Huge heads up. More GOP tantruming...no hearings after 2 PM. So, let Colorado burn.

[MissMarple]

They are trying to shut down the government just to appease the craziest of the wing nuts.

If you click on the link, be sure to check out the comments. They can be scary making. Forest fires in Colorado are very serious. Very. They can be tsunami like, only things keep burning; homes, wildlife, people. This could be too big for the forest service et al to fight. And guess who lives across many of these areas, gun toting, anti government types.

http://coloradopols.com/

Summit County's state lawmakers are in the nation's capital today, testifying in support of legislation that would provide funding to address the mountain bark beetle epidemic.
State Sen. Dan Gibbs and State Rep. Christine Scanlan, both of whom represent Summit County, are lobbying U.S. senators in hopes of drumming up millions of dollars for western forests through the National Forest Insect and Disease Emergency Act.

"We both think it's a really positive bill for the state of Colorado and other Western states," Gibbs said.

The mountain pine beetle outbreak has affected 2.9 million acres of trees in Colorado. In Colorado and southern Wyoming combined, the total area infested totals 3.6 million acres - an area larger than the state of Connecticut. Gibbs cited estimates that every lodgepole pine tree in the state will be dead within a decade...

Coloradopols goes on to say:

"Well, we just got a press release from Sen. Mark Udall--this hearing never happened, and lots of upcoming hearings may not happen anytime soon from the read of it. Full text follows, says Sen. Udall, "Angry over the passage of health insurance reform legislation, Republican leaders are using an arcane rule, which requires the unanimous consent of Senators in both parties to agree to hearings scheduled after 2 p.m., and have objected to the bark beetle hearing and vowed not to cooperate with Democrats for the rest of the year." Well, we just got a press release from Sen. Mark Udall--this hearing never happened, and lots of upcoming hearings may not happen anytime soon from the read of it. Full text follows, says Sen. Udall, "Angry over the passage of health insurance reform legislation, Republican leaders are using an arcane rule, which requires the unanimous consent of Senators in both parties to agree to hearings scheduled after 2 p.m., and have objected to the bark beetle hearing and vowed not to cooperate with Democrats for the rest of the year."

Given Sen. Udall's often to-a-fault preference for bipartisanship and respectful verbiage, we find the title of his update, "Today's hearing canceled due to Republican Obstruction," fairly significant. We're also completely baffled by this new strategy from Republicans; do they really believe that intentionally paralyzing the government will make them more likable?"

[KILL THE WISE ONE]

1. does give them enough rope, apply here ?

[MissMarple]

2. Sadly, perhaps. Our downside is just so tragic to make such a point..

But, sometimes, that's what it takes.

[Robb]

3. Oh for fuck's sake. What babies. nt

[pnwmom]

4. So the Republicans are voting to put the Senate on an abbreviated daily schedule?

This should come back to haunt them, if we have any P.R. skills at all.

[Kablooie]

5. Unfortunately we don't, except for Obama. Democrats let Repubs say and do anything they want.

[MissMarple]

6. We'll see. If Mark Udall is concerned (angry) that's a big deal.

He is very even handed.

[riderinthestorm]

9. I said this on the other threads but why can't they just meet 5 am - 2 pm?

Of course blast the media with the Rethug obstructionist, petty scheduling bullshit but get the work done too.

One of the reasons people are so fed up with Congress is they DON'T get shit done. If the Dems simply changed the workday hours (and many Americans would LOVE those hours) they will garner tons of goodwill. The Dems should simply announce a schedule change. Emphasize they will do everything it takes to get the people's business done, despite Rethug petty shittiness.

[MissMarple]

10. Good idea. Very good idea.

If they can, the Dems are remiss if they don't. I wonder how difficult it is to change the hearings schedule.

[pnwmom]

14. I wondered the same thing. I think the rule also limits the number of hours

that can be worked without getting approval, and the number was very few (without joint approval).

[Kablooie]

7. Senate Commitee rules

5. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of the rules, when the Senate is in session, no committee of the Senate or any subcommittee thereof may meet, without special leave, after the conclusion of the first two hours after the meeting of the Senate commenced and in no case after two o'clock postmeridian unless consent therefor has been obtained from the majority leader and the minority leader (or in the event of the absence of either of such leaders, from his designee). The prohibition contained in the preceding sentence shall not apply to the Committee on Appropriations or the Committee on the Budget. The majority leader or his designee shall announce to the Senate whenever consent has been given under this subparagraph and shall state the time and place of such meeting. The right to make such announcement of consent shall have the same priority as the filing of a cloture motion.


So it's the minority leader that decides to shut down the Senate after 2:00

[MissMarple]

8. How pathetic, how impotent.

Thank you. :)

[Initech]

11. You know the real reason the teabaggers are going crazy? They're no longer relevant.

[MissMarple]

12. Like Y2Kers and the End times people?

I think they are many the same people. Paranoid, fearful, unbalanced, and scary pathetic all at the same time.

[Initech]

13. The types of minds that Beck / Rush / Coulter / Hannity, et al attract.