Why not go after GOP earmarks?

[iceman66]

As long as they are going to fillibuster everything, and block Obama's nominees for no good reason, why doesn't our leadership retaliate by blocking all federal projects in 'red' states and districts?

Certainly we have the votes to do this, and I suspect that if we tried the obstructionism would soon come to an end.

[Tippy]

1. Shelby is doing this because he is not getting his share of EAR marks

Alabama Republican Sen. Richard Shelby has placed a unilateral hold on all of President Barack Obama’s executive branch nominees in an apparent protest over home state concerns.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0210/32584.html#ixzz0ehlN1cws

His office released a resonse from Shelby..."I'f I don't get this the TERRORIST win"..

[iceman66]

4. I would consider it a dereliction of duty on the part of Senate Democrats

if Shelby gets ANY earmarks at all, given his behavior.

It is long past time for our side to start playing hardball!

[abq e streeter]

2. But we want to work with them in a friendly spirit of bi-partisnship

translation: continue bending over backward to accommodate them while they use that as an opportunity to stab us in the back. Act surprised as hell when they do that and conclude that the problem must be that we didn't bend backward far enough...

[iceman66]

6. That has been the plan so far.

[Romulox]

3. If you believe in the logic of earmarks in the first place, then what's wrong with fillibusters?

Both are parliamentary schemes to benefit the individual at the expense of the whole. One gets sick of hearing that it's "not fair" that the Pukes use procedures to their best effect. :shrug:

[iceman66]

5. My point is

that our leaders are clearly not using all of the tools at their disposal.

There is a LOT our side can do to end the obstructionism, even without the magic 60 votes.

[Ganja Ninja]

7. Exactly. Why not use the powers of the executive branch to hold up

funding all the things near and dear to these obstructionist a-holes.

[Tippy]

8. The Corn Husker Kickback

Wha the said to voters when he went back home...And who wants the same deal...Interesting read...

http://docstalk.blogspot.com/2010/01/hc-bribed-ben-nelson-now-saying-pushing.html