOPER, (D-TN): Guess who's getting the money? Big contributors, Special interest projects — pork barrel spending has mushroomed far beyond anybody's realization. We saw a lot of it in the highway bill. There were billions of dollars spent there. Some on a bridge to nowhere in Alaska. This earmarked spending that goes back to Congressional districts really to buy votes.

.....

Cooper says Congress has reneged on its duty to balance the budget. And worse, he claims, the budget isn't even being debated in a democratic way.

JIM COOPER: We passed the entire budget for the United States, $2.6 trillion, and we did it from start to finish in two hours. Not two weeks, two months. How did we do that? Well, we got the report from the Senate. Nobody had a chance to read it. So we just rubber stamped it in the House.

MARIA HINOJOSA: A trillion dollar budget, voted on in two hours.

JIM COOPER: 2.6 trillion in two hours. Yeah.

MARIA HINOJOSA: So people are saying, "How's that possible that it can be done in two hours?" This is our money."

JIM COOPER: Yeah. Well-- it happens in a room in the attic of the capital. It's called the Rules Committee. Seldom is a TV camera allowed in the Rules Committee. But that is a group that is dominated by the majority party. So they always win every vote. And they wave all the rules. All the sensible rules that mean that we should be able to read it. We should-- know what the cost is. Sensible rules like that. They just throw out the window.

(THIS IS HOW THE REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP IS RUNNING THE HOUSE AS A ONE PARTY TOTALITARIAN STATE - NO CHANCE TO READ THE BUDGET, EVALUATE IT OR DEBATE IT.__JW)


MARIA HINOJOSA: So just what is Congress doing to deal with the deficit? Not much according to Cooper. While cutting all those social programs we mentioned earlier, Congress is making even greater cuts in taxes, many of which will benefit the wealthy. And since the tax breaks outweigh the spending cuts, it doesn't reduce the deficit at all.

Here's how it looks on paper. Congress has split the legislation into two parts — considering the spending cuts in one bill and the tax cuts in others. In the House of Representatives, that means 50 billion in spending cuts, including cuts in many programs for the poor, but $95 billion in tax cuts, many of which benefit the wealthy.

Of course, the Republicans will say they are just trying to "stimulate the economy". What they seem to forget is, if businesses find they can't sell their products, because people don't have enough after tax income to buy more product (the economy and demand for workers, is built on growing demand for prducts and services, not remaining static) then no matter how much MORE disposable income the top 2% retain after the additional tax cuts for them (which Republicans want to make permanent) the rich will have no place to invest all that extra money (maybe that's why luxury homes are selling so hot, because the wealthy do not see that many investment opportunities in the stock market) and the economy will not grow that much.

You have to have demand for products and services for businesses to grow and want to expand. THAT'S the way you create economic growth (and yes, investment opportunities for wealthy Republicans).


If you think the Corporate Media are falling down on their job by not covering this story go the Congress.org/media guide and email the networks and suggest they try being real News operations instead of just reporting the news the Bush administration (Dick Cheney) deems acceptable for the people to hear about. And tell them this is why more and more people are flocking to the web and turning off the evening news to find out what's really going on. Then, tell them from me, they can shove their evening news programs up their ... No don't say that , I'll tell them that myself.

[Selatius]

1. The Rules Committee needs to be abolished

Any room that does not see the light of day or the eyes of the public is no room that laws should be passed in.

[unblock]

7. the rules committee is essential

without it, it's like running a project without a project manager or a schedule.

what DOES need to change is the way banana republicans do business, and their abuse of the proper practices of the rules committee is but one example of their myriad abuses of power.

[RufusEarl]

2. I understand how the Repugs have done this,

but why would any Dem vote yes to this bill without reading it first. My point is vote NO damn it, it's pretty simple in my mind. Dem's didn't have to vote yes just because they got a bill, and just to be on the safe side vote NO!! on all republican bills it's pretty safe to say it would be the correct vote.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

3. because what you'll hear in the campaign is

"mah 'ponent voted agin the troops. Why does he hate 'Murka?"

[unblock]

6. "you wouldn't sign something they won't let me read" sounds pretty good

if it's right, there's usually a way to defend it.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

8. Oh, you one a' them readin' boys, huh?

Well, intelligent design is good enough for me.

[JohnWxy]

5. The fact that they have to vote one way or the other without really

knowing what they are voting on is AN OUTRAGE. THIS IS WHAT THE REPUBLICANS HAVE WROUGHT. AND this is a story that should be reported on by MSM. Two hours to look at a Bill! I think it would be good if a few more people knew about this.

I really think we need to start sending our complaints about MSM to the networks.

It's good to come on DU and other sites to find out what others have found and keep informed and give our opinions. But we must also do more than that. We need to start emailing (congress.org makes it easy) MSM and representatives to let them know we are out here.

There really is more to citizenhip than just voting in the presidential elections and complaining about the situation were in. Send your thoughts to the MSM and to your representatives. We can make a difference - but we have to speak up and assert ourselves.

[mdmc]

4. one big happy party

with the gop in charge, and the dlc enabling.:kick: thank you for this report.