Senate Democratic leader drops nearly $1.3T spending bill

When we heard this afternoon that Senator Inhofe (R-OK) was going to lead the charge against the Omnibus Bill of Harry Reid's, we had to wonder what Reid was going to do.  His track record against Inhofe is not very good.  Now we learn tonight Reid is pulling back the bill and going to work for a continuing resolution until next year to keep the Government open.  All Republicans decided to stick together so the bill is dead and Reid pulled it back to save face!  Great night!  Now it is time for everyone in Congress to go home after the vote on the continuing resolution to celebrate Christmas with family and friends.  Nothing else needs to be voted on after that resolution.  Hope Reid has gotten a clue! 

Senate Democratic leader drops nearly $1.3T spending bill

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Associated Press 3
Published: December 16, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats controlling the Senate abandoned on Thursday a huge catchall spending measure combining nearly $1.3 trillion worth of unfinished budget work, including $158 billion for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Facing a midnight Saturday deadline when a stopgap funding measure expires, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said he would work with Republican leader Mitch McConnell to produce a bill to keep the federal government running into early next year.

The 1,924-page bill collapsed of its own weight after an outcry from conservatives who complained it was stuffed with more than $8 billion in homestate pet projects known as earmarks.

Reid, D-Nev., gave up on the bill after several Republicans who had been thinking of voting for it pulled back their support. McConnell, R-Ky., threw his weight against the bill in recent days, saying it was "unbelievable" that Democrats would try to muscle through in the days before Christmas legislation that usually takes months to debate.

"Just a few weeks after the voters told us they don't want us rushing major pieces of complicated, costly, far-reaching legislation through Congress, we get this," McConnell said. "This is no way to legislate."

The turn of events was a major victory for earmark opponents like Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Tom Coburn, R-Okla., who for years have been steamrolled by the old-school members of the powerful Appropriations Committee.

The spending barons saw their power ebb in the wake of midterm elections that delivered major gains for Republicans — with considerable help from anti-spending tea party activists.

"We just saw something extraordinary on the floor of the United States Senate," a grinning McCain said.

The $1.27 trillion catchall bill wrapped together 12 bills — blending $1.1 trillion for the operating budgets of every federal agency with an infusion of funding to carry the war in Afghanistan into its 10th year — into a single foot-tall piece of legislation that Democrats had hoped to pass with just a couple of days' worth of debate.

It was designed to bankroll the day-to-day operations of the government for the budget year that started Oct. 1, funding the almost one-third of the federal budget that Congress has to pass each year.

The House and Senate typically spend months on the 12 annual spending bills, but Democrats didn't bring even a single one to the Senate floor this year, an unprecedented collapse of an appropriations process.

The sinking of the bill was a setback for President Barack Obama, who supported it despite provisions to block the Pentagon from transferring Guantanamo Bay prisoners to the United States and fund a program to develop a second engine for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, which the administration says is a waste of money.

Just Thursday, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates made a public push for the omnibus measure at an appearance at the White House, saying that operating under a stopgap measure frozen at current levels would be a major hardship for the Pentagon.

McConnell had earlier quietly backed the effort to produce the legislation, which had significant input from Republicans on the Appropriations panel.

But release of the bill on Tuesday sparked an outcry among the GOP's conservative political base. Senate Republicans held two combative closed-door meetings in which the rank-and-file turned up the heat on those few Republicans who were considering voting for the bill.

Republicans were also irate that the measure contained money to begin implementation of Obama's controversial health care law and a financial overhaul measure that all but a handful of Republicans opposed.

McConnell proposed Thursday to keep the government running at current funding levels through Feb. 18. By then, Republicans will have taken over the House and bolstered their strength in the Senate, giving them greater leverage to force spending cuts.

The House last week passed a yearlong funding bill that's mostly frozen at current levels.

Read more: The Oklahoman

Scrooge in the White House and Congress on Retaining Bush Tax Cuts

Anyone with an ounce of brains understands that the people with the wealth are the ones who create the jobs in this Country. We are sure that people making over $250,000 a year are shocked they are considered part of the wealthy now according to the Democrats.

Cannot fathom what would happen if the Bush Tax Cuts were allowed to expire on 1 January 2011. Wouldn't want to have money in the stock market on January 3rd, 2011 if that happens. That would be one sure way for the wealthy of this country to lose even more money.

It is so ridiculous that there is even a discussion about allowing any of the Bush Tax Cuts to expire. Extend them for two years, one month, and let the new Administration in 2012 decide to keep them because we cannot fathom anyone with the slightest of an economic background allowing them to expire.

Obama, Pelosi, and Reid need to stop playing games and extend the tax cuts today. Oh wait, they are not meeting until tomorrow. They also need to get the budget passed but we are not holding our breath on that one either. They only passed a continuing resolution until December 19th. The House never has drawn up a real budget but has shell bills with numbers. Are they going to punt to the 112th Congress with a continuing resolution that expires the day the Republicans take over in the House and gain seats in the Senate? Would not shock us even a little. This group of Democrats in charge could care less about the American people as evidenced in the way they pass bills without reading.

Cannot wait to see the gavel handed from Pelosi to Speaker-Elect Boehner. Going to be a breath of fresh air in the House and the American people will finally learn what is going on in an 'open environment' when we are allowed to see the bills before they come up for a vote.

President Obama is in for a rude awakening as his leftist agenda goes into a black hole. Will he be able to handle not demanding something be passed? We doubt it! Should make for an interesting two years. Unlike Clinton, it will be hard for him to compromise with Republicans -- actually virtually impossible with his attitude.

Carnahan Drops Prices for Obama Event

Having been involved in Republican fundraisers in the past, Carnahan is in trouble when she has to drop tickets from $250 to $99 and cut the $35 tickets in half and it is made public. She must be desperate for money because that is not the way to fill the room announcing price cuts to see Obama. Question we would have is if Obama is somehow splitting the money. Democrats used to bus in people for events but not this time? Amazing!

Most fundraisers when the event gets close and you have not sold out get people on the phone asking young people to the event and everyone they know. Forgot the Democrats are not very active on my campus today. Guess they would have to get the SEIU there or are they already attending for free and no one left to bring for free?

This is not a good sign for Democrats at all -- Obama's star is fading fast and now more than 55% of Americans consider the word 'socialist' a good term to describe him not in a Republican poll but in a James Carville poll. Over 50% of people polling in a Democrat poll willing to say Obama is a socialist is huge.

Carnahan Drops Prices For Obama Event
July 8, 2010 11:32 AM

By Reid Wilson

Pres. Obama is the best fundraiser the Dem Party has, but his drawing power is way down from its peak during the '08 campaign.

Obama is heading to MO and NV today to raise money for Sec/State Robin Carnahan (D), running for an open Senate seat, and Senate Maj. Leader Harry Reid.

But Carnahan's campaign wasn't able to completely sell out the Folly Theater, where Obama will appear for a grassroots event on Carnahan's behalf, at the prices they wanted. Tickets once priced at $250 are now going for $99, while $35 tickets are half off.

The grassroots event at the 1,078-seat theater is expected to net $250K for Carnahan's campaign, the Kansas City Star reported today.

It's just one of Obama's 2 stops for Carnahan; he will appear at a higher-dollar affair at a Marriott hotel in downtown Kansas City -- ironically, the same location where the RNC will host its summer meeting in Aug. But it's telling Obama couldn't fill a theater at the higher price; in '08, just 2 weeks before Election Day, Obama drew 100K to an event in St. Louis and another 75K to a rally in Kansas City, according to a contemporary account from McClatchy.

Obama has 4 total fundraising events scheduled today, 2 in MO and 2 in NV. VP Joe Biden is also hitting the trail, raising money for Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-OR), a freshman Dem facing a tough re-election bid, in a luncheon event in Portland. Later, Biden travels to the Bay Area for a fundraiser with Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA).

Source: National Journal Hot Line On Call

Senate Votes to End Debate at 1am this Morning

With a vote of 60-40, the Democrats have stopped debate on a bill that no one has had time to read but now Grinch Reid will be holding a vote on Christmas Eve to pass this healthcare bill so he can say he passed it by Christmas. Why the rush?

Does it matter that Senators have not had to time to read this budget breaking bill with no Tort Reform? Not to the Grinch. He wants it passed at all costs.

The Democrats in this Senate have lost every right to be known as 'Senator' because not one of them has stood up to the Grinch and told him that they need to read and understand what is in this bill. Not this group of Senate Democrats who are FOR SALE. What some of them did was to hold out for lucrative deals from the Grinch to get their vote. Not one Democrat with one ounce of integrity or honesty in today's Senate.

The fact that the Grinch wants a vote on Christmas Eve should tell the American people all they need to know about these Democrats in the Senate. They care more about getting their pork and earmarks passed then they do spending Christmas Eve with their families. Any Democrat that dares to espouse family values should be laughed at to their face as the Democrats are demonstrating what they think of families values and Christmas -- zero, zip, nada.

We all know they are doing the bidding of Obama who plans to jet off to Hawaii for Christmas. He goes to Hawii to spend Christmas with his family while the Grinch keeps the Senate in session on Christmas Eve.

The Democrat Senators are not only bought and paid for but they are also stupid to not realize and take into consideration what the American people think of this tactic. Why reach across the aisle when you can ram a bill this huge through is what they are telling their constituents. Their 'my way or no way' approach is going to get them in the end as it always does. Despicable Democrats in the Senate that deserve to be tossed out on their ear and sent to the unemployment lines in the next three election cycles.

Each and every Democrat who is up for election in 2010 deserves a challenge from within their own Party. There must be some Democrats out there who are as steamed as Republicans at this travesty they are witnessing by Grinch Reid and the other 59 members of the United States Senate who want a quick vote without reading the bill.

Conservative Democrats, Independents, and Republican voters will work tirelessly to defeat every member of the Senate Democrats up for reelection in 2010. Not one of them including the two independents deserve to be sent back to the Senate and draw a salary from the taxpayers who they have chosen to ignore.