Republicans, you lost. Stop your whining!
Kari Chisholm
All week long, we've been hearing Republican congresscritters complain about the unfairness of the rules imposed by the new Democratic majority in Congress. These are, of course, the very same rules that the GOP imposed on the Dems for all these years.
It's rather astonishing, really. They're bitching and moaning - as if they had no idea that these were the rules that the Democrats were suffering under for years.
Should Congress have more of an open process? You bet. Should there be more oppportunity for the minority to submit amendments, debate openly, bring legislation to the floor? Sure.
But, as the saying goes, what's good for the goose is good for the gander. It is the height of hypocrisy for the Republicans to complain now. Does anyone believe that they were going to do away with these hardline majoritarian rules if they had hung on to the majority? Anyone at all?
Now, in a few weeks, the Democrats are going to open up the rules a bit. They know just how anti-democratic the old Republican rules were - and they're going to fix 'em. But let's be clear... anything they do comes from the "turning the other cheek" department.
When the congressional Democrats start to share power, it'll be from a deep well of magnanimity, and a confidence in the power of their ideas. After all, the Republicans had to strong-arm things - otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to muster an honest majority for many of their bills.
What about Oregon? Speaker-elect Jeff Merkley has made it clear that he's going open up the process, be more magnanimous, allow the power of our ideas to carry the day - not merely the power of his gavel.
But eventually, there will be a moment when the Oregon Republicans don't get their way. Some amendment won't be allowed on the floor, or some ridiculous right-wing drivel won't be given a full hearing.
And then, don't be surprised to hear similar whining from Wayne Scott and his freshly disempowered friends. Just like the national R's, the Oregon R's will bitch and moan and complain.
So, let's take a look back at what happened in 2005. As Representative Mitch Greenlick told the AP in August 2005:
"This is an absolute outrage and a pure affront to the rule of the majority and the minority. As it stands now, the leadership of the House has absolute ability to stop any bill or any vote from happening."
And boy did Wayne Scott and Karen Minnis use and abuse their power. Some of their greatest hits:
- Karen Minnis makes the Clerk of the House a partisan appointee.
- Mid-session, Karen Minnis abandons the joint Ways & Means committee. (Here, too.)
- The House Budget Committee passed 30 budget bills without public notice or public hearings.
- Wayne Scott retaliates against Arnie Roblan.
- Wayne Scott lies about state trooper cuts, and retaliates against the State Police
- "Our childish legislature", by Russell Sadler.
And just in case you don't think that process drives policy, look back to this post by Jeff Merkley - where he outlines the giveaways from House Republicans to tobacco companies, drug companies, insurance companies, school bureaucrats, corporate polluters, predatory lenders, and tax cheats.
I'm looking forward to Speaker Jeff and his Democrats. They'll open up the process, reduce the partisanship, allow more debate -- all because we've got the power of good ideas on our side. Hopefully, the Republicans won't whine. But I'm not hopeful about that.
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1:32 a.m.
Jan 5, '07
Full disclosure: In 2006, I helped a bunch of Oregon House Democrats with their websites. But I speak only for myself.
Jan 5, '07
Actually, I rather enjoyed listening to the hypocrites whine. The GOP made it abundantly clear that they would do everything in their power to delay the Democratic Party's 100 hour agenda, by dumping the fiscal workload of the 109th Congress on the 110th, and by Bush's 'bipartisan' noises about several issues, like trying to couple the minimum wage increase with more tax cuts. To prevent thus, the Democratic leadership was correct to muzzle the GOP with their own rules until that agenda is passed. However, I supported Nancy Pelosi's minority bill of rights when she first introduced it, and think I would be a hypocrite not to support it after the 100 hour agenda has passed and out of danger partisan attempts to defuse it. In the meantime, I must confess to a certain amount of glee at watching the GOP snivel.
Jan 5, '07
I am looking forward to moving Oregon Forward... and do take some sense of justice in at least seeing Minnis being reduced to a minor member of the legislature.
9:34 a.m.
Jan 5, '07
The entire time the GOP were in the majority--in Oregon and DC--they had a vicious, attack-dog approach that was characteristic of an opposition party. It's something the Dems, so long used to governing like adults, never really got the hang of. I am not surprised that the GOP whines about the Dem majority now--hell, they whined about the Dem minority. Of all the special talents of the GOP--corruption, ineptitude, narrow-mindednes--their greatest is whining. It is appropriate that they are back in the minority, where opposition-party tactics are a better fit.
No, I'm not bitter.
Jan 5, '07
Nothing "astonishing" about it. Of course they're a bunch of hypocritical crybabies. They're conservative Republicans, dude! Whining and double standards are wired into their DNA.
Personally, I'd like to see them operate under their old rules for the next six months or so -- payback - before the Democrats generously lift their boot and put a fair system into place. It would be just desserts. Maybe even teach the Repubs a lesson or two about fair play.
9:40 a.m.
Jan 5, '07
Don't forget Minnis holding an unscheduled, lunchtime committee meeting on SB1000, in order to hide the bill by transferring it to the Budget committee, where not even a minority report challenge could bring it to the floor. And why did she do it? Because she knew it would pass...
Firedoglake has the right picture to answer the local and national whining.
Jan 5, '07
True enough, the Republicans are getting their just desserts now, and their protestations are certainly hypocritical.
But, as I recently wrote here, I think this 100 hours push by Pelosi & Co. actually plays into the hands of the Republicans. Cutting them out of the process for these first bills helps legitimize any Bush vetoes that may be coming (and I fully expect at least one of these bills to be vetoed). And while the Democrats have a solid majority in the House, it isn't veto-proof. This could turn out to be a major stumble right out of the gate for the House Dems.
In Oregon, the Democrats have no such impediment as they control the Executive as well. So the legislature can be fairly certain that anything they pass will be signed into law.
Democrats at the state level have real, unchecked power (unlike at the national level) so they really don't have to work with Republicans in Oregon. I hope they do (and expect they will), for the good of the state, but they don't really have to. Dems at the national level need to work with Republicans, but are acting like they don't, and that's going to come back and bite them soon.
Jan 5, '07
I think it's less whining than it is gaining power from acting like a victim. It's like evangelicals who constantly harp on their claim that they're discriminated against, but who then hold politicans' feet to the fire when the votes are delivered to them, and get what they want. "Christians" have generally ruled the western world since Constantine (not an original thought -- Jon Stewart said it), and Republicans have been slopping at the trough of power for a long time.
Jan 5, '07
ahhh, comeuppance. i like the minnis examples of republicans refusing to allow bills to get votes. in her case, the bills were extremely popular to boot. this happened at the national level, too -- many democratic amendments were not allowed. if i had more time, i'd dig up the instances, but i gotta get to work.
i'd like the democrats to turn the other cheek a few weeks from now, but not until after they stop republicans from continuing their reign of do-nothing.
Jan 5, '07
Here are the thoughts of Republican activist Grover Norquist on serving in the minority, as reported last year in the Washington Post:
6:35 a.m.
Jan 6, '07
The one rule that baffles me the most is the one that allows the majority party to determine committee membership from BOTH parties. (The one that allowed Minnis to put Kelley Wirth in such an unfortunate position.) What could be more anti-democratic than choosing the weakest of your opposing party for each committee?
It seems to me the right thing to do is to change that rule in a way that lasts, regardless what party is in power. I'm no legal expert, and I have no idea what that would take - but I hope it gets done.
By the way, Kari, this is a great post - it's especially useful to have a list of the worst offenses all in one place.
10:43 a.m.
Jan 8, '07