Secrecy in the Senate

[Jeff]

http://www.durangoherald.com/asp-bin/article_generation.asp?article_type=opin&article_path=/opinion/opin070603_2.htm

[Judy G. Russell]

http://www.durangoherald.com/asp-bin/article_generation.asp?article_type=opin&article_path=/opinion/opin070603_2.htmSome of the Senate rules have really got to be changed. The idea that one Senator can object, secretly, and hold up important legislation is really outrageous.

[Lindsey]

Some of the Senate rules have really got to be changed. The idea that one Senator can object, secretly, and hold up important legislation is really outrageous.
Actually, the Majority Leader is not required to honor the hold. But here's the thing: that hold serves, basically, as a notice that the Senator who has placed it may filibuster any motion to proceed on the bill. So the hold itself is only an alternative measure to a filibuster, and you won't accomplish anything by getting rid of the hold without also getting rid of the filibuster.

HOWEVER -- what the Senate could do away with is the practice of making the hold secret. Blogs have become instrumental in this -- I know TPM has on several occasions gotten its readers involved in campaigns to uncover the identify of the Senator who has placed a secret hold by having them contact their Senators and ask point-blank whether he/she is responsible for the hold. TPM tabluates the answers, and by process of elmination, will usually uncover the identity of the Senator responsible. (See, for example, http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/001428.php.)

There have been efforts to end the practice of secret holds in the recent past, and it's not a partisan issue. Sens. Grassley and Inhofe, both Republicans, have introduced bills to end the practice of secret holds. Sens. Ron Wyden and Ken Salazar, both Democrats, were a co-sponsors of Inhofe's 2006 amendment, and in 1997, Trent Lott and Tom Daschle worked together to actually ban the practice and require that holds be made public. What happened in 1997 is that Senators would wait until the last minute to place a hold, and it ended up wasting a good deal of time, so the ban was scrapped.

--Lindsey

[Judy G. Russell]

HOWEVER -- what the Senate could do away with is the practice of making the hold secret.That's my big complaint -- the secrecy: "I don't like this and I'm going to stop it, but I won't tell you why."

[Jeff]

That's my big complaint -- the secrecy: "I don't like this and I'm going to stop it, but I won't tell you why."

Jeeze, you people are complaining about it. I didn't even know it was happening.

- Jeff

[Judy G. Russell]

Jeeze, you people are complaining about it. I didn't even know it was happening.Until (unless!) somebody squeals, nobody knows it's happening!

[Lindsey]

That's my big complaint -- the secrecy: "I don't like this and I'm going to stop it, but I won't tell you why."
Absolutely. And if it's out in the open, it's much less likely someone is going to do it -- when bloggers have forced the exposure of the Senator who placed the hold, it's usually withdrawn. But it takes a coordinated effort; Senators don't usually respond to people from outside their state.

--Lindsey

[Lindsey]

Jeeze, you people are complaining about it. I didn't even know it was happening.
What can I say -- I'm a news/politics junkie.

--Lindsey

[Jeff]

What can I say -- I'm a news/politics junkie.

--Lindsey

Yeah, I love people like you, to save me from clueless people like me.

- Jeff

[Lindsey]

Yeah, I love people like you, to save me from clueless people like me.
You're very kind -- some people would say I should get a life!

Then again, the antics of politicians can make for great theater. Who would ever have believed a Congressman would actually store $90K of bribe money in his freezer? Talk about cold, hard cash! If you put that in a novel, the critics would say you were making it to fantastical.

Jon Stewart had a good line on the Jefferson indictment. After a seemingly endless recitation of the long list of counts in the indictment, he said, "Now we know what a black man in New Orleans has to do to get the attention of the Federal government."

--Lindsey

[Judy G. Russell]

Jon Stewart had a good line on the Jefferson indictment. After a seemingly endless recitation of the long list of counts in the indictment, he said, "Now we know what a black man in New Orleans has to do to get the attention of the Federal government."ROFL!!! Great line!

[Pats]

Great line by Jon Stewart there! Thanks, Lindsey.

And speaking of the Jefferson indictment, I heard that a couple of days ago Fox "News" did a report on it, illustrating it with video of ...none other than Michigan's fearless gadfly Congressman John Conyers!

Pats

[Lindsey]

And speaking of the Jefferson indictment, I heard that a couple of days ago Fox "News" did a report on it, illustrating it with video of ...none other than Michigan's fearless gadfly Congressman John Conyers!
I heard that! Leave it to Fox Noise not to be able to tell one black Congressman from another...

--Lindsey

[Judy G. Russell]

And speaking of the Jefferson indictment, I heard that a couple of days ago Fox "News" did a report on it, illustrating it with video of ...none other than Michigan's fearless gadfly Congressman John Conyers!Oh for pete's sake... "they all look alike" to Fox???

[Pats]

Well, yeah!

I heard they later excused it saying "A new, inexperienced 23-year-old production assistant grabbed the wrong tape." Uh huh, it's easy to mix up labels saying "John Conyers" or "William Jefferson." Or, just how DO they label the tapes at Fox?

[Lindsey]

I heard they later excused it saying "A new, inexperienced 23-year-old production assistant grabbed the wrong tape."
Do you notice that these guys always finger some low-level member of the staff when they commit a major-league screw up? It's always somebody else's fault. Way to take responsibility, guys!

--Lindsey

[Judy G. Russell]

Do you notice that these guys always finger some low-level member of the staff when they commit a major-league screw up? It's always somebody else's fault. Always always always. They never make mistakes. Ever. (Remember the 2004 debate with the question to Bush.)

[Pats]

It's just SO hard to get good help these days.


Do you notice that these guys always finger some low-level member of the staff when they commit a major-league screw up? It's always somebody else's fault. Way to take responsibility, guys!

--Lindsey

[Lindsey]

Always always always. They never make mistakes. Ever. (Remember the 2004 debate with the question to Bush.)
It just goes to show what cowards they are.

--Lindsey

[Lindsey]

It's just SO hard to get good help these days.

LOL!!! :p