Somebody get me a bucket!

[Red Knight]

I'm gonna vomit.

The Repukes on C-Span have spent the last couple of hours crying about fiscal responsibility. Oh----the horrible Democrats are going to raise taxes(boo-hoo)they're going to run up the deficet, break the budget, blah, blah, blah.

Oh--and when the little issue of the trillion dollar war comes up they get all patriotic about how this was not our choice--we were attacked by these people(apparentrly they mean the Iraqis) and they threaten our way of life(I guesss they mean the superwealthy) and blah-blah-blah.

They weren't worried a bit about Ted Stevens bridges---perhaps that's also a way to fight terrorists. But now they are frothing at the mouth and screaming for fiscal responsibility against the horrible tax and spend Dems.

What a circus.

[CrispyQ]

1. How they can be so blind to their own hypocrisy amazes me.

Who, exactly, has been running up the deficit the last 6.5 years?

Welcome to DU, Red Knight! :hi:

[Fridays Child]

2. Trust me. They're not blind to it, at all. It's a big game to them.

And the only rule is greed.

[badgerpup]

3. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, things are REALLY piling up...

House Grudgingly Accepts a Pay Raise, as Usual

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/27/AR2007062702790.html?referrer=email&referrer=email&referrer=email&referrer=email

Democrats have for weeks been privately wringing their hands over whether to accept an automatic 2.5 percent pay increase, fretting that the raise may appear inconsistent with their campaign promises.

But last night, the House made its peace with it, rejecting a bid to block the automatic cost-of-living raise of about $4,400 on a 244 to 181 vote.

After engineering a minimum-wage increase, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer reportedly endorsed the pay raise. (Nikki Kahn - The Washington Post)

(snip)

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, with Emanuel at the helm last year, ran ads attacking Republicans for accepting automatic pay increases while voting against a minimum-wage increase -- a move that infuriated the GOP. "There has been an unspoken agreement between the parties that the leadership could bring the pay raise up and allow people to vote their conscience, but the members would not use it as a campaign issue," said one GOP aide, adding that Republicans are still mighty angry.

The cost-of-living increases for Congress are automatic by permanent law, and have for years been in the fine print of an appropriations bill, which also gives civil servants a COLA increase. Having the measure lumped with other legislation insulates the members from specifically voting on a raise just for themselves.

Members must actively vote to block the raise to stop it. As he has in the past, Democrat Jim Matheson of Utah moved to hold a direct vote to block the increase -- and his motion was defeated by a majority of both parties, as it has been in the past. The vote ends up being the only public record for members on the issue.

So by voting against Matheson's proposal last night, the House gave itself a pay raise.

"If you and I sat down and read the bill, we probably couldn't even find the language that authorizes the raises," said Matheson, who also gives his increase to charity. "I think it is important that we have an up-or-down vote just on the raise -- that what we do is transparent. It shouldn't be buried in an appropriations bill."

The issue was so touchy for Democrats that all staff was kicked out of a recent leadership meeting where it was discussed, sources say.

(more)

[hialeah]

5. Well I just sent a rant to Dem. Committee...

I am furious with the Democrats in Congress - they ARE in the majority and only 181 voted against the pay raise. This is my rant to the Dem. Party Headquarters:

Do you not think that, perhaps, the $4400 dollars added to the salary for each House member might be better spent on helping people who have seen their salaries/savings dwindle by leaps and bounds to secure health insurance?

Yes, I voted a complete Democratic ticket during the last election -- I believe that Unity 08 looks better and better each day.

I will not be voting the Democratic Ticket during the next election unless practices such as that mentioned above is STOPPED!!!

Don't bother sending me donation pleas, either.

[AndyA]

4. What I want to know is when the hell are they going to get called on their hypocrisy.

We know we can't depend on the media to do it, it's corporate serving, and the corporations love the GOP.

So, we need to get the Fairness Doctrine passed and updated. This will be a huge fight. There is nothing actually happening right now, and there's already a little uproar over the possibility.

Then hopefully our media will be forced to start asking tough questions of the Republicans again, instead of not challenging them at all.

[Bitwit1234]

6. They have to start...they are trying to bash the dems for the election coming up.

they want to try to stick all this deficit bush has run up on the democrats. They know how quick the public forgets. If they can put this 8 trillion dollars off on the democrats they think they might have a chance in 08..