Civics class: Where is the House-Senate health care conference committee?

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com ^ | March 7 2010 | Byron york

[Para-Ord.45]

Today's Washington Post Outlook section gives featured lefty blogger Ezra Klein another shot at the supposedly dysfunctional workings of the Senate. "As the minority becomes less responsible with the filibuster (and oh boy, have minority Republicans become less responsible with the filibuster), the majority needs to use reconciliation more often," Klein writes.

The article begins:

"Ask a kid who just took civics how a bill becomes a law and she'll explain that Congress takes a vote and, if a majority supports the bill, the bill goes to the president. That's what we teach in textbooks, but it's not what we practice in Washington."

Now, if you did in fact ask a kid who just took a civics class, she -- could be he! -- might explain that the House and Senate pass bills, and if there are differences between them, the bills usually go to a House/Senate conference committee, where lawmakers appointed by the leaders of both parties resolve the differences between the bills and come up with one final bill, which the House and Senate pass and which then goes to the president's desk for signature into law. (Wasn't that the method used for the 2001 and 2003 Bush tax cuts, the 1996 welfare reform bill and other legislation often cited by Klein and his allies today?) Isn't that what a kid who just took a civics class would say? Isn't that what we teach in textbooks? And is that what's being practiced in the case of the national health care bills?

The answer, of course, is no, because Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Harry Reid, who in the past have been strong advocates of conference committees, decided to skip conference for the health care bill. Why? Because it might be troublesome -- and public. Better to bypass it altogether, assured that Klein and others will devote their energies to attacking Republican irresponsibility.

[kosciusko51]

Good article. My original comment was tongue-in-cheek, not meant to be taken seriously, just to emphasize the left does not really like Jewish people.

[Beowulf9]

Hey, thanks for the article. Yes I’m familiar with some of this, but not all. Very informative article.

[TornadoAlley3]

Oh Ezra, whatever will you say when Republicans take control and do the same thing to repeal it.

[jimmyray]

Need to get your facts straight NAZI = National SOCIALISTS

And what makes you think I don't know that? I was pointing out that Hitler was a National Fascist, which is somewhat redundant, now that I think of it...

It would be polite to give someone the benefit of the doubt before you call them out. Thanks for being so helpful.

[jimmyray]

An interesting statement from the Wiki article on National Socialism:

Nazism is a politically syncretic variety of fascism, which incorporates policies, tactics and philosophic tenets from left and right-wing politics. As such, Italian Fascism and German Nazism reject liberalism, democracy, and Marxism, as practical forms of government. Usually supported by the far right (military, business, Church), fascism also is historically anti-communist, anti-conservative, and anti-parliamentary.

Hitler did capitalize on the common man's belief in God, and got the aquiescence of some mainline churches, include the Catholics, from what I've read. He killed of many of those that did not go along.

As far as the guns part, I was referring to the fact that Hitler did not confiscate guns from German citizens, but he did from conquered territories and Jews.

[Mike Darancette]

Much better to pass a bill that is known to be flawed. In the hope of it’s reconciliation.

[orinoco]

It was shown on Beck last week that during the 1930's the Republican party had a Nazi group who were registered Republicans. Beck noted that this was a fringe group and not mainstream. He said this is why the far left refer to the far right as Nazi's even though they were socialists.
The Democrats had a large constituency of communists.

[jimmyray]

His big issues were the "stab in the big," high unemployment. and pride in the German "race," not particularly German Lutheranism or Catholicism.

While true prima facia, Anti-Jewsih sentiment was supported by the writings of Luther, especially "On the Jews and their Lies", which Julius Streicher, the editor of Der Stürmer, described as the most radically anti-Semitic tract ever published.

[tx_eggman]

jimmyray, can I interest you in a replacement pair of asbestos long johns ... the ones you’re wearing look to be just about burned through.

[kosciusko51]

Utter nonsense! Wiki is not reliable, and the references are from particularly left-leaning sources, which have done a fabulous job of denying the truth about the Nazis.

For instance, the church in Germany was told to acquiesce or be done in. Those who valued their position gave in; those who did not paid the ultimate price. Read about Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and you will understand.

The same is true for German industry. Get on board or lose your factory.

If I remember correctly, the Kennedy patriarch seemed to have an affinity for Hitler as well, at least in the beginning.

[Ouderkirk]

This assertion that many use that Hitler was on the political right has gotten on my last nerve.

So if you knew that, why did you say Hitler was on the right?

[jimmyray]

jimmyray, can I interest you in a replacement pair of asbestos long johns ... the ones you’re wearing look to be just about burned through.

You have me at a disadvantage, for I know not of what you type. Why would my britches be burned?

[GailA]

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[jimmyray]

So if you knew that, why did you say Hitler was on the right?

Read the entire thread, including my other comments, and perhaps the answer will be come apparent. Incidentally, Hitler despised the communists. I think it would be more telling to learn why you think he was on the far left, other than some recent tome that has presented arguments to that end.

[Beowulf9]

Meanwhile, Senator Byrd, a Democrat, was in the KKK...

[Lou L]

The Senate without a fillibuster, is just a smaller version of the House.

[Ouderkirk]

I am fully aware of Hitler’s attitudes towards the communists, slavs, and jews. How his opinions changed over time.

I have grown to expect more from the folks here at FR. This epithet thrown about by the left in this country that anyone/everyone is a nazi/fascist. Where they have no understanding that nazism, fascism, and communism are simply just different shades of the same RED.

[jimmyray]

Many view the political spectrum, from far left to far right, as follows:

Communist, Socialist, Democrat, Center, Republican, Nationalist (aka Nazi), Fascist

While arguments to the contrary can be made, this is the way I have generally understood it. What is interesting, however, is that methods of governing, including "democracies", "republics", "dictatorships" et al can be dominated by any of the aforementioned political ideologies.

[jimmyray]

Where they have no understanding that nazism, fascism, and communism are simply just different shades of the same RED.

It is also generally accepted that Hitler adopted many "pro-labor" Socialistic policies simply to garner votes and support, and to AVOID a communist revolution! The same could be argued for some of Roosevelt's policies in the 30's.

[kosciusko51]

How about this quote from Theodore Able, Why Hitler Came Into Power, Harvard University Press, 1938 (as quoted in "Liberal Fascism", p. 74, since it was the easiest place for me to find it):

"... a coal miner ... was 'puzzled by the denial of race and nation implicit in Marxism. Though I was interested in the betterment of the workingman's plight, I rejected [Marxism] unconditionally. I often asked myself why socialism had to be tied up internationalism--why it could not work as well or better in conjunction with nationalism.' A railroad worker concurred, 'I shuddered to the thought of Germany in the grip of Bolshevism. The slogan "Workers of the World Unite!" made no sense to me. At the same time, however, National Socialism, with its promise of a community ... barring all class struggle, attracted me profoundly.' A third work wrote that he embraced the Nazis because of their 'uncompromising will to stamp out the class struggle, snobberies of caste and party hatreds. The movement bore the true message of socialism to the German workingman.'"

They hated the communist because of their internationalism, not their socialist policies.