Posted on 12/16/2013 10:17:25 AM PST by cotton1706
Despite the fact that the Ryan-Murray budget deal passed the House with overwhelming support, it was not a slam dunk in the Senate as of late last week. Without Paul Ryan’s strong influence, individual GOP senators were leery of the deal. Even the defense hawks view this deal as ‘too little too late.’
The Senate whip count began with only one Republican – John McCain – vocally supporting the deal. Moreover, it’s not a sure thing that there won’t be any Democrat defections either. On Sunday, Senator Dick Durbin was worried he wouldn’t get 60 votes for the deal. He candidly noted that “a handful of members of the Senate are vying for the presidency in years to come and are thinking about this vote in that context and others are, frankly, afraid of this new force, the Tea Party force, the Heritage Foundation force, that is threatening seven out of the 12 senators running for reelection.”
Senator Durbin is absolutely correct. Primary challenges matter, and that is why McConnell and Cornyn were forced to step away from this bad deal. But there is a huge difference between opposing the deal out of principle and quietly voting no to save their hinds back home.
The current dynamic in the Senate as it relates to the Ryan-Murray whip count represents the consummate opportunity for leadership from the top. Democrats have not fully secured 60 votes to pass this awful deal. If McConnell and Cornyn really felt the way we do about this bill, they would launch a counter-whip operation to convince members on the fence to vote no. Unfortunately, they have reverted to the ‘hope yes, vote no’ mode. They really want the bill to pass, but they are too scared of their primary challengers. Consequently, they are sitting back and allowing Democrats to pick off members of their conference one-by-one.
Senators Ron Johnson, Susan Collins, Jeff Flake, and Richard Burr have since announced their plans to vote for cloture over the weekend. This is what happens when there is no leadership at the top. We are letting a completely winnable vote slip away from us.
It’s quite appropriate for the Senate to end this year’s session with a vote like this. Throughout the entire year, McConnell and Cornyn have pursued a policy of hope yes vote no. Ever since Matt Bevin considered storming the caste early this year, McConnell has moved all the way to the right in his voting record. But you can count on one hand the number of times he’s whipped a vote for the Republican position. This vacuum of leadership has ostensibly granted Harry Reid a defacto supermajority.
What’s even more appalling is that McConnell is rewarding Harry Reid for blowing up the Senate with his refusal to work against the Democrat budget bill.
We will never advance conservatism through the U.S. Senate unless we elect leaders who will vote the conservative position and fight like hell for it. Hope yes/vote no is not a winning strategy.
This guy has become a poster boy for the word "disappointment".
I hope they kill the bill in the Senate!!!
Either pass a massive spending cut bill, or shut down the government for a couple of months with no reteoactive pay!
No funds for obamacare, 0, none!!!
The Senate whip count began with only one Republican – John McCain – vocally supporting the deal.
..........................................................Some things never change. Good old McCain we can always count on him to vote with the Dems.
McConnell is useless , but lets not blame Ron Johnson, Jeff Flake, and Susan Collins on him they always vote with Democrats too.McConnell and Reid are so close sometimes I wonder which is the catcher and which the pitcher.
Should Durbin be worried about 60 votes? After all Harry only need 51 if he really wants this. He could go nuke again.
There won’t be any ‘Rat defections unless they can be covered by traitor GOPers.
Before Mondale, the filibuster margin was 67 votes.
“There won’t be any ‘Rat defections unless they can be covered by traitor GOPers.”
Exactly! That’s why they love moderates or old guard type republicans, to give their members from more conservative states cover.
Pryor can vote against it while McCain votes for it, etc.
Thus the need for primary challenges to every weak in the knees republican. The threat of the people puts pressure on those in power.
Juan is free for this round of voting as he has a pass for a few more years.
Although it’s do nothing crap bill, it’s an opportunity for conservatives. Ryan’s strategy is to put a band-aid on so that we might win the ‘14 elections and get majorities in Congress.
Conservative candidates in the primaries need to work from the entirely opposite angle. They need to use the vote on this bill to hammer their RINO opponent, especially guys like Bevin who can hammer McConnell for his lack of leadership.
“Although it’s do nothing crap bill, it’s an opportunity for conservatives. Ryan’s strategy is to put a band-aid on so that we might win the ‘14 elections and get majorities in Congress.”
This is a really nice theory, but it’s what we heard in 2011. Let’s just get the 2011 fiscal year behind us, so we can work on the 2012 budget. Then it was, let’s just get this budget/debt ceiling deal to get us past November, 2012 and then Romney will be president and we’ll have the senate (because there are so many democrat seats up for grabs).
And now it’s the same thing. And what’s lost in all this is what they’re really saying “let’s just get ourselves reelected so we can play this game again, and again, and again.”
I’m not falling for this strategic crap. Boehner and Ryan have been in charge of the House since January 2011 and our spending has increased, our debt has increased and they haven’t learned anything at all. Because they haven’t wanted to, because they’re in cahoots. So whatever plans they come up with are a sham and should be rejected!
The RINOS will pass it…there big spenders first…the election has some of them scared
You missed my point.
No problem. Reid will just change the rules.
“You missed my point.”
I’m sorry. What was it? This political calculation crap just really gets under my skin.
Then get out of the game. This is war. It’s not going to be won with pitchforks and bum rushes and stupid 60’s protest crap, or glorious armchair postings on FR.
By stating that Ryan’s strategy gives conservatives an opportunity, I implied directly that Ryan’s approach is flawed. The band-aid strategy never works against the Dems, but bad strategy by the opposition gives opportunities for conservatives in the primaries.
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