Senate Democrats Crafting Democrat-Only Immigration Reform Plan

By GottaLaff

(Edgar Rios, left, and Marcos Gonzalez rally against the Arizona immigration bill before it was signed into law Friday.The Associated Press. Via)

Who do these Dems thing they are, leaders?

A trio of leading Democratic Senators on Wednesday began working on contingency plans for pushing a Democrat-only immigration reform bill if they are unable to convince Republicans to join the effort this year.

Why, one might mistake them for people with... spines:

An emerging immigration proposal by three Democratic senators calls for more federal enforcement agents and other border security-tightening benchmarks before illegal immigrants could become legal U.S. residents.

And who exactly are these spunky senators? Harry Reid of Nevada, Charles Schumer of New York, and Robert Menendez.

The benchmarks include additional Border Patrol officers and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to combat smuggling; more ICE inspectors at work sites; an increased number of ICE officers assigned to detect fraudulent documents, and better ways to determine fakes; more personnel to check for contraband at ports of entry; additional resources to prosecute drug and human smugglers and illegal border crossers, and for deportations.

How could this possibly work? Targeting employers who hire undocumented workers? What? That's unheard of!

And there is nothing in there about racial profiling. They obviously didn't think this through.

Before the benchmarks are met, the Department of Homeland Security could begin registering, fingerprinting and screening illegal immigrants, and considering them for an interim legal status. That would allow them to work in the U.S. and travel outside it.

But... but... they didn't include anything about skin color or hair or shoes! This will never work. It's not nearly racist enough.

Oh, Rushpublics? Time to get the cots out. It's filibuster time.

Extension of jobless benefits clears GOP roadblock

By GottaLaff

I just love winning skirmishes. Skirmish-winning is my favorite pastime. Especially when it's against the Rushpublics. Especially when it provides badly needed benefits to jobless Americans.

Especially when it means another Democratic victory:

Democrats in the Senate won an initial skirmish Monday to restore unemployment benefits to hundreds of thousands of jobless people despite Republican criticism that it would add $9 billion to the nation's debt.

The 60-34 vote killed a GOP filibuster against debating the measure, which would extend jobless benefits through May 5 along with short-term extensions of several other lapsed programs.

Hmm, I wonder if anyone from the right side of the aisle voted with the Dems.

Uh-oh. Scott "Pink Leather Shorts" Brown did. Again. What will the Tea Tantrumers say?

Collins and three other Republicans - Olympia Snowe of Maine, Scott Brown of Massachusetts, and George Voinovich of Ohio - voted Monday to advance the short-term measure.

What mavericks. Maybe that's where John McCain's nickname went.

As for all the GOP whining about deficits:

"Unemployment extensions have always been considered emergency spending, and there's a reason for that," said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y. "Unemployment insurance is a form of stimulus, but offsetting the extension of this program would negate the stimulative impact. It would be robbing Peter to pay Paul."

Kill the fil!

Senate Democrats don’t flinch in their support of appeals court nominee Liu

By GottaLaff

(click on image to enlarge)

I had to read the "Demcorats didn't flinch" line twice before posting this. It's such a rarity that for a split second I thought the word was "Republicans", and that I'd hallucinated during a wishful thinking moment.

What is this wonderful new thing we call "unity"?

Senate Democrats didn’t flinch in their support of appeals court nominee Goodwin Liu, refusing to further delay the Berkeley law professor’s confirmation hearing, now slated for April 16.

On Tuesday, all seven Judiciary Committee Republicans signed a letter to Chairman Patrick Leahy (D. Vt.) blasting Liu for failing to include in his initial nomination file dozens of articles or published remarks. [...]

Leahy responded in a “Dear Jeff” [Sessions] letter Wednesday. He noted that Republicans had twice delayed Liu’s hearing from its initial date of March 10. Liu came to Washington to find his March 24 hearing cancelled, leaving “behind his one-week-old son,” Leahy wrote. “As a new grandfather, I know you appreciate that sacrifice.”

Rushpublic hypocrisy just won't cut it. The more the Dems expose it, call it out, and stand up to it, the more we will accomplish, while gaining support, respect, and ultimately votes. It's a win-win.

McCain calls for new ‘Gang of 14’ to stop Obama push on healthcare

By GottaLaff

By all means, follow the wonderful advice of a guy with the judgment of a toddler... who lost the election because he had no grasp of the issues, chose Barbie McLipSchmutz as a running mate on a (desperate) whim, got busted on national Tee Vee for lying to David Letterman, suspended his campaign (and then lied about that, too) to avoid a debate, and... well, is BFF with Lindsey Graham and Joe Lieberman.

Yeah, let's trust him:

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is seeking bipartisan support to block Senate Democrats from using special parliamentary tactics to pass healthcare reform. [...]

And McCain reminded Democrats that he was a member of the bipartisan Gang of 14, which stopped Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) from using the so-called nuclear option in 2005.

It's time for a similar gang, he said. So far, he’s had no takers.

How shocking.

And reconciliation is NOT the nuclear option. Just FYI.

BREAKING: Senate stand-off with Senator Bunning is over

By GottaLaff

MSNBC (The Ed Show) is reporting that the stand off is over. Bunning agreed to allow a vote on one amendment that would pay for the $10 billion cost of the package, he won't object. He'll have a chance to have 2 amendments on the larger package.

Roll Call has more:

In the end Bunning agreed to a deal allowing him one vote on an amendment to pay for the bill’s $10 billion cost. That proposal was offered by Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) last Thursday at the start of his filibuster, but Bunning rejected it because he feared his amendment would not pass.

Reid has also agreed to give Bunning two votes on amendments to a larger, one-year extension bill that is currently under consideration in the Senate.

Bunning has put a hold on all of President Obama's nominees. Senate Democrats were threatening to hold an all night session, "forcing Bunning into an actual filibuster by repeatedly offering up unanimous consent agreements to bring the bill to a vote."

An actual filibuster? Senate Democrats May Force All Night Session

By GottaLaff

So blocking the blockage gives us the "political upper hand". Wouldn't it be more effective to get the upper hand via our own maneuvering, compelling messaging, stiffening our spines, and passing legislation without continually caving to the Obstructionist Party?

"Democrats are hoping to turn the procedural tables on Sen. Jim Bunning (R-KY) and use Senate rules to break his blockade against an extension of unemployment insurance, including possibly forcing a round-the-clock session," Roll Call reports.

"Newly energized Democrats, who believe they have gained the political upper hand thanks to Bunning's one-man crusade against the short-term benefits extension, rejected outright a Republican proposal to allow three votes on pay-fors for the bill before a vote on final passage. Bunning has demanded the measure, which would run for one month at a cost of $10 billion, be paid for." [...]

This time, it is increasingly likely that Democrats will force Bunning into an actual filibuster by repeatedly offering up unanimous consent agreements to bring the bill to a vote.

Where were these same Democrats a year ago? Six months ago? Six days ago?

Better late than never, I suppose. Or, too little too late?

Evan Bayh announces he won't seek re-election: Livebog

By GottaLaff

Interesting tidbit:

Bayh reportedly didn't call Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) about his retirement until after the media broke the news.

Liveblogging the "time to spend more time with my family" speech by Evan Bayh:

Evan Bayh is trying his level best to sound sincere as he quits... on a national holiday... leaving the Democrats with one less Senator.

I can barely watch this.

He was on President Obama's short v.p. list, remember? I doubt if that was ever a serious option. As I listen to this "speech", I can't believe it was.

Who created that hair style, Mattel?

Did I hear applause as he just announced he won't be running again? Kidding.

He believes he can contribute to society in other ways. Like... lobbying?

Who's his audience, pre-schoolers? He's doing that sing-song thing with his voice, and speaking in bursts.

Via Chuck Todd on Twitter:

Bayh: "I do not love Congress" -- there's your quotable.

It certainly is our quotable.

Bayh Bayh, Evan.

Entire VIDEO: Obama takes questions from Senate Democrats

By GottaLaff

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Here you go.

Thom Hartmann: "Joe Lieberman is a sick and twisted sociopath"

By GottaLaff

Thom Hartmann opened his show right up with a monologue on health care reform, and wow, he was as angry as Paddy and I are about Traitor Joe's threats, obstruction, and pallin' around with filibusterers.

I jotted down what I could as I listened to him a few minutes ago. I paraphrased a little, but most of this is verbatim, and he was literally ranting. It was hard to keep up. He expressed the emotions so many of us are feeling:

Joe Lieberman is sick and twisted. He's a sicky sociopath who is willing to let 45,000 people die for revenge. And that is what this is about: revenge.

And many Democrats in Congress feed into it by not pulling his committee chairmanship.

Here is what we should do to get health care reform done: Change the way we fund things. We should go from using money from payroll taxes (FICA) to pay, to getting it from the general fund.

Increase, raise taxes on the wealthy, and even slightly on the middle class working people, which would happen as a result, but they'd be able to afford it. Their paychecks would increase immediately, so they could handle it.

This would be revenue neutral, it would pay for itself.

Everyone would be on Medicare, and it could start tomorrow, and doesn't require 60 votes.

It may be the only option the Democrats have.

Video- Tribute To Senator Byrd as Longest-Serving Lawmaker

Harkin Says No Republicans at the Table

By GottaLaff

The question is, who are the real Democrats "at the table"?

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), chairman of the Senate health committee, said Republicans "will not be at the table when the Senate merges the health-care bills from two committees before sending one to the floor," the Des Moines Register reports.

Said Harkin: "No, this will be a proposal by the Democrats to bring a bill on the floor. And that's what I have said before, that the people of this country -- I keep saying -- the people of this country pretty overwhelmingly elected Barack Obama last fall and to make changes. The people of this country overwhelmingly elected Democrats to the House and Senate."

They may have elected Democrats, but what they got were Rushpublic Lite.

Video- Senator Byrd's tearful Kennedy tribute

Democratic Senators Called to White House

By GottaLaff

Gettin' down to business:

ABC News reports that President Obama will be meeting with 16 Democratic senators this afternoon at the White House.

They are: Sens. Mark Pryor and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas, Mark Warner of Virginia, Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Evan Bayh of Indiana, Claire McCaskill of Missouri, Tom Carper of Delaware, Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, Mark Begich of Alaska, Mark Udall and Michael Bennet of Colorado, Ben Nelson of Nebraska, Bill Nelson of Florida, Kay Hagan of North Carolina, Herb Kohl of Wisconsin, and Independent Democrat Joe Lieberman of Connecticut.

Go ahead, guys, come up with something better than a public option. I dare you.

Candidates Wait for Joe Kennedy to Decide

Interesting. I like the idea of putting Dukakis in as the interim.

In Massachusetts, the Boston Globe notes "the politics of succession begins in earnest this week -- candidates will emerge, a race will take shape, and the Kennedy clan will have to reveal whether it wants to keep" the late Sen. Ted Kennedy's seat in the family.

"All eyes now are on Joseph P. Kennedy II, the former US representative, with family members and political allies expecting him to make a decision very shortly on whether to enter the Democratic primary."

Joe Kennedy's decision "is likely to determine the plans of the dean of the Massachusetts congressional delegation," Rep. Edward Markey (D-MA), who is telling associates he is seriously considering running, and Rep. Michael Capuano (D-MA), a Somerville Democrat who is also thinking of joining the primary race. "Both are Kennedy loyalists and would not run against a member of the family, according to people familiar with their thinking, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal political calculations."

Obama: No deal with Big Pharma after all

By GottaLaff

My original post is here, in which the New York Times reported a deal between the ObamAdministration and Big Pharma a "done deal".

Now, thankfully, there's been a reversal... during that very special Friday night news quiet time. Shhhh, don't tell anyone, but it was all just a big, silly, sit-com style misunderstanding:

Caught between a pivotal industry ally and the protests of Congressional Democrats, the Obama administration on Friday backed away from what drug industry lobbyists had said this week was a firm White House promise to exclude from a proposed health care overhaul the possibility of allowing the government to negotiate lower drug prices under Medicare.

The reversal underscored the delicate balancing act the White House has pursued in its strategy of negotiating behind-the-scenes deals to win industry support without alienating liberal supporters on Capitol Hill.

Pressed by drug industry lobbyists, a White House deputy chief of staff, Jim Messina, confirmed in an e-mail message on Wednesday that the White House shared the drug lobbyists’ interpretation of the deal: that any health care overhaul would not include allowing direct government negotiation of drug prices or require certain additional price rebates. Since Wednesday, other representatives of the White House had also stood by Mr. Messina’s statement as well.

After reading reports about Mr. Messina’s e-mail message, House and Senate Democrats loudly protested that they would not be bound by any such agreement to remove clauses allowing government negotiation of drug prices under Medicare — something Democrats have sought for years.

Several Senate Democrats said Friday that, in a private meeting, White House officials had told them there was no such deal, sowing yet more confusion. House Democratic leaders vowed to fight against it.

Then, after contending for two days that the Senate Democrats had misunderstood the White House aide’s comments, the White House appeared Friday night to back away.

In a telephone interview, Linda Douglass, a White House spokeswoman on health matters, said the question of government drug-price bargaining “was not discussed during the negotiations.” Asked if that meant such a provision was excluded, as the top drug lobbyists had previously said, Ms. Douglass declined to comment, repeating, “It was not discussed.”

White House officials said Friday that Mr. Messina, the deputy chief of staff who sent the e-mail message, had not intended to confirm that the deal ruled out price negotiations. [...]

[T]he drug industry lobby appeared to line up once again with the White House, perhaps satisfied that the White House had at least ruled out the price rebates in the House bill. [...]

The full terms of the White House agreement with the drug makers, like a similar deal with the hospital industry, have never been disclosed. [...]

As Mr. Tauzin spoke up, the White House initially chose not to argue. But faced with a chorus of Congressional complaints, the administration appears to have recalibrated its position.

Good for the Dems. More like this, please.

Republican Senator: Dems have the votes to pass health care reform "today."

By GottaLaff

Prez O is paying a visit to the Gang of Why Bother:

Roll Call reports the bipartisan Senate Finance Committee "gang of six" negotiators are scheduled to meet with President Obama at the White House tomorrow.

In related news, The Hill reports Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) believes Democrats have the votes to pass health care reform "today."

Meantime, John Conyers is asking for our help. He's campaigning for single payer in his latest e-mail. Go John!

	Dear Laffy: Everywhere I go, people ask me the same question -- "So John, what do you think about this health care debate in Congress?" My answer is always the same, too -- Single-payer health care is the only cure for what ails us. Contribute to my campaign today and help me continue the fight for that cure. That's why I designed this t-shirt. It tells the world just what I am fighting for in this health care debate. As a small way of saying thank you for all that you do, I will send the t-shirt to the right to all contributors who give $50 or more to my re-election campaign. Donate to my campaign today and help me continue to fight for single-payer health care. Congress is working hard to craft a plan to overhaul our nation's failed health care system. But as the t-shirt proudly declares, you and I both know that the cure for what ails our nation is a single-payer plan that covers all Americans. Wear your support for single-payer right on your sleeve. Contribute $50 or more to my campaign and receive this great t-shirt as a thank you. We need to show all those who are fighting to keep private insurance afloat and keep their own pockets lined that we have the most important power on our side -- the American people, who are sick and tired of the current system. So wear your shirt with pride, and know that your contributions will help me continue the fight. Thank you, as always, for your constant support for a better democracy. Your Friend, John Conyers, Jr.
johnconyers.com

Joe Sestak Makes it Official

Just FYI, I will be shilling and doing all I can to get the former Vice Admiral elected. More from Sestak here.

After months of hinting, Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA) formally announced this morning he would challenge Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA) in the Pennsylvania Democratic primary, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Video- Bill O'Reilly: "A sad day for America. Al Franken becomes a U.S. Senator," and "this country is in deep trouble"

This is worth a smile in the morning. Via Media Matters.

Quote of the Day

Yeah!! Via Taegan.

"I have staff in place. I can hit the ground, if not running, trotting."

-- Senator-elect Al Franken (D-MN), quoted by Roll Call, on being sworn in on Tuesday.

Mike Allen: "He'll meet with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid today, and the two will go before cameras. He'll be sworn in by Vice President Biden tomorrow, walked down by Walter Mondale. Franken plans to pursue the Bill Bradley/Hillary Clinton strategy of being a workhorse, not a show horse."

Ted Kennedy's cancer in remission

Very good news that frankly, I was not expecting.

Sen. Edward Kennedy’s brain cancer is in remission and the Massachusetts Democrat is expected back in the Senate after the Memorial Day recess, according to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

Sen. Reid (D-Nev.) said Tuesday that he spoke with Kennedy’s wife and was told the 77-year-old lawmaker will return to work full time during the first week of June.

(snip)

On Tuesday, Reid confirmed that Kennedy would in fact return in June.

Kennedy has been working behind the scenes on the healthcare legislation and even dropped his seat on the Senate Judiciary Committee to focus his attention on that policy area. He is expected to lead the debate in the upper chamber along with Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.)