GOP Senators filibuster Defense bill for their oil company benefactors

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Wow.

Just when you think the GOP Senate obstructionists can't sink any lower, they do. Brandon Friedman at VetVoice posed the question: "Will Senate Republicans Vote Against the Troops?"

We have our answer. Yes, the Senate Republicans did vote against the troops.

Mitch McConnell and his fellow Republicans have basically been filibustering every bill til the oil companies get what they want. But, surely, they wouldn't put the oil companies over America's defense needs when we're in the middle of two wars??? Wrong. They did. Seriously, they they filibustered a bill, S. 3001, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009, which, among other things, provided pay raises for troops, health care and protection from IEDs. The bill needed 60 votes. Thirty-eight Republicans voted NO against moving forward. Harry Reid (who voted no for procedural reasons) had this to say (via email):

"As has been their hallmark this Congress, Bush-McCain Republicans have once again run away from an important debate, failing to back up their words with action. Despite their strong rhetoric on supporting our troops, they have refused to give them a well-deserved pay raise, denied our troops mine-resistant vehicles to keep them safe and said no to ensuring our servicemen and -women get the health care they need.

"It is this kind of misplaced priorities that is making America less secure. Our military readiness is down, Afghanistan is slipping further into violence, Pakistan remains in crisis, and Osama bin Laden and Ayman al Zawahiri are still on the loose nearly seven years after 9/11. The Iraq war is not only costly, but President Bush and John McCain have provided no plan for responsibly ending the war and returning to the fight against al Qaeda and the Taliban.

The Republicans are despicable. But, it pays. Siding with the oil companies worked financially for John McCain:

Campaign contributions from oil industry executives to Sen. John McCain rose dramatically in the last half of June, after the senator from Arizona made a high-profile split with environmentalists and reversed his opposition to the federal ban on offshore drilling.

Oil and gas industry executives and employees donated $1.1 million to McCain last month -- three-quarters of which came after his June 16 speech calling for an end to the ban -- compared with $116,000 in March, $283,000 in April and $208,000 in May.

Now, the GOPers are putting their oil interests over America's soldiers. Sick.

http://www.americablog.com/2008/07/gop-sen...fense-bill.html

[peejay 327]

They should all be shot by our troops and then the bodies burned with oil supplied by the oil companies.

Along with Harry Reid.

Edited August 1, 2008 by peejay

[IAMX 3,055]

I have to imagine if there were truly outrage about stiffing the troops, people would be marching or would be overwhelming their local Congressman/Senator with mail. There's something about support ribbons that says "armchair activist". So, in reality, Congress doesn't "support the troops", neither does the President and his army of cabinet do-nothings, and neither do the people. So indeed, it is time to bring them home.

I do find it ironic that Democrats are crying foul on "obstructionists". The very last Congress they were doing the same thing. Which really tells me neither side are doing the people's bidding. Both are fighting hard not to do the people's work, but push the agenda of those who finance them. As usual, the "troops" are political fodder to make it seem like they give a #$%@.

Edited August 1, 2008 by SRVT

[Dan J 277]

I have to imagine if there were truly outrage about stiffing the troops, people would be marching or would be overwhelming their local Congressman/Senator with mail. There's something about support ribbons that says "armchair activist". So, in reality, Congress doesn't "support the troops", neither does the President and his army of cabinet do-nothings, and neither do the people. So indeed, it is time to bring them home.

I do find it ironic that Democrats are crying foul on "obstructionists". The very last Congress they were doing the same thing. Which really tells me neither side are doing the people's bidding. Both are fighting hard not to do the people's work, but push the agenda of those who finance them. As usual, the "troops" are political fodder to make it seem like they give a #$%@.

But it was the Republicans last time around, that wanted to do away with the filibuster. Had they done so, they wouldn't be able to do what they are doing today.

[IAMX 3,055]

I have to imagine if there were truly outrage about stiffing the troops, people would be marching or would be overwhelming their local Congressman/Senator with mail. There's something about support ribbons that says "armchair activist". So, in reality, Congress doesn't "support the troops", neither does the President and his army of cabinet do-nothings, and neither do the people. So indeed, it is time to bring them home.

I do find it ironic that Democrats are crying foul on "obstructionists". The very last Congress they were doing the same thing. Which really tells me neither side are doing the people's bidding. Both are fighting hard not to do the people's work, but push the agenda of those who finance them. As usual, the "troops" are political fodder to make it seem like they give a #$%@.

But it was the Republicans last time around, that wanted to do away with the filibuster. Had they done so, they wouldn't be able to do what they are doing today.

They also would have made a larger step in further ensuring what's popularly called today a "rubber stamp Congress". At very least a filibuster makes both sides talk to each other. However, neither really are doing what's best for the people anyways, so they both suck just as much.

[peejay 327]

I have to imagine if there were truly outrage about stiffing the troops, people would be marching or would be overwhelming their local Congressman/Senator with mail. There's something about support ribbons that says "armchair activist". So, in reality, Congress doesn't "support the troops", neither does the President and his army of cabinet do-nothings, and neither do the people. So indeed, it is time to bring them home.

I do find it ironic that Democrats are crying foul on "obstructionists". The very last Congress they were doing the same thing. Which really tells me neither side are doing the people's bidding. Both are fighting hard not to do the people's work, but push the agenda of those who finance them. As usual, the "troops" are political fodder to make it seem like they give a #$%@.

As I have said many times...these people are party hacks...political whores. I've been eligible to vote for 38 years and never registered a party affiliation. I'm an indepndent voter. Anybody that steps into a voting booth and pulls a straight ticket vote is a moron...along with being a party hack and a political #######.

[IAMX 3,055]

I have to imagine if there were truly outrage about stiffing the troops, people would be marching or would be overwhelming their local Congressman/Senator with mail. There's something about support ribbons that says "armchair activist". So, in reality, Congress doesn't "support the troops", neither does the President and his army of cabinet do-nothings, and neither do the people. So indeed, it is time to bring them home.

I do find it ironic that Democrats are crying foul on "obstructionists". The very last Congress they were doing the same thing. Which really tells me neither side are doing the people's bidding. Both are fighting hard not to do the people's work, but push the agenda of those who finance them. As usual, the "troops" are political fodder to make it seem like they give a #$%@.

As I have said many times...these people are party hacks...political whores. I've been eligible to vote for 38 years and never registered a party affiliation. I'm an indepndent voter. Anybody that steps into a voting booth and pulls a straight ticket vote is a moron...along with being a party hack and a political #######.

I can tell you two tickets I won't be voting for -- Democrat and Republican.

Like yourself, I have no party affiliation, even though the only Republican I voted for was Arnold. I was 18 in 2000 and have voted every other year since then, plus some additional ballot propositions. I had been voting Democrat or Independent, but this time for President I'm voting Socialist, and if I can get on any Socialist / Independent / Peace and Freedom / Green / Libertarian candidates, I'll do so. Unfortunately I'll end up with only Democrat/Republican choices in some cases, and those I'll have to leave blank.