Not Quite Enough Rope
But a game try as House GOP lends Kucinich (D-Roswell) a hand with Cheney impeachment, attempts to ignite Dem petard. The Hill:
House Republicans on Tuesday nearly forced Democratic leaders to vote on a resolution to impeach Vice President Cheney.
Anti-war presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) introduced a privileged resolution, used to circumvent the committee process, to get his impeachment measure to the House floor.
The vote to kill Kucinch’s privileged resolution began as a largely party-line affair, but halfway through the vote, Rep. John Shadegg (R-Ariz.) persuaded Republican leaders to get rank-and-file GOP lawmakers to change their votes to force the debate.
…
House Republicans clearly enjoyed watching Democratic leaders squirm during the series of votes, which lasted more than one hour.
“The determination was made that if Democrats are going to waste time and resources with a resolution like this, then it should be thoroughly debated,” said Brian Kennedy, the spokesman for Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio), adding that the charges against Cheney were “ludicrous.”
Nadeam Elshami, a spokesman for Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), accused Republicans of “wasting time.”
“They’re voting to impeach the vice president. What does that say about the support for President Bush in the Republican Conference?” he added, trying to put the best face on a situation Democratic leaders had wanted to avoid.
What happened next exposed the ideological fissures in the Democratic Caucus. Kucinich stared down Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), who has been critical of the war but does not want to get bogged down in a political impeachment quagmire. Pelosi has taken the same stance.
Big queston. Does this mean that Cheney-Bush regime didn’t lie, people didn’t die, or simply that Party of Surrender … surrenders? That’s a little harsh, I know. Mandate holders did manage to accomplish something yesterday:
Hoyer and Democratic leaders succeeded by a 218-194 vote to get a majority of Democrats to stop further debate. The House then voted by the same margin to send Kucinich’s resolution to the House Judiciary Committee, where it will be left to languish and die.
Toothless resolutions, doomed veto battles aside, Dems don’t believe in silly games.
“This administration has approximately 12 months to 14 months to go. We have some major priorities. We believe that we need to pursue those policies and focus on those policies,” Hoyer said.
In a separate statement, Hoyer called the debate “a continuation of Republicans’ gotcha games that achieve nothing more than short-term entertainment for themselves, while showing their disdain for the importance of the people’s business.”
Added Hoyer: “This episode has served to demonstrate once again the absence of a real Republican agenda for the American people.”
Translation: I know you are, but what am I?
Topics: pols
Posted by Jules Crittenden at 10:12 am Comments (7) on Wednesday, November 7, 2007
7 Responses to “Not Quite Enough Rope”
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November 7th, 2007 at 10:47 am
I found it very interesting that at least one sponsor of the bill voted FOR impeachment when it appeared that the bill would be tabled, and then changed his vote to be AGAINST impeachment when it appeared the bill might actually pass.
Who was this staunch supporter of Truth, Justice, and The American Way?
Jim McDermott, the unofficial pre-war Democratic envoy to Baghdad.
November 7th, 2007 at 12:32 pm
This ridiculous gesture is final proof positive that Dennis Kucinich is not fit to sit (or even stand) in the US House of Representatives.
Even one of Dennis’ not particularly esteemed colleagues Alcee Hastings (the impeached federal judge from Florida) said something to the effect yesterday that Dennis’ elevator didn’t go all the way to the top.
(so, I paraphrase)
November 7th, 2007 at 1:27 pm
Web Reconnaissance for 11/07/2007
A short recon of whats out there that might draw your attention, updated throughout the day…so check back often.
November 7th, 2007 at 3:10 pm
Jeez, Jules, I missed your little pun the first time around. “Kucinich (D-Roswell)”, indeed!!!!! LOL!
November 7th, 2007 at 5:06 pm
More interesting than Dennis Kookcinish is Nadeam Elshami. Who is this person? How much influence does he/she have with Nancy Pelosi’s Democratic Party? I want to know who’s working in the shadows to stir up all the sturm und drang.
November 7th, 2007 at 6:04 pm
RebeccaH says: I want to know who’s working in the shadows to stir up all the sturm und drang.”
George Soros.
I love how the Dhims bring this stuff up, then backpedal, then blame the Republicans for not being serious about the people’s business. The upside, aside from the entertainment value it provides, is that the more time they spend on crap like this, the less time they have to screw us over.
November 7th, 2007 at 10:15 pm
George Soros: the better dressed, richer, and Hungarian-accented version of Charlie Manson, and all the Democrats, 9/11 conspiracy theorists, and anti-war protest groups are his Manson family.