Listening to Charley Rangel on C-Span just now...he seems to blame Senate for House Problems!

[KoKo]

He's going on about his Reform that the House is trying to put forth about the "Earned Income Tax Credit" and other programs the House is pushing...but he says the "Senate is stuck on this 60 Vote thing and yet the Republicans didn't go by that..."

Rangel came back and blamed the Repugs for the "60 Vote thing" ...but my first impression of what he said was he was blaming Harry Reid for not bringing forward all the House has Legislated!

Is anyone watching? Did I read Rangel wrong that he was dissing Reid for mismanagement of the Senate?

Is this House "passing the buck" for not being forceful enough as Dems ...OR..is the basic problem with Dem Congress that Harry Reid is an Obstructionist?

Reid took $22,000 from AT&T and he also is trying to DISS the MINING BILL where AMERICAN PEOPLE should be able to get ROYALTIES from FEDERAL LANDS that NEVADA MINING COMPANIES only need to pay a little over $2:00 per acre to get FREE RIGHTS TO MINE the PEOPLES' LANDS which goes back to some 1872 Minging Law when incentives were given to New Americans to GO WEST TO DEVELOP the LAND!

Is it Harry Reid's fault or is this Pelosi "passing the buck?" :shrug: Anyone watching it? What do YOU THINK? :shrug:

-----------

Here's a Post about Reid and "Mining Bill" for those who have read to this point, and want more info on what I'm curious about:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=2199267&mesg_id=2199267

[sam sarrha]

1. the ReThugs have filibustered over 45 times this year

[KoKo]

2. What bothers me is that the Dems seem to have 'problems' getting Message Across!

even to the Progressive Blogs who have supported the RESTORATION since BUSH VS. GORE in 2000!

Do they not SEE Us? Do they not know we are out here....after 7 YEARS?

[sam sarrha]

7. i say make em read the phone book for weeks ans show everybody how much they hate poor sick children

and injured vets

[sam sarrha]

8. we cant get any good press when the corporate media whores campaign 24/7 for the Reich Wingers

[EST]

4. In my opinion, we need to find a way to convince the senate

of the necessity of a "physical" filibuster, rather than the paper one they have created.
Even though they hold that their other work is so much more important that an actual filibuster is too time consuming and too much trouble, I think their priorities are badly skewed.

[EST]

3. I'm sorry, but I missed his appearance.

However, even though I have disagreed with him, vehemently, at times, on a few issues, he has proven to be correct more times than have I.
There is a movement afoot to drop that 1872 law and that is as it should be.
The Democratic majority in the senate has enormously increased the burden on the house--I agree with him on that--and Harry Reid has, indeed, been instrumental in that.

The "go along to get along" attitude is even more prevalent in the senate than in the house and the "old timey" democratic leadership has not mastered the art of compelling members to vote with their party when the chips are down--something the republicans have succeeded at quite handily.
A good bit of that is, of course, the natural authoritarian bent of the opposition, their easy bullying and nasty follow through works well for them.

Fear is also a big part of it, in my opinion. I think the democrats are fearful of threatening any member who is only marginally on our side of the line with being kicked off their committee assignments if they don't behave, or being assigned to one that nobody really wants.
The majority simply isn't big enough to lose a member or two to the other side and they see that as a real possibility. Even a tie or a one member majority would spell disaster, given the republican capability of forcing their poltroons to fall in line even on issues with which they disagree. There are also not enough democrats to adequately fill the positions available with ideological liberals and not overwork them into ineffectiveness.

Republican senators do not, on average, treat their jobs with the historical respect that has always been expected. They can stand up and just lie, prevaricate, invent, misinterpret and be absolutely the worst citizens one can imagine, certainly not the kind I would be in favor of living next door to, or even in the same town with.

Sadly, senator Reid, and far too many of his compatriots just don't rate very high of the "liberal" scale and it shows. He's a good man, but we need a strong, powerful voice who is radical enough to counterbalance the opposition.

There ain't enough Feingolds!

[KoKo]

5. Actually we are "Opposites!" I have loved Rangel forever..but do not like him lately

since our Dems took over the House.

Go Figure! :shrug:

[EST]

6. He has done some rather unexpected things, hasn't he?

Some so unexpected that I have trouble aligning them with my picture of the man.