The random political thoughts thread (Part Deux)

[Moonliner]

Yup, definitly election time pandering when the Senate passes legislation that will actually make a positive difference in this country.

[Ghoulish Delight]

About freaking time.

The current rule says that a commercial may be no louder than the peak volume of the program that it's running with. Of course, that peak can be one little millisecond, so commercials can be WAY louder than a program still. This bill changes it so a commercial can be no louder than the average volume of the program.

Bravo.

[scaeagles]

Wow....that saves me from having to pick up my remote and mute the TV. Once again, legislation that makes a real difference in our lives.

Hey JW - I'll play the tit for tat game once....I can't think of anything exactly like what Demint is doing, nor can I claim to completely support it, but there is something comparable with this - which documents Pelosi House rule changes thatr limit the ability of the minority party to make any alterations to legislation. Seems pretty despicable to me. And quite similar. Took me about two minutes to find.

So rather than going tit for tat all day, I will stand by my frequent statements that both sides play dirty hardball politics, and will not pretend that only the "other side" does it or that one side is worse than the other.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Oh you're so right scaeagles. I mean, just LOOK at all the legislation that the Dems have been able to railroad through congress since last January, with zero obstacle from the minority!

There's a good reason the Dems have the reputation of being "inept and ineffectual". The Republicans are flat out better at playing the game.

[Alex]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

and will not pretend that only the "other side" does it or that one side is worse than the other.

Do you similarly contend that because when the 49ers play the Steelers, since both sides are similarly playing football, neither side is better or worse at it?

I don't necessarily disagree with you in the idea that the qualitative sins aren't that different. But find it odd to say that sins both sides sins there's no would be no qualitative difference (or perhaps any would simply be irrelevant).

As far as obstructionism goes, I'd say that the two sides have been in a 30 year arms race and thus, almost by definition, how ever is currently on the obstructionist side will be the worst obstructionists in living memory. Though I do like the tactic of simultaneously touting one's obstructions and then using the failure of the other side to do what they attempted as a reason to vote for you.

[scaeagles]

Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight

Oh you're so right scaeagles. I mean, just LOOK at all the legislation that the Dems have been able to railroad through congress since last January, with zero obstacle from the minority!

There's a good reason the Dems have the reputation of being "inept and ineffectual". The Republicans are flat out better at playing the game.

I'm thinking there was something major called Obamacare that was shoved through without anyone reading and Pelosi said something to the effect of "well, we have to pass it so we will know what's in it!". That was pretty major....yes there was opposition, but I think that's what an opposition party is actually for.

And I completely disagree - I think democrats are way better at the game than republicans.

[scaeagles]

Originally Posted by Alex

Do you similarly contend that because when the 49ers play the Steelers, since both sides are similarly playing football, neither side is better or worse at it?

I meant "worse" not in the way of one side is better or worse at using such tactics, but that both sides use whatever tactics might be at their disposal to the same general degree.

[JWBear]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

Wow....that saves me from having to pick up my remote and mute the TV. Once again, legislation that makes a real difference in our lives.

Hey JW - I'll play the tit for tat game once....I can't think of anything exactly like what Demint is doing, nor can I claim to completely support it, but there is something comparable with this - which documents Pelosi House rule changes thatr limit the ability of the minority party to make any alterations to legislation. Seems pretty despicable to me. And quite similar. Took me about two minutes to find.

So rather than going tit for tat all day, I will stand by my frequent statements that both sides play dirty hardball politics, and will not pretend that only the "other side" does it or that one side is worse than the other.

I never said the Democrats don't play dirty politics. But I stand by my statement that what the Republicans are currently doing is far worse.

Did you even read the article, BTW?

[scaeagles]

Only your quote. I did other research on Demint to see from other sources what the issues are and interestingly, those other sources on Demint say that most republicans are against what he is doing. So it is an issue of Demint, not an issue of republicans in general.

Rangel is a dirty tax cheat, but I will not state that all democrats are dirty tax cheats. That would be ridiculous. So you can say what Demint is doing is worse than what any other democrat has done. I would regard what Pelosi did as roughly equivalent. If I wanted to weigh which demonstrates worse behavior by a party, I'd say the Pelosi does, simply because her maneuverings required the vote and consent of her (not long for the world) democrat majority....it wasn't her all by herself.

[JWBear]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

I'm thinking there was something major called Obamacare that was shoved through without anyone reading and Pelosi said something to the effect of "well, we have to pass it so we will know what's in it!". That was pretty major....yes there was opposition, but I think that's what an opposition party is actually for.

And I completely disagree - I think democrats are way better at the game than republicans.

It's called the "Affordable Health Care Act". "Obamacare" is the dismissive title your side gave it.

Anything that took months of rangling and discussion in Congress, the media, town hall meetings, and in public discussion before being passed can not be considered to have been "shoved through". Plenty of people read it before it was passed, including Republicans. (And if they voted on it without reading it, shame on them!)

I also recall that the most villified provision - the mandate - was actually insisted on by the Republicans, and included by the authors in a laughable attempt to appease obstructionist Republicans and Blue-Dog Democrats.

As for that Pelosi quote, could you please provide a cite? The only places I can find it are on right-wing hate sites. BTW, Here is a list of just as, if not more, outragious quotes from Republicans.