More Boring "Snake Oil" From Congress?
Hardly. Have a Listen.
In the past week, MeanMesa has encountered two Congressional voices which speak with an astonishing, reassuring and revitalizing directness. Amid the lack luster, "run of the mill" Democrats in the House -- each of whom seems paralyzed with the fear of facing an imaginary horde of non-existent Tea Baggers at the next election -- these two gentlemen stand out as if they were light houses on a distant rocky shore!
The first of the two is found in an email from one of MeanMesa's favorites, Alan Grayson. The letter is posted below, and the link to Grayson's comments can be found there. MeanMesa strongly suggests that you devote a few minutes to listen to what Grayson had to say.
Hey. You'll feel better -- a MeanMesa Promise!
The Grayson email.
Dear MeanMesa,
Well, we did it. We got some help for Americans who are living in their cars, and Americans who are eating cat food out of a can. Americans who have been out of work for almost two years, and then saw the right wing block their unemployment insurance payments for months.
Here is some interesting commentary on the speech that started it:
Listen to the You Tube video of the speech:
After that speech, the Senate voted to release the funds, the House voted yesterday, the President will sign the bill, and we're done.
We didn't get sidetracked by Dan Gainor's assault threat on Tuesday, or Mr. Anonymous' assassination threat on Wednesday.
Call them out.
Make them squirm.
Don't let them bully us.
Don't back down.
That's how we do it.
And it's working. Because in the House vote, 30 of the 179 Republicans peeled off from the all-powerful No Caucus, and voted to release the unemployment insurance funds. For the first time, they got that funny feeling that you get when you exercise a muscle that you didn't even know you had. That funny feeling the Republicans experienced was . . . a pang of conscience.
Evidently, 30 out of 179 Republicans in the House now have a functioning conscience. It's a start.
Truth,
Rep. Alan Grayson
The second of the two Congressional speeches is by Anthony Weiner, a Democrat from New York. MeanMesa hands the wheel over to the Huffington Post. The reporter is Sam Stein.
Anthony Weiner (D-New York) Goes Ballistic At GOP For Killing 9/11 Responders Health Care Bill
House Republicans late Thursday were able to corral enough votes to defeat a bill that would have provided up to $7.4 billion in aid to those sickened by toxins resulting from the 9/11 attacks.
In the process, they set off a host of fiery speeches and denunciations from their Democratic colleagues and produced a veritable YouTube moment from Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y), whose district includes many of the affected.
At the heart of the debate was a procedural maneuver made by Democrats to suspend the rules before consideration of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act. The move allowed leadership to block potential GOP amendments to the measure (there was worry that Republicans would attach something overtly partisan in hopes that it could pass on the otherwise widely-popular measure). It also meant that the party needed a two-thirds majority vote.
When the final tally was announced, there were 255 representatives for the measure, 159 against. The defeat of the bill, which would have provided free health care to those affected during the 9/11 rescue and recovery, likely means that the court system will have to settle compensation issues.
Weiner spoke right before the vote when it was clear that Republican lawmakers would stake their opposition on grounds of procedural concerns. But for the grace of the C-SPAN cameras, he managed to stay physically behind his lectern.
"The gentleman will sit!" he declared at one point, addressing, it is believed, Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.). "The gentleman is correct in sitting!"
You can hear his speech through the following link:
Okay, okay. Now, just calm down. Go ahead and make plans to get to work on the mid-term elections.
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