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.

Republicans Poised to Allow Senate Debate on Financial Overhaul Bill

By GottaLaff

All I've gotten so far is a news alert from Fox:

Republicans Poised to Allow Senate Debate on Financial Overhaul Bill

So forcing the Party of No to actually stand up and filibuster in front of the whole wide world worked. Remember this day, Dems.

UPDATE, via another e-mail:

	WASHINGTON (AP) Republicans say they are ready to allow financial overhaul bill to be debated in Senate.

UPDATE:

Sen. Richard Shelby, the top Republican on the Senate Banking committee, said he has assurances that Democrats will adjust his banking regulation bill to address concerns that it perpetuates bailouts. [...]

But McConnell and other Republican critics are now focusing their objections on Dodd's proposal to create a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau within the Federal Reserve.

"Democratic Congressman with guts is a mythological creature, like a unicorn."

By GottaLaff

When Democrats unify, they actually accomplish things. Imagine what it would be like if they unified and communicated effectively. What a concept.

How many times have you yelled back at the Tee Vee Machine, as if you were a surrogate for Congress Member X? How many times have you gnashed your teeth as Rushpublic after Rushpublic punditiot over talks a Democratic one?

How many times have you asked, "Why can't our side do that?"

How many times have you called a Dem "spineless"?

"People want a congressman who stands up and speaks out. People have come to think that a Democratic Congressman with guts is a mythological creature, like a unicorn."

-- Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL), quoted by the Plum Line.

I do believe in unicorns, I do believe in unicorns, I do I do I do. (Apologies to Bert Lahr)

[H]is appeal to Dem base voters resides in the fact that he’s not afraid of GOP attacks, that he doesn’t let Republicans own the debate, that he makes his case as aggressively as he can and hopes for the best — in short, that he fights. [...]

Rank and file Dems across the country have grown so fed up with watching their leadership cower in the face of GOP attacks that they reward this kind of feistiness when they see it — and even regard him as their Representative, Grayson says.

Reward the feisty, dump the wimps. Good idea. But first, we need to scrounge up a few more of the feisty.

Finally! Junior Democrats Want a Fight

By GottaLaff

Bravo! Kick some butt, "juniors":

Junior Senate Democrats are pushing their leaders to take a much more aggressive stance toward the Republican minority, arguing that their defeat of Sen. Jim Bunning’s (R-Ky.) unemployment benefits blockade this week proves a strategy of an active offense is far better than a passive defense.

Here is a list of those who have a-- What's it called again? Oh yeah-- spine:

Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and other members of the 2006 and 2008 classes... plus, Dick Durbin supports them. So does Harry Reid, and so do other newly spined Dems.

Who spiked their Geritol with courage juice? And hey, keep drinking:

The House and Senate Democratic caucuses have long been dominated by senior members of the party, but Whitehouse and his colleagues have the ear of Durbin, who was the leader of Thursday’s floor fight with Bunning.

A senior leadership aide praised Durbin’s work with the chamber’s backbenchers — not only in halting the filibuster, but in turning the controversy into a political liability for Republicans. [...]

Observers said the junior Senators were brought together by their relatively short terms in the Senate — and a shared sense that their party has allowed Republicans to bully the majority too often over the past three years.

A "sense" that they've been bullied? A "sense"? Gee, with powers of perception like that, the Dems are bound to stay in power.

And in another three years, they may discover that the GOP lies, too!

'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Foe Patrick Murphy Turns Up the Heat

By GottaLaff

Go Patrick Murphy! How refreshing, how very novel in fact, to see a member of Congress with a spine, decency, and commitment:

Rep. Patrick Murphy has two pieces of advice for his fellow congressmen: Do what's right, not just what's political. Oh, and don't cross him.

Wait... don't just do what's political? He might think about distributing a Berlitz "How to Speak Do What's Right" to his fellow lawmakers.

As for not crossing him, nobody needs a manual for that.

The Pennsylvania Democrat is currently trying to whip up support for H.R. 1283, which would repeal "don't ask, don't tell," and he's working hard on getting the 218 votes it'll need to pass the House. [...] "... I think some folks in Congress are afraid of keeping their own seats, and that's affecting the change that we all know needs to happen in our country," says Murphy. [...] [H]e's going ahead with pushing for an end to "don't ask" because "we need congressmen and congresswomen and legislators to stand by the courage of their conviction and not worry about the political cycle or when the election is."

Lo ciento, pero no comprendo "stand by the courage of their conviction". Que es?

Murphy is also giving his fellow lawmakers a warning.

Mmm, I love a man with a big warning...

"When they look me in the eye and say, 'I'm going to vote for this when it comes up for a vote,' no matter if they get hit from the left or the right in their own congressional districts, whether they're a Democrat or Republican, I'm going to hold them to their word," Murphy said. "And if they lie to me, it's not going to end well for them. I'm the chair of Red to Blue, so if they're a Republican, I'll go get Democrats that run against them. If they're Democrats, I'm going to have some not-nice words to say to them."

Van Hollen: We'll Hold The GOP Accountable For Opposing Stimulus

By GottaLaff

Hold the GOP accountable? Let me get out my Berlitz Democratic Phrase Book and find a translation for that. It's such an old copy. Everything is on CD now. Leafing through... leafing... ah! Here it is. "Hold the GOP accountable." "See 'spine'".

Darn. Cross referencing is such a pain. Spine.. spine... under S, for Since When Did One of Them Grow One...? Here 'tis!

Appearing today on Fox News Sunday, DCCC chairman Chris Van Hollen said that the Democrats will be going after Republicans for their opposition to the stimulus plan. "Well, we're certainly going to hold people accountable for their votes and explain to the American people what the consequences are," said Van Hollen. "When you've got millions of Americans losing their jobs, it's hard to defend the position that you don't want to get the economy moving again."

I hope more Democrats pick up the language. It's not that hard to learn, and it can even be fun.