Republican Procedural Tactics Throw Mothers Under the Bus

Posted by Julia , Firedoglake at 12:29 PM on May 11, 2008.

Harking back to this morning's pyrrhic Republican stand against motherhood

Republicans, unhappy with the Democratic majority, have been using such procedural tactics as this all week to bring the House to a standstill, but the assault on mothers may have gone too far. House Minority Leader John Boehner, asked yesterday to explain why he and 177 of his colleagues switched their votes, answered: "Oh, we just wanted to make sure that everyone was on record in support of Mother's Day."

...

The majority has taken, once again, their go-it-alone policy," Boehner lamented yesterday. "It's time for Democrats and Republicans to work together."

To induce this working together, Boehner decided to stop the House from working at all. As House Democrats tried to pass legislation to ease the mortgage crisis on Wednesday, Republicans served up hours of procedural delays, demanding a score of roll call votes: 10 motions to adjourn, half a dozen motions to reconsider, various and sundry amendments, a motion to approve the daily journal, a motion to instruct and a "motion to rise."

The high point came just after 6 p.m., when, after one of the motions to adjourn, 61 members lined up to change their votes, one by one. Forty-six went from aye to no, while 15 changed from no to aye. The maneuver ate up 28 minutes in all -- and caused an eruption by Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, who accused the minority of a "filibuster by vote changing."

Yes, they have been doing this all week, but they didn't start this week, and this is hardly the worst case. I'll see you mothers, and raise you grandmothers, grandfathers, children, grandchildren, a widow, and holocaust survivors

Republicans are outraged. Democrats are putting forward a resolution holding White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten and former White House Counsel Harriet Miers in contempt of Congress. House GOP rank-and-file are planning a dramatic walk out when the vote is called.

Democrats are affronted. Right in the middle of the Statuary Hall service for the late Tom Lantos, a Republican went to the floor -- just steps from the solemn proceedings -- and called a procedural vote, apparently out of pique.

On the right, the Lantos memorial service. On the left, the House filing in to respond to a bullshit procedural vote

So why'd you want to do a thing like that?

Why, to protect the president, that's why.

Democrats angrily denounced the GOP as insensitive for calling a "motion to adjourn" — essentially a dilatory tactic — while dignitaries were still giving tributes to Lantos, a Holocaust survivor who was chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee. But Republican aides shot back quickly, saying it was Democrats who broke an agreement to keep the House in recess during the memorial service.

To some extent, it appears both sides are at fault, but the recriminations have been fast and furious.

"The disrespect that has been shown by a Republican member of Congress in calling a political procedural motion during the memorial service for the late Chairman Tom Lantos is incomprehensible," said Stacey Bernards, a spokeswoman for House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.). "It is unjustifiable, and Republican leaders should restrict their members from further such action."

A senior Republican aide, however, said the GOP was given no choice in asking for a vote because Democrats broke their commitment to keep the House in recess during the memorial service. Democrats are pushing a contempt vote against White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten and former Bush counsel Harriet Miers, and have bypassed traditional rules allowing an hour of debate on the matter, according to Jo Maney, a spokeswoman for Republicans on the House Rules Committee.

Well, that's some collegial, post-partisan shit right there.

Funny. I don't remember the Democrats behaving like that while the Republicans shut them out completely over the last six years. As a matter of fact, there are issues (like, say, FISA or war funding) where I still think they could be showing a bit more feist.

So what's got Ol' Saddle Face and the desperado caucus up in arms this time??

US House set to pass sweeping housing rescue bill

Reuters - May 6, 2008

By Patrick Rucker WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The US House of Representatives is due on Wednesday to begin debating a housing rescue package that could see the ...

Bush threatens veto of housing aid
The Associated Press - May 6, 2008
WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House on Tuesday threatened a veto of Democrats' broad housing rescue plan, calling it a burdensome bailout that would open ...

Conflict over housing crisis threatens rescue package

The Associated Press - May 7, 2008

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Bush and Congress are clashing over how to address the housing crisis, clouding the prospects of an election-year rescue package ...

House GOP Rallies At White House

CBS News, NY - May 7, 2008

By Daniel W. Reilly (The Politico) Seeking to put a spate of bad news behind them, House Republicans headed over to the White House on Wednesday morning, ...

Conflict over housing crisis threatens rescue package

San Luis Obispo Tribune, CA - May 7, 2008

By JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS AP Writer AP Photo President Bush flanked by House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, right, and House Republican Whip Roy ...

White House threatens veto of FHA-rescue bill

CNNMoney.com - May 7, 2008

The House takes up a housing bill with sweeteners meant to reel in Republicans who have called its main provision a bailout. The White House isn't biting. ...

On the other hand, you've got a party at a fundraising, party identification, polling, and let's face it, candidate disadvantage, and your own seat is at stake. What do you do?

House Approves $300B Housing Aid Bill

Smartmoney.com - 23 hours ago

By Michael R. Crittenden WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- US House Democrats, joined by Republicans from states hard hit by the foreclosure crisis, voted Thursday ...

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New York Times, United States - 17 hours ago

By DAVID M. HERSZENHORN WASHINGTON — Hoping to throw a rescue line to at least half a million families in danger of losing their homes, ...

You're in the leadership, on the other hand, this looks very bad indeed. You don't want the guy your party is stapled to have to veto some voter's hopes of keeping their houses.

So, you do what you always do. You fume and rage and stomp your feet and delay and make threats and you wait for the Democrats to back down.

Only this time they don't.

So then what happens?

Any one of a stream of former White House patsies could have told you that.

White House leaves door open on housing rescue

Reuters - 1 hour ago

By Kevin Drawbaugh WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House on Friday set out terms for a possible deal on a housing market rescue plan, as a sweeping package ...

Imagine that.

More like this, please.

and hey - happy mother's day

Tagged as: mothers, gop, congress