Nothing Doing In Congress

Schieffer: Democrats And Republicans Have Kept Bad Things From Happening By Not Doing Anything

(CBS)  Weekly commentary by CBS Evening News chief Washington correspondent and Face the Nation host Bob Schieffer.

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Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made a speech the other day in which he bragged that even though Republicans are the minority, they had kept many bad things from happening.

Well, that's just the half of it.

With the help of the Democratic majority, they have managed to keep much of anything from happening, good or bad.

Who says there's nothing that two sides can't accomplish together? Of course there is - doing nothing.

Congress ran to the airport Friday for yet another break - they're taking two weeks this year for Thanksgiving. I wouldn't ask how many days you're taking because that would be a digression.

But my question is this: What do the following have in common?

Legislation to provide health insurance for children, education legislation, energy legislation, the farm bill, funding the Iraq war, and legislation funding all federal agencies except the Pentagon next year.

The answer is: All of them are stalled in Congress, awaiting final action, tangled in the gridlock that the Republicans blame on the Democrats and the Democrats blame on the Republicans.

Breaking the gridlock won't be easy. After all, once Congress gets back from the Thanksgiving break, Christmas vacation will be just weeks away.

I've heard all the excuses so many times, I've stopped listening. All I know is Congress continues to bring new meaning to that old phrase: nothing doing.

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[jetranger7]

Ya, and the Republigoons have had 7-years to fix some major problems (the border) and they''ve done nothing or next to it ! They have managed to drive up the nations deficit, allow more illegals in, make air travel a complete and utter joke with their half azzed security were finding out now,lied to us all as were now finding out, and managed to get approx. 3500 troops killed, when we could of just NUKED them over there and saved us the hassle !

[mistered9]

Cross is getting like GW Bush, taking a vacation every month.
But then wgat do you expect when one side doesn''t have the vote to pass anything. It''s time to get a majority and get something done. Democrat that si.

[mistered9]

A Few mistakes befor the finger attacked the go.
Congress and whatand is. Sorry about that.

[teka10-2009]

If you think Some Republicans are soft on illegal immigration...............exactly who do you think the Democrats have been representing in the year they have controlled Congress?

Three MAJOR amnesty assults. Four Dream Act Assults by Sen. Durbin. Two Ag. amnesty assults by Diane Feinstien and larry Craig. Loosening I.D. requirements in the passed SCHIP bill to enable illegal aliens to get free health care...Kids up to age 25..oh and their parents...oh and all pregnant women. But it is just about the kids???
The Ag bill they have not rammed through which contains legal food stamps for illegal aliens plus legal public housing. And the Dr. Lic. panzer attack to get them for illegals..NY is a drive through voting state...Sen. Schmur..Sen. Hillary Clinton.....................Hmmmmmmmmmm.

AND every last one of the Democratic Contenders has said "Comprehensive Immigration Reform" will be passed First thing in their administration. Reform meaning Amnesty.
Get REal.

[teka10-2009]

Jeff Ranger who said the Republicans let more illegals in. Wrong. George Bush did and he is not a Republican. He is a corporate NeoCon and they have them in the Democratic Party too. He let in about Five Million. No one is even thinking with charging him with doing anything wrong. Does that not make you wonder about the Democrats?

Sen. Kennedy was reported on in the Hill as trying to change our Voting Laws. He wanted to make any USA citizen who told any illegal alien that it was illegal for them to vote....the USA citizen would be fined and could go to jail for up to five years. For intimidating a protected group of people under one of his Hate Crimes Bill...I think. I don''t what made the arrogant Elitist do but he backed off when liberal bloggers and such were shocked.

Why is no one not investigating him? Because his name is Kennedy?

[one_american]

This is your "mandate of the people", Bob Schieffer.

If the Democrats were a basketball team, the only play they would ever run is the "stall", and no points would ever show on the scoreboard.

This is what liberal Democrats wanted, and voted for.

Nothing.

[teka10-2009]

And Speaking of the Democrats...the Fury they are spewing over the defeat of the Driver''s License for illegal aliens panzer attack in NY at Lou Dobbs is ....well, read a bit in a Liberal ''Vanity Fair'' James Wolcote wrote it (Father Dobbs) and this is how he writes and on and on and on.....

"Although the conservative bloggers and talk-radio caterwaulers, tweaking their nipples and twirling their jockstraps, indulged in yet another orgy of triumphalism as they inflated the magnitude of their heroic role in murdering this bill in its cradle (overcome with vapors, National Review Online contributor Mark Krikorian compared the bill''s defeat to General Washington''s staunch performance at the Battle of Monmouth, in 1778), it was the anti-Establishment establishmentarians of the mainstream media, in the persons of Dobbs and MSNBC commentator Pat Buchanan, who were the true picadors, pricking this bipartisan package as an "amnesty" bill to the frustration of its advocates and drawing first blood. "Pitchfork Pat" Buchanan''s nativism has always been a " and on and on and on."

Such is the fury of the Imperial Elite who rule..did rule...the USA when peons rise up and bother their GRAND PLANS.

The hatred spewed in that article is what passes for "literary works'' these days.

[bill1fj]

Neither party does anything except talk.
We have wars going on that we either need to go in and win or get out. Quit playing politics with our men and womens life''s.
We have over 20 million illegal aliens here. Lets send them home, and fine and/or jail anyone that hires illegals. Enforce the laws.
Our health care, education, and infra structure all need work. FIX IT NOW!
Quit playing politics and get to work.

[walt1944-2009]

The Great Emperor Bush is upset that Congress has taken a 2 week "vacation" for Thanksgiving with so much work to be done on drafting legislation that HE wants and will not VETO. Naturally, the Great Emperor will also be taking a lengthy vacation, but that is besides the point.

What is important is that Congress will get busy and pass the legislation HE WANTS AND DEMANDS, not the legislation that the people of the USSA want. At the top of the list is the additional borrowed money required to continue the wars for "democracy" in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as the money needed for the preparations for the invasion of Iran.

Everything else, including SCHIPS, the Farm Bill, education, and other "wasteful" social programs are irrelevant, and all the talk of impeachment of either himself or VP Darth Vader Cheney will never happen!

SIG HEIL, BUSH!!!

[teka10-2009]

The Longer they stay at home.............the LESS they bother us.They pass laws. Laws which are six and seven hundred pages long. Laws written by coporate lobbyists, social-racial-relgious groups, Immigration Lawyers, The USA Chamber of Commerce, LaRaza and on and on. And written in Legalize...lawyer talk not meant to be understood..with an exception to exception on every paragraphy...they ram them through the House and the Senate...NO DEBATE...NO AMENDMENTS...FEW EVEN READ the LEGAL DOCUMENTS which are longer than GONE WITH THE WIND...then they vote on a Party Line...and we have a NEW HATE CRIMES BILL or whatever.

I say let them stay home. And I also say that if it were not for 33 Republican Senators and 7 Democrat senators............WHO have stopped the Amnesty Machine..we would be in deeper do do than we are in now.

Mr. Schiffer helped gin up the Iraqi War. His opinion no longer counts to me on anything.

[teka10-2009]

One Good Senator David Vitters of Louisiana

It seems that the Mexican Govt. decided to open up an office and give Mexican Matricular I.D. cards...which can only be used by Illegal Aliens...which are illegal in the USA but Banks, Emplouyers and our Govt. recongize them anyway...and they advertise that come one illegal, come all illegals, get your card.
After Haliburton, Brown and Root, left New Orleans..they their illegal help too. 87% of new births are to illegal parents.

So Vitters calls for ICE to come arrest these people. They know they are there. They know they are in the nation illegaly. They know a foreign govt. is interfering in USA policy...come arrest them.

If that had been said and done five years ago we would not be in this mess.
Best Person in the World....Sen. David Vitters.

[teka10-2009]

Raise your hand if the Bush Administration, ICE, DHS, Michael Chertoff will send even one agent to arrest even one Illegal Alien.
The Paper did report that the Mexican Govt. had slunk out of town.
I think the Card Fair went Kaput because ONE SENATOR called them on it.

Can you see Hillary Clinton doing that? Joe Biden? John Edwards? Richard Lugar?

[tylenol6]

Pelosi, Reid and the rest of the IDIOTS in congress should be FIRED. They are all a disgrace to the american people. The democrats and republicans have SOLD OUT the american people!!!!!! VOTE ALL THESE IDIOTS OUT!!!!!!! VOTE RON PAUL....IF YOU WANT CHANGE. The top 6 candidates the media wants you to hear about, will most likely keep the war going. Do your research on these
candidates and do not listen to what the media tells
you.

[Netterz]

They have taken the power they have been given to ''interpret'' the law, as thinking they can change our laws to suit the needs of any whining Corp of America, and every non-American. Let them stay home for good, we could balance the deficit with one year of all there combined wages and benefits. All that dribbles from there mouths and pens is bull$hit anyways.

[rayuk-2009]

For six years the Republican congress gave Bush everything he wanted. That is why Bush did not veto a single bill during that period. Now those same Republicans are a minority and have become obstructionists to any Bill the Democrats try to pass with a veto proof majority. They are the reason that Congress has such a low approval rating. They did nothibg about the minimum wage and assured that Bush would veto the health plan for children. The way to fix the problem is to clean house in 2008, starting with Mitch(money bags)McConnell.

[lizardbate]

Like I just said last week, American people wake up quit voting for these fools and clean them out of Washington durig the next election. Show your representatives you are tired of buying a "pig in the poke", send people to ewashington who will do something, whether is democrat or republican. Also, request term limits for congress, 2 years at most, with the option of throwing his but out after 1 year for failure to perform.

[antoniof123]

I want you to realize that it is not about them any more it is about who is the decider. The Republican party or for that matter any party or WE THE PEOPLE.

WE THE PEOPLE should not stand for the decider any longer if he won''t change and his party keep staying the course then remove them all next election and the one after and the one after that. Enought already with who is the decider WE THE PEOPLE decide the direction of this country.

Remember if you think that WE THE PEOPLE are not the decider then vote accordinly.

[Please and Thank You]

I want to know if the Secretary of Defence is responsible for the millions of tax dollars in arms in Iraq that are missing? I do not want to hear a political answer I want a YES or NO answer. And if it is yes what can we the people of the United States do? Congress has it''s hands tied and the White House could careless. As long as haliburton is getting their cut. Please does anyone know what we can do?

[roger3815]

I can''t help be reflect back on the Republican demands that the filibuster be ended two years ago. Seems they are singing a different tune these days.

[brianbwb-2009]

"Schieffer: Democrats And Republicans Have Kept Bad Things From Happening By Not Doing Anything"

Brian: Shieffer Must Think that 4,000 Dead US Soldiers, And The Looting Of The US Treasury, The Mass Murder, The Bombing, Kidnapping, Torture, Rape, And Dislocation Of Millions Of Innocent Iraqis Resulting From Lies By The Bush Klan Is A Good Thing.

Nazi.

[pastdue1]

The Democrat leadership is to put it bluntly.. COWARDS AND CHICKENSH*TS
Posted by airmanc5 at 09:07 PM : Nov 18, 2007

You may pick out the Democrats as being C & C, and you are half right. Half right, because the Republicans are also, C & C. It is time for this C & C congress to hold itself accountable. It is time for the main stream press to do its job; to force the C & C congress to take responsibility for all the shady "little" things they try to put over on the American public. It is time that all "pork barrel" contributers be made visably public, over and over again; it is time that all bills be explained by the press, including the items that guarantee a bill will not "go" , but a bill that is only intended for "news fodder". The press has continually failed the public during this Congress and this administration.
It is almost impossible to have an informed citizenry, the backbone of democracy, when there is no free press to guarantee it.

[rowdytexan2]

I would like for someone to go back and scrutinize all the legislation passed by the Bush administration since its inception. It is riddled with tax breaks for the corporates and elite. It seems I remember one unremarkable tax break that gave middle class families like a $600 tax break per family, which at the time made him look like some kind of hero. Fools! Everyone then turned then head and let him pass anything else he wanted to without scrutiny.

He did the same thing in Texas! Fooled every one of you!

Vote republican again, and vote your country into the most corrupt third world dictatorship in history.

[clestes-2009]

Well, Congress is finally doing something right. They are listening to the American people. The majority of Americans do NOT support giving more money without timelines.

Only time will tell if they continue to listen.

[garyws1]

you''ve got to love Mr. Schieffer.....usually spot-on.....LOL.....

[adventurepa]

The truth is the elected officials know that most people are not going to leave their jobs to protest anything. Take vacation to write a letter, or pay attention to what has been going on in washington.

They know you are not going to stand up for your rights. They know you enjoy driving your car and living in your house, even if it is pay check to pay check..

When there is a march on washington the president and politians leave town or go on vacation.

Nothing is ever going to change much until, we the people, take back our government.

Not even an illegal war, looting of our tresury, or all the other illegal things happening in washington will make a difference.

We have no one to blame except ourselfs for the way things are now.

Not until someone can rally the people behind them like Martin Luther or a very large group of college students march on capital Hill will we ever see the great change that is needed in this country.

[oscarez]

Better to have gridlock than a Republican congress that passes every bill that Bush likes. Gridlock is OK for the next year.

[oscarez]

"Not until someone can rally the people behind them like Martin Luther or a very large group of college students march on capital Hill will we ever see the great change that is needed in this country."

The only thing that will rally the people and change the system is another Great Depression. As long as people have a credit card and a job they are in their comfort zone.

[jerr11]

Bush does not understand what is compromise.

It''s his way or the highway.

With crapbrains like his, gridlock is what we need.

[tejasdemo]

I love the gridlock. Bush should get nothing. I am sick and tired of the minority view ruling the direction of my country.

[tylenol6]

All the democrats and ALL of the rebulicans should be
booted out of office. THAT GOES FOR SELLOUT PELOSI AND
REID who are 2 of the biggest losers. I have no idea
how these IDIOTS in congress get elected.

[jm12997]

Schieffer claims that this is a do-nothing Congress (true), claims that he''s "heard the excuses from both sides," and concludes that both are guilty. It''s a classic example of talking head laziness. Just as with evolution and global warming, the media claim that if they present "both sides" uncritically, then they are doing their job. (I await a similar "controversy" on the shape of the Earth: is it spheroid or flat? Stay tuned, film at 11.)

What Schieffer fails to report on is the Republican filibuster obstruction tactic, which suddenly, in the 110th Congress, is no longer being called a filibuster by Schieffer and his ilk in the corporate media.

As of 2007-11-16, there have been 56 cloture votes (attempts to end a filibuster) in the 110th Congress. That%u2019s less than halfway through the tenure of the 110th, and it%u2019s just 5 short of the 61 in the ENTIRE 107th Congress, which itself was the largest number since at least 1973 (and maybe ever). That doesn%u2019t count the additional _threatened_ filibusters from Republicans. If trends continue, the Senate will have 136 cloture votes by the end of the 110th Congress, making the Republicans of the 110th the heavyweight filibuster champions.

Schieffer could have reported on the actual facts around this "do-nothing" Congress and Republican obstructionism. But that would have required him to, you know, practice journalism.

[jm12997]

I mentioned in my last post that Schieffer and his ilk in the corporate media now fail to call a filibuster a filibuster. Now, all of a sudden, the Senate "needs 60 votes" to get anything done - it''s always been that way, right? No. Only if the opposition party filibusters EVERYTHING. There was lots of discussion about Democratic filibusters, and filibuster threats, in the 109th Congress, as well as the Republicans threatening the so-called "nuclear option" and dismantling filibusters entirely. Now there''s only mysterious silence (partially because the feckless Democrats fail to make an issue of it.

As Trent Lott told Roll Call in April, "The strategy of being obstructionist can work or fail,... and so far it''s working for us."

I recommend Norman Ornstein''s July analysis on the American Enterprise Institute website (yes, that''s the highly conservative American Enterprise Institute). Link:

http://www.aei.org/publications/filter.all,pubID.26506/pub_detail.asp

Quote: " This is a very different year, one on a record-shattering pace for cloture votes, one where the threat of filibuster has become routinized in a way we have not seen before. As Congressional Quarterly pointed out last week, we already have had 40 cloture votes in six-plus months; the record for a whole two-year Congress is 61."

More at the link. Definitely worth a read.

[jm12997]

More from Ornstein at the American Enterprise Institute:

For Reid, the past six months have been especially frustrating because... Republicans have adopted a tactic of refusing to negotiate time agreements on a wide range of legislation, something normally done in the Senate via unanimous consent, with the two parties setting a structure for debate and amendments. Of course, many of the breakdowns have been on votes related to the Iraq War,... [on which] the Republican leaders long ago decided to try to block the Democrats at every turn to negate any edge the majority might have to seize the agenda, force the issue and put President Bush on the defensive.

But the obstructionist tactics have gone well beyond Iraq, to include things such as the 9/11 commission recommendations and the increase in the minimum wage, intelligence authorization, prescription drugs and many other issues.

Minority Leader Mitch McConnell... and his deputy, Minority Whip Trent Lott ... have instead decided to create a very different standard in the Senate than we have seen before, with 60 votes now the norm for nearly all issues, instead of the exception. In our highly polarized environment, where finding the center is a desirable outcome, that is not necessarily a bad thing. But a closer examination of the way this process has worked so far suggests that more often than not, the goal of the Republican leaders is to kill legislation or delay it interminably, not find a middle and bipartisan ground.

[kansas1946]

Who says there''s nothing that two sides can''t accomplish together? Of course there is - doing nothing.
*************************
LOL. I agree. Remember when Newt was speaker and they were having that big battle over the budget and Washington shut down for a few days because they couldn''t come to an agreement? Well, I think that is one of the few times in the last 30 years that I really slept soundly. I knew I didn''t to worry about the Washington idiots pulling some stunt while I slept. I wish they were only in session about three months. That would be much better for America.

[kansas1946]

Hey, Kentucky,...if we have to look and listen to that weak-chinned, mealy-mouthed, POS McConnell after he comes up for reelection, we''''re coming over there and kick your a$$e$,....
Sincerely,
America

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Posted by veteran71 at 08:47 PM : Nov 19, 2007
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vet, I am glad I am not the only one that just about throws up everytime I see this guy. He is the smarmiest little weasle. I just doubt the sanity of those people in Kentucky if they keep electing this guy. I thought Kentuckians were like tough mountain people, real down-to-earth Americans, so how this little bespeckled nerd that would probably get lost in a hedgerow appeals to them, I am at a loss to understand.

[knyghtwolf]

All three branchs remind me of The He-Man Woman Haters club from the Little Rascals series. None of the weenie three get anything done, just stupid posturing, strutting, preening, sort of like a stinky old chicken coop full of old hens and stoic old roosters. Mel Gibson, make a movie about the government, Call it The Little Rascals go to Washington....all grown up.

[usbrit-2009]

Hopefully by this time next year the Democrats will hold both houses by 2/3 margins and the presidency. Then we''ll see real decision making. The repugs might as well stay in their limos in the parking lot.

[rowdytexan2]

GOOD! I hope this Congress doesn''t send a bill for Bush to sign, except that''s absolutely necessary to keep the government running. We don''t want any more bills sent back to be written HIS way. Screw him and render him powerless.

Just keep sending him the war funding bill with a troop withdrawal on it. That''s all that needs to be done right now.

We can just drive the car we''ve got until he gets out of office.