http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/obstructionist/ en-us Fri, 1 Aug 2008 14:48:37 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2054890/posts For weeks, pressure has been mounting in Congress to approve more domestic oil drilling, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has held the line, using her power to block a vote on offshore drilling. President Bush has made almost daily calls for Democratic leaders to take action. House GOP leaders, citing a new poll showing that a slim majority of Californians now favor offshore drilling, issued a release Thursday saying "even (Pelosi's) own California neighbors oppose her efforts to block new drilling far off American coasts." GOP lawmakers are so disgruntled they're urging Bush to deny Congress its August break by... San Francisco Chronicle http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2054890/posts#comment Fri, 1 Aug 2008 14:48:37 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2015294/posts WASHINGTON - The Senate has rejected a Republican energy plan that calls for opening an Alaska wildlife refuge and some offshore waters to oil development. Supporters of the measure couldn't get the needed 60 votes to overcome a Democratic-led filibuster threat. Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said more domestic oil production is needed to keep prices in check and to reduce U.S. dependence on oil imports. Opponents said areas such as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and coastal waters that have been off limits to drilling for 25 years ought to remain that out of bounds to oil companies.... AP on Yahoo http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2015294/posts#comment Tue, 13 May 2008 15:57:15 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1861652/posts It’s becoming quite the gamble. Once again, Democrats in Congress – led by Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi – are betting that the Sitcom Attention Span (SAS) of the American people will save their hides, this time from their dismal performance during the first six-month in control of the House and Senate. But as the old adage goes, fool me once, shame on you. . . The list of accomplishments the Democrats have racked has been anything but what they promised during the 2006 election. They failed to end the Iraq War. They failed to reform the earmark process. Instead... The New Media Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1861652/posts#comment Fri, 6 Jul 2007 11:24:48 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1792057/posts Tom Daschle, who endorsed Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination for president, said he would consider being Obama's running mate if asked. The Democrat and former South Dakota senator said he had not been contacted by any of the Democrats seeking their party's presidential nomination, and that his endorsement of the Illinois senator doesn't mean he's looking for a spot on the Democratic ticket. "Theres not been any talk about it at all," he said Friday. "I have to say thats not something you can campaign for and its not something that you can plan or expect." Daschle, who explored... NewsMax.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1792057/posts#comment Tue, 27 Feb 2007 19:09:02 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1492438/posts Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) plans to announce today that he will seek a ninth term, ending months of speculation the 87-year-old lawmaker was considering retiring next year to avoid a grueling re-election campaign. Roll Call http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1492438/posts#comment Tue, 27 Sep 2005 23:25:34 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1424317/posts "A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly. But the traitor moves amongst those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself. "For the traitor appears not a traitor – he speaks in accents familiar to his victims, and he wears their face and their arguments, he appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the hearts of all men. He rots... vanity http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1424317/posts#comment Thu, 16 Jun 2005 19:48:22 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1403245/posts WASHINGTON - Seven Republican senators will determine the outcome of a showdown this week between the president and Congress — and a minority within it — over who is going to shape the federal courts. Barring any unforeseen developments, these are the lawmakers in the make-or-break position when it comes to deciding whether to allow a Senate minority to block a president's nominees for the federal bench. The senators are Susan Collins of Maine, Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, John Warner of Virginia, Mike DeWine of Ohio, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and John Sununu of New Hampshire.... AP http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1403245/posts#comment Sat, 14 May 2005 20:57:34 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1400606/posts I have been wracking my brain for a while now for a good reason for Republicans in the Senate not to get rid of the filibuster in the case of judicial nominees. You know, something about the higher need for comity, respect for the traditions of the "world's greatest deliberative body," the need for majorities to act with restraint so that minorities do not feel oppressed, etc. I give up. There are no principles at stake here. The prerequisite for a Senate rule that requires 60 votes for cloture is sufficient institutional comity to ensure that the filibuster is not... WASHINGTON TIMES.COM http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1400606/posts#comment Wed, 11 May 2005 00:40:17 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1394768/posts DULUTH, Ga. - A prosecutor said Sunday that he wants to review whether the runaway bride-to-be who admitted she made up a kidnapping story should be charged for making false statements to the police. Jennifer Wilbanks returned to this tight-knit town on Saturday after a cross-country bus trip took her through Las Vegas, Nev., to Albuquerque, N.M., as hundreds of volunteers searched for her. She initially told authorities she had been abducted while jogging, but eventually admitted her kidnapping story was fabricated and she had run away because she had cold feet for her wedding, which was planned for Saturday.... Associated Press http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1394768/posts#comment Sun, 1 May 2005 18:28:04 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1365666/posts NEW YORK If the Democratic Party wants to figure out how to win national elections again, it has an unexpected guide: Hillary Rodham Clinton. . . [snip]The first lesson Clinton is demonstrating is the need to talk much more openly about God and prayer. That resonates in a country where a Pew poll found that 60 percent of Americans pray at least once a day. . [snip]"I've always been a praying person," Clinton declared recently. . [snip]Democrats are usually more comfortable talking about sex than God. But that doesn't work in a country where 70 percent say that "presidents should... Intern. Herald Tribune/The New York Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1365666/posts#comment Fri, 18 Mar 2005 19:44:21 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1364345/posts One of the tactics frequently employed by left-leaning politicos and activists (including Teddy Kennedy, Barbara Boxer, and Harry Reid, who represent the phalanx of the left wing of the Democrat Party in the U.S. Congress) is to introduce into the public debate a "MacGuffin," to use film director Alfred Hitchcock's term for a plot device that diverts viewers' attention from the real issues at hand. Under Hitchcock's not infrequently perverse direction, the MacGuffin became a means of manipulating the audience away from discovering in advance the ultimate resolution of a film's conflict. The Democrat Party has most recently employed this... THE RANT.US http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1364345/posts#comment Thu, 17 Mar 2005 01:05:31 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1341176/posts If you ever needed proof that the Democrats were playing obstructionist partisan politics you need look no further then their leadership, both past and present. While Senator Harry Reid and Representative Nancy Pelosi extol the evils of personalizing Social Security some troubling words have been found in the history books and the news files that should paint their faces a pristine shade of crimson, and it’s not because they just got back from Alabama. Recently, Reid, the Senate Minority Leader, made a statement that rang ominously through the halls of Capitol Hill. When asked about the president’s suggestion that those... The Rant http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1341176/posts#comment Fri, 11 Feb 2005 17:24:02 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1334616/posts WASHINGTON (Talon News) -- As a vote draws near for the confirmation of White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales to succeed Attorney General John Ashcroft, Democrats in the Senate floated the idea of mounting a filibuster to the nomination. Talk of a possible filibuster drew quick rebuke from Gonzales supporters. RNC Deputy Communications Director Danny Diaz commented on a potential Democrat filibuster of Judge Alberto Gonzales' nomination. Gonzales would succeed Attorney General John Ashcroft. "Democrats should understand that filibustering America's first Hispanic nominee for attorney general is neither good policy nor good politics." Diaz said. "Numerous Senators on both sides of... GOPUSA http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1334616/posts#comment Wed, 2 Feb 2005 23:08:05 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1334581/posts WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The top Democrat in the Senate on Tuesday predicted that President Bush's plan to revamp social security by diverting taxes into private investment accounts would fail to pass Congress. Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid was speaking as Bush prepared to use his State of the Union address on Wednesday to argue for his proposals and then follow up with a five-state tour to campaign for the new investment accounts. "President Bush should forget about privatizing Social Security," the Nevada Democrat said. "It will not happen. The sooner he comes to that realization, the better off we are."... Reuters http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1334581/posts#comment Wed, 2 Feb 2005 22:28:12 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1333827/posts FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Brian Jones 202-863-8614 “Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid’s obstructionist remarks today were full of pessimism and personal attacks but lacked any vision for winning the War on Terror or preserving Social Security for future generations. While President Bush is looking to work with Democrats in confronting the challenges facing our nation, the Democrat leaders’ attacks on a speech that has not even been delivered are a sad reminder of their determination to score partisan political points even at the cost of accomplishing the business of the American people.”  -Brian Jones, RNC Communications Director   Pelosi’s Record: Obstruction,... Republican National Committee http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1333827/posts#comment Tue, 1 Feb 2005 23:44:12 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1329329/posts Yahoo! News / AP Photo http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1329329/posts#comment Thu, 27 Jan 2005 00:51:25 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1326241/posts Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Arlen Specter went back on his word to Republican caucus members and conservative groups alike when he recently hired Hannibal G. Williams II Kemerer, who until recently was the NAACP's assistant general counsel. Specter hired Kemerer against the wishes of his senior Judiciary Committee staff. "We warned him this was going to cause trouble, but Specter said it was his committee, we are his staff, and he's going to do what he believes is right," says a Judiciary Committee staffer. Kemerer was a protégé of Elaine Jones, who three years ago, as head of the NAACP... The American Spectator http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1326241/posts#comment Sat, 22 Jan 2005 20:03:07 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1303824/posts Members of Congress are becoming frustrated with bureaucrats who have put roadblocks in the way of a program to arm airline pilots that Congress first authorized months after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Three years later, only an estimated 4,000 of the more than 95,000 commercial pilots have participated in the Federal Flight Deck Officer (FFDO) program. But this lack of participation does not indicate a lack of pilot interest, proponents say. They claim the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has intentionally stymied the program. A soon-to-be-released poll from the pro-gun Airline Pilots Security Alliance indicates upwards of 50,000 commercial... Human Events http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1303824/posts#comment Sat, 18 Dec 2004 00:14:47 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1302257/posts Ditto, Tom...Former Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle says goodbye.     This is an email-able, copyright-ready graphic you can use in emails, on blogs, in flyers, on posters... anything that's noncommercial. IowaPresidentialWatch.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1302257/posts#comment Wed, 15 Dec 2004 23:32:24 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1292423/posts The other day I was interviewed by a magazine which very closely follows what is happening in the Congress. The reporter wanted to get my views on whether the President would nominate the same kind of judges he did during his first term. I said that I believe that the President firmly believes in the sort of judges he has put forth and I saw no reason why he would change in his second term. The reporter, with whom I speak frequently, told me he had just interviewed Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the Minority Leader for the 109th Congress,... NewsMax.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1292423/posts#comment Thu, 2 Dec 2004 02:40:51 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1292005/posts A group representing more than 300 families who lost loved ones in the 9/11 terror attacks says Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.) is the "true obstructionist" blocking passage of an intelligence overhaul bill. The group "911 Families for a Secure America" held a Capitol Hill press conference Tuesday -- "to set the record straight," they said. They said Sen. Lieberman's insistence that no "immigration safeguards" be included in the final bill is blocking its passage. But Democrats and other supporters of the intelligence bill say two House Republicans are the ones obstructing passage of the bill. Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.), chairman... CNSNews http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1292005/posts#comment Wed, 1 Dec 2004 16:21:50 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1290782/posts THE SENATE'S COLD WAR over judicial nominations is at a crossroads. With a newly minted chamber taking office January 4, and a new minority leader already designated, the time seems ripe for a fresh start. The Republican majority wants an end to all active Democratic filibusters of appellate court nominees and the cession of such tactics in the future. Will the opposition comply?The answer hinges on two unknowns: first, what lessons Senate Democrats draw from the 2004 election; second, the tone set by their new leader, Nevada senator Harry Reid. Retiring senator Bob Graham has predicted "less willingness" among Democrats... The Weekly Standard http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1290782/posts#comment Tue, 30 Nov 2004 03:17:31 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1289953/posts Senate Republicans, boldly confident after their Nov. 2 electoral success, are preparing to end months of frustrating delays over President Bush's judicial picks by hitting Democrats with Republican's ultimate legislative weapon. But the Republican threat to neuter long-cherished filibuster rules by steamrolling Democrats is risky — so potentially destructive that Capitol Hill calls it the "nuclear option." Democratic retaliation would be swift and long-lasting, raising the prospect of escalating clashes in a body that prides itself on gentility and cool judgment. Even so, Republican leaders are signaling their intent to go nuclear in word and deed. "We're going to use... Cox news service via the Times Argus http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1289953/posts#comment Sun, 28 Nov 2004 22:36:14 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1284797/posts Never one to mess up a good story by sticking with the facts, the liberal media in Washington refuse to tell us much about the inner-workings of the Senate. Oh sure, they are quick to carp about anything they think may be a misstep by a Republican member. But that is about as deep as their news reports usually go. No one ever reports that few senators fully understand, or even read, any of the bills before voting. Nor are we often informed that an inordinate amount of each senator's time is spent seeing lobbyists and other campaign contributors, rather... Fiedor Report On the News #326 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1284797/posts#comment Sat, 20 Nov 2004 19:59:01 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1279175/posts If nothing else, we have to admit that the dorks on the left are certainly fun to watch. The so called unbiased "media elite" came to work dressed in black after the election. Most of what we hear coming from the left these post-election days is a perpetual whine. There have been no real specifics about what they are whining about. Other than the fact that their socialist candidate lost, they just seem to want to be difficult. Yeah, it's very interesting to hear the constant vitriol coming from the very same liberals who gave us perpetual sensitivity training. Their... Fiedor Report On the News #325 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1279175/posts#comment Sat, 13 Nov 2004 18:22:17 GMT