Republicans Fail Again

by DemFromCT

The Republican crazies in the House will not be denied. It's more important to feed raw meat to the base than to engage in reasonable dialogue with a Republican Senate and a Republican White House. Isn't it interesting that one of the few times Bush proposes something worth discussing, it's the Republicans that balk?

As they prepare for a critical pre-election legislative stretch, Congressional Republican leaders have all but abandoned a broad overhaul of immigration laws and instead will concentrate on national security issues they believe play to their political strength.

With Congress reconvening Tuesday after an August break, Republicans in the House and Senate say they will focus on Pentagon and domestic security spending bills, port security legislation and measures that would authorize the administration’s terror surveillance program and create military tribunals to try terror suspects.

“We Republicans believe that we have no choice in the war against terror and the only way to do it is to continue to take them head-on whether it is in Iraq or elsewhere,” said Representative John A. Boehner of Ohio, the majority leader.

A final decision on what do about immigration policy awaits a meeting this week of senior Republicans. But key lawmakers and aides who set the Congressional agenda say they now believe it would be politically risky to try to advance an immigration measure that would showcase party divisions and need to be completed in the 19 days Congress is scheduled to meet before breaking for the election.

Cowardly House Republicans are afraid of doing what's right for America. After all, Lou Dobbs or Rush might yell at them. And we all know their job is to do what they know best - get reelected on bogus isses like flag burning and gay marriage no matter what real problems and real enemies confront this country.

People really seem to enjoy dumping on Democrats who aren't in power and have been frozen out of policy decisions. Dennis Hastert deliberately closes Democrats out of decision making - the consequneces of yet another failed opportunty for immigration reform falls squarely on Republicans in the House. And whether it's Social Security, energy policy, economic policy that leaves the middle class hurting, personal issues like Terri Schiavo or Iraq just add it to the list of Republican failure of governance.

Comments

[DemFromCT]

Robert (Sweetness and Sunshine) Novak weighs in:

Immigration is the most melancholy element of a depressing Republican year. The Iraq intervention and its aftermath have hurt, and Republican inattention to runaway government spending has been deplorable. But immigration is the issue most likely to cause rank-and-file Republican voters to stay home on Election Day, and it may cost the party its congressional majorities.

[Mimikatz]

They won't finish the appropriations bills except for defense, they won;t adopt a budget reconciliation bill, and thye won't tackle any domestic issues. What a bunch of cowardly failures.

[ab initio]

"What a bunch of cowardly failures."

Will voters do anything about it in Nov? Do they care? I certainly hope they do and take some responsibility for the country's predicament.

[DemFromCT]

As Charlie Cook told MSNBC (referring to R losses), "this cake is baked."

[dlake]

this is so typical of this congress.
Now the MSM say if Dems get in then they will allow immigration to go unchecked. What?!? What are the republicans doing now?
I do believe that the reason that Dimwit is doing nothing in this area is part of the Republican idea of eliminating all New Deal and Great Society programs. Bush cronies Norquist and Rove want all programs gone and so, if there are enough illegals to bankrupt federal programs, help in bankrupting the country, ect., and keep wages down, then it helps.
Privatizing the IRS, trying to with Social Security, ect.
I really believe this immigration problem is part of it. I have heard a couple times this is a dream of Rove's and Norquist's and Bush.