 |
 |
   Twenty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Gnter Grass still thinks reunification was a bad idea.
 Forty years of writing from Taylor Branch, James Fallows, Katherine Boo, Marjorie Williams, Joshua Micah Marshall, and more.
 With help from Washington, the for-profit college industry is loading up millions of low-income students with debt they'll never pay off.
 The best recent memoir from republican Washington is a hoax. That should tell you something.
|
   |
|
|
December 7, 2008
A RETURN TO INSTITUTIONAL NORMALCY.... This might look like Senate Democrats snubbing Joe Biden, but it's really just a sensible return to what used to be a healthy respect for separation of powers.
As it turns out, Reid and the Democratic caucus are not at all at odds with Biden over the decision. A spokesperson for the vice president-elect said, "Vice President-elect Biden had no intention of continuing the practice started by Vice President Cheney of regularly attending internal legislative branch meetings -- he firmly believes in restoring the Office of the Vice President to its historical role. He and Senator Reid see eye to eye on this." Were it not for the last eight years, this wouldn't be newsworthy at all. Indeed, it'd be entirely normal. For generations, administrations have tried to exert influence over the Senate by inserting the Vice President into his caucus' affairs, ostensibly as a de facto member of the chamber. And for generations, senators have pushed back, citing the separation of powers and the need for checks and balances. Over the last eight years, the model has been turned on its head. Whereas every V.P. has tried to exert undue influence over the Senate, the Republicans of the Bush era are the first to actually accede to an administration's demands. Cheney attended the weekly Senate Republican strategy luncheons, and effectively issued marching orders to members. Lacking institutional independence, a sense of pride, and respect for our constitutional traditions, the GOP caucus, with no obvious debate, effectively let Cheney become part of the Senate Republican leadership. Rutgers University Professor Ross Baker, an expert on Congress, said, "Cheney would come in there and try to force discipline on the Republican senators.... He was the Bigfoot that came into those meetings. If someone got out of line, he would put a thumb in their eyes. It's something I think people will puzzle over for a long time -- how passive the Republicans were, and how easily led they were by the Republican White House." It's unlikely to happen again. —Steve Benen 9:30 AM Permalink | Trackbacks | Comments (16)Comments
"...the Republicans of the Bush era are the first to actually accede to an administration's demands..." Fixed. "...the Republicans (and the Democrats) of the Bush era are the first to actually accede to an administration's demands..." Now Fixed. What are you two talking about? Cheney met with the REPUBLICAN caucus. How were the Democrats supposed to stop that? Posted by: bk on December 7, 2008 at 10:31 AM | PERMALINK"It's something I think people will puzzle over for a long time -- how passive the Republicans were, and how easily led they were by the Republican White House." If you consider that these "Republicans" consider themselves part of a "movement" and worship atthe same Church of the Dear Leader that their German forbears did, it makes perfect sense that they would see their job as carrying out The Leader's orders. Which is what they did. but i thought the vp – like a quantum particle – existed somewhere between executive and legislative, while existing in both simultaneously. seriously, i was rather pissed off at the way this was covered: as a slap at joe biden himself, rather than a slap at the cheney view of vice presidential powers. Posted by: mellowjohn on December 7, 2008 at 10:48 AM | PERMALINKI agree with MellowJohn. This has been described as some sort of pre-administration struggle with Biden, when it's actually the way things were in the real world pre-Bush 43. Posted by: Charity on December 7, 2008 at 10:52 AM | PERMALINKWell, it is unlikely to happen again under Democratic leadership. The GOP hasn't exactly been able to learn lessons of history--they just associate being in power as something to try again, thus the love for Newt lately. Another GOP legislature and GOP presidency would probably have the leadership begging the VP to come to their lunches and keep them in line. Just like the good old days! Posted by: tess on December 7, 2008 at 11:11 AM | PERMALINKEven though I completely agree with the decision, it's interesting that Reid took very quick action here, even before Biden has been sworn in as VP. When it came to quickly doing something about a Senator caucusing with the Democrats who openly campaigned for the Republicans while denigrating the patriotism of the President-elect, Reid just sat there with his thumbs up his ass, mustering no more than a feeble "tut-tut." Posted by: bluestatedon on December 7, 2008 at 11:16 AM | PERMALINK"It's unlikely to happen again." Whew! That's a relief! Posted by: joey giraud on December 7, 2008 at 11:20 AM | PERMALINK"Rutgers University Professor Ross Baker, an expert on Congress, said, "Cheney would come in there and try to force discipline on the Republican senators.... He was the Bigfoot that came into those meetings. If someone got out of line, he would put a thumb in their eyes. It's something I think people will puzzle over for a long time -- how passive the Republicans were, and how easily led they were by the Republican White House." No puzzle. This is exactly how sheep behave. What a surprise! Posted by: impeachcheneythenbush on December 7, 2008 at 11:50 AM | PERMALINK"...It's something I think people will puzzle over for a long time -- how passive the Republicans were, and how easily led they were by the Republican White House." Nah, I understand Republicans are easily led by someone in power - a Decider as it were. It is their nature, they are authoritarians. I puzzle over why the Democrats were passive and easily led by a Republican White House. Posted by: Wapiti on December 7, 2008 at 11:56 AM | PERMALINK"Vice President-elect Biden had no intention of continuing the practice started by Vice President Cheney ... he firmly believes in restoring the Office of the Vice President to its historical role. He and Senator Reid see eye to eye on this." Like rubbing sleep out of your eyes after an 8 year nightmare. The last chapter of Robert Caro's Master of the Senate describes LBJ's attempt in 1960 to lead the Democratic Senate Caucus as Vice President and how he was rebuffed by the Democratic senators, including Al Gore, Sr. and Robert Byrd. Posted by: hudibrastic on December 7, 2008 at 12:34 PM | PERMALINKWait I'm confused. I thought the Vice President is in charge of the U.S. Senate so if Biden wanted to he could really get in there with the senators and make a lot of good policy changes? Posted by: Jacob on December 7, 2008 at 2:03 PM | PERMALINKIt's unlikely to happen again. . . .assuming we never elect another Republican president. Posted by: EarBucket on December 7, 2008 at 10:55 PM | PERMALINKThe Veep is not over the senate, however, the Veep can come in as a tie-breaker Posted by: annjell on December 8, 2008 at 3:02 AM | PERMALINK
November 2009
October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 December 2003 November 2003 October 2003 September 2003 August 2003 July 2003 June 2003 May 2003 April 2003 March 2003 February 2003 January 2003 December 2002 |
|
|
    |
|
||||||
|
|
|||||||
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
