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One week in, and Dems are already making political gifts to Republicans
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01/15/07 06:42 AM ET
It took just a week for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to give Republicans something to celebrate. Yes, one week in power and the Democrats suffered political embarassments in BOTH chambers.
In the House, Republicans found that while the Northern Mariana Islands -- long exempted from a federal minimum wage thanks to hard-fought efforts by the territory's star lobbyist, Jack Abramoff -- were now subjected to the minimum wage in the bill that passed Wednesday, but American Samoa remained exempt. Long story about tuna canneries that employ 75 % of Samoans and, should the companies leave, the island could be wiped out. One tuna company, Star Kist, happens to be located in Pelosi's district.
On to foul odor number two. Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) got clever and decided to bring a DeMint-Pelosi bill to the Senate floor including the Democrats House-passed earmark restrictions. Reid moved to table it but reformist Democrats joined the opposition to defeat him. Any bill that survives a tabling should be passed right away by voice vote but the leaders scrambled to keep it open with technical questions. Reid is arguing that the House legislation was passed without adequate deliberation and that the Senate needs to pass its own ethics reform, a bill with fewer earmark restrictions. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) isn't having this and plans more amendments aimed right at Reid whose children are all lobbyists who can benefit from earmarks written by Reid or his colleagues.
Democrats should remember, Republicans now resigned to life in the bleak minority, won't be inclined to pass up any political gifts. How many do Democrats want to hand them?
In the House, Republicans found that while the Northern Mariana Islands -- long exempted from a federal minimum wage thanks to hard-fought efforts by the territory's star lobbyist, Jack Abramoff -- were now subjected to the minimum wage in the bill that passed Wednesday, but American Samoa remained exempt. Long story about tuna canneries that employ 75 % of Samoans and, should the companies leave, the island could be wiped out. One tuna company, Star Kist, happens to be located in Pelosi's district.
On to foul odor number two. Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) got clever and decided to bring a DeMint-Pelosi bill to the Senate floor including the Democrats House-passed earmark restrictions. Reid moved to table it but reformist Democrats joined the opposition to defeat him. Any bill that survives a tabling should be passed right away by voice vote but the leaders scrambled to keep it open with technical questions. Reid is arguing that the House legislation was passed without adequate deliberation and that the Senate needs to pass its own ethics reform, a bill with fewer earmark restrictions. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) isn't having this and plans more amendments aimed right at Reid whose children are all lobbyists who can benefit from earmarks written by Reid or his colleagues.
Democrats should remember, Republicans now resigned to life in the bleak minority, won't be inclined to pass up any political gifts. How many do Democrats want to hand them?
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