Harry Reid Routes Around Rand Paul; Says No Changes To Patriot Act Is 'An Excellent Compromise'
from the do-we-use-different-dictionaries dept
We've been following the Senate leadership (of both major parties) attempts to push through an extension of some controversial Patriot Act surveillance provisions. As noted, the Senate decided to quickly push the matter towards a vote, cutting off outside debate over the provisions. However, that did still leave room for debate on the floor and the introduction of amendments, and some Senators spoke up -- and spoke up vehemently. Rand Paul had a bunch of amendments and threatened to delay things. He pointed out that Senator Harry Reid lied, after promising to "set aside a week's worth of debate" on the Patriot Act. Meanwhile Senators Ron Wyden, Mark Udall and Jeff Merkley all spoke out against parts of the Patriot Act and these extensions.And yet... Senator Reid decided to get around all of that, by using a procedural trick to dump the existing bill and instead attach his bill to what appears to be a totally unrelated House business bill:
Sen. Reid basically killed his current bill and and opted to take up a House small business bill (it's in a form that's considered filibuster-proof as far as starting debate goes). Neither Rand Paul nor anyone else can object to this. Reid then amended the House bill with the entire text of the Patriot Act extension.Of course, where this gets insane is in Senator Reid's explanation for cutting off all of these complaints and amendments:
"We have worked over the last several days to work something out that I think is an excellent compromise," said Reid on the Senate floor. "Is this bill something everyone in the Congress likes? I think the answer is no. But we all agree it's important legislation.I think Senator Reid and I have different dictionaries. How is making no changes and simply extending out the existing law for four years, despite such vocal opposition, "an excellent compromise"? What "compromise" did he make, other than to his principles and his oath to serve the people?
"I have had many conversations with Senator Paul and tried to come up with a process to allow Senator Paul and others to offer amendments. I have been unsuccessful," Reid said.
Furthermore, if he tried to allow these Senators to offer amendments, how is cutting them off from being able to offer amendments in line with what he claims he tried to do? Rather than cutting them off and using a procedural trick, why didn't he let them offer amendments?
Either way, it sounds like the extension will be somewhat delayed, meaning that the provisions may lapse for a day or two. Some supporters of the extension are suggesting that this is a horrible thing that will put us all in danger, but that's ridiculous. First of all, existing investigations are grandfathered in, and second of all, it's just a few days.
Perhaps the most ridiculous part of all of this is that one of the reasons why they're saying this needs to be rushed through is that the bill itself needs to be flown to Europe so that the President (who is visiting Europe) can sign it. Do they no realize that these things can be done electronically these days?
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Filed Under: harry reid, jeff merkley, mark udall, patriot act, rand paul, ron wyden
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You said you would stop this type of crap.
Or were you a complete hypocrite?
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He can still place a hold on it. And it is not filibuster *proof*. Only budget bills are filibuster proof as directed by Senate rules. Reid attached it to a bill already passed int he house that is considered 'must pass'. It now must be sent back to the house since he 'updated' it.
Paul is apparently filibustering it, or was before Reed switched it to this other bill. If Paul has the stones he'll filibuster that too.
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You said you would stop this type of crap.
Or were you a complete hypocrite?"
..He was on the floor for 7 hours yesterday holding until they voted to table his amendments.. He's trying to do exactly what he said he would, in any way he can.
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None of the Above!
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Re: None of the Above!
I wish that was an option on the ballot "I find all of these candidates appalling." So then us non-voters could at least make it known (with a quantifiable number) that its not that we don't care, or are too lazy to vote but we don't think either of the lesser evils is lesser enough to deserve our support.
Preemptive answer: My last vote was Nader/LeDuke in 2000
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There was recently a piece on the national news (which one? they are all the same) where they gave a 20-30 second intro to all the GOP candidates. Ron Paul they brushed over in 2 seconds by just mentioning his name and that was it.
The idiot masses are brainwashed and controlled and will continue to vote for that which is not in their best interests.
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--Follow the constitution. (the document, not the boat)
--Reduce the size of the federal government.
--Get the deficit under control.
easy enough.
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Feel free to look. They explain how we can change our financial situation without a lot of bureaucratic government intervention.
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The problem with third parties
What we need is a simultaneous fracture; fourth parties. If both Republicans and Democrats had viable alternatives, many people wouldn't feel like they risk wasting their vote.
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Reason being, he did balance the budget, fought central banking for the exact reasons of the financial meltdown, and had enough balls to stand up to the Judicial Branch telling them "Let's see you enforce what you've said."
Not to mention beating the holy hell out of his assassin with a cane.
The dude was a badass even if he was racist against Native Americans.
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Oh, come on. Andrew Jackson was completely for-the-people and anti-big-government. He bankrupted the corrupt Bank of the US.
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Thank you for inflicting George Bush on us.
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besides its not like Bush not winning the election would have kept him out of office. *cough cough*
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What principles are you speaking of?
I think he was true to his principles. He didn't compromise his principles.
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But if they make a digital version than pirates can get it.
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Good. We might get a better government if the hackers were in charge.
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a stupid question
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Re: a stupid question
The Senate Majority Leader has enormous power to offer amendments that ordinary Senators don't have, and to affect the scheduling of debate. Technically he does need to get a majority of the Senate to agree to the rules at the start of the session to give him that extra power, but the Majority Party always gives that power to the Majority Leader. If they didn't, why, they'd let the Other Team have too much power. They agree to give up their individual power in exchange for getting extra power by being part of the majority instead of minority.
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Re: a stupid question
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(OK, technically the Vice-President is the President of the Senate, but the Senate rules don't give him any real power other than breaking ties.)
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the senate needs an upgrade
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Don't confuse "politicians who think that technology is cool and know how to use it" with "politicians who favor good laws for technology." They may be correlated, but they may be not.
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Re: Re: the senate needs an upgrade
oh i certainly wouldn't. I was just speaking on his point that congress as a whole is about 30 years behind the general public when it comes to technology. Lack of powerpoints, remote video participation and many blatant misconceptions about the internet and other tech.
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in other words
Apart from the 20th-century retro charm, note that this boils down to "we must race to extend the Act or else it will expire". Flying to Europe really has nothing to do with it.
Or to elaborate: "the deadline is looming, so we must extend the Act without debating whether to let it expire, or else it will expire, because we put off debate until the deadline was looming".
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He bypassed the discussion process exactly to avoid any compromises. The whole point of trying to further discuss the issue was to figure out what can be added and/or removed so that a compromise could be made. Bypassing that process was intended to avoid such compromises.
Speculating that additions were made as a matter of compromise is probably not true because that wouldn't excuse bypassing the discussion.
Also notice what he said
"I have had many conversations with Senator Paul and tried to come up with a process to allow Senator Paul and others to offer amendments. I have been unsuccessful," Reid said.
In other words, no compromise was made. He claims that he tried to offer a process to allow Senator Paul and others to offer amendments .... by circumventing the discussion? How does that make sense. It's a lie.
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(IOW, no amendments were made, hence no compromises were made).
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if this Congress keeps going the way it is, people are really looking toward those Second Amendment remedies
What are you going to do to develop jobs in your state?' Well, that's not my job as a U.S. senator
We wanted them to ask the questions we want to answer so that they report the news the way we want it to be reported
Some of you look a little more Asian to me ... I've been called the first Asian legislator in our Nevada State Assembly
(above quotes from http://politicalhumor.about.com/od/republicanquotes/a/Sharron-Angle-Quotes.htm)
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heyo!
ZING!
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