I'll keep this post short and refer everybody to the outstanding article entitled The Grand Obstructionist Party posted June 27, 2007 in the Carpetbagger Report. That post establishes beyond doubt that the Senate leadership has consciously decided to obstruct votes on any significant piece of legislation moving through Congress. So far the mainstream media has refused to call Republicans on their obstructionism. MSNBC's Chip Reid, reporting on the defeat of the President's immigration bill, actually repeated the Republican claim that this is a do nothing Dem Congress.
The Democratic Congress is a big loser because, more and more, Republicans are accusing them of being a do-nothing CongressWe can add a couple of more Senate blocks to the list. Last Thursday Senator Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) blocked a deal between Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) that would have started up long-stalled conference proceedings on the Lobbying and Ethics Reform Act of 2007
The Employee Free Choice Act, also known as The Card Check bill, was filibustered by Senate Republicans late Tuesday afternoon. An attempt to invoke cloture fell nine votes short of the necessary sixty and failed, 51-48.
Folks, in the coming weeks we are going to hear a lot more out of Republican/Corporate Media shills like Chip Reid. We need to keep in mind that the Senate Republicans have decided to be obstructionists. When you hear Chip Reid or any of the other Republican shill talk about the Do Nothing Dem Congress, shout "Up Or Down Vote, Up Or Down Vote."
You want to help improve the quality of journalism, tell people like Chip Reid to get their facts straight on every issue every time. Merely repeating party generated talking points is no longer acceptable.
UPDATE: I missed this a couple of hours ago, but Natasha T. Metzler quoted Harry Reid in an AP article headlined Reid: Democrats' Agenda Is Progressing as saying "Republican obstruction has gotten so bad that now they're blocking bills that they actually support."
Another bill being held hostage by Republican Senators involves the implementation of 9/11 commission recommendations. Things have gotten so bad Reid is threatening to cancel the August recess. Remember Up Or Down Vote. Get those Republican Rascals on the Record.
SECOND UPDATE: Via Steve Benen writing for TPM. Recently, Senate Minority Whip Trent Lott boasted, "The strategy of being obstructionist can work or fail. So far it's working for us." Robert Borosage is starting a campaign to call bullshit on Republican obstructionism. He thinks we should demand Harry Reid force an old fashioned filibuster on some issue. I didn't know this issue was so hot.
