by Matthew Hay Brown
With the legislative session winding down and Senate Democrats growing increasingly frustrated over their inability to pass legislation against the will of a unified Republican minority, Majority Leader Harry Reid issued a plea for bipartisanship - coupled with a warning to his GOP colleagues.
"I would remind my Republican colleagues that the route of continued obstruction is not without cost," the Nevada Democrat said. "Most importantly, it comes at a cost to the American people who are facing Medicare cuts, increasing home foreclosure and ever- higher gas prices because Republicans refused to work with us last work period.
"But continued obstruction comes at a cost to our Republican colleagues themselves as well. The American people see with clear eyes that as our country's economic crisis continues to grow worse, Republicans have only dragged their heels. There is good reason why polls show that Americans favor Democratic control of Congress by the widest margin in the history of polling."
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, for his part, called today for bipartisanship as well - around the Republican Gas Price Reduction Act.
"This bill contains provisions that should be agreeable to both sides of the aisle. It tackles both sides of the energy issue -- by increasing supply and curbing demand. We should do both.
"There are many important issues facing the Congress, but few are more important than addressing the issue of energy. It's time to act, and this balanced approach is a good start."
The trouble for McConnell is that while the bill promotes alternative energy sources and policing oil speculation, which Democrats support, it also would increase domestic drilling, which they do not.
Reid, making his first floor address since returning from the Fourth of July break, named the issues he hoped to tackle before the Senate takes off again for August: gas prices, FISA, Medicare and AIDS relief in Africa, among them.
"This is not a list of Democratic priorities or pet issues," Reid said. "It is not a platform for the 2008 campaign. These are the critical priorities of the American people.
"The next several weeks could be easy, or they could be difficult. If Republicans are willing, we could pass this legislation swiftly and with overwhelming support from both Democrats and Republicans.
"But if past is prologue, Republicans are likely to drag their heels. The Republican leadership and the vast majority of Republican Senators may continue to stand behind a small handful of their Republican colleagues who - for reasons that are hard to understand - would rather we accomplish nothing at all."
Reid appeared to taunt the GOP: "I understand the frustration that Republicans feel as the minority party, with the future looking no brighter for their party than the present."
He said he hoped the Fourth of July could serve as a "turning point."
"That turning point can begin right now, if Republicans will allow us to move forward to debate legislation to lower gas prices and invest in clean, renewable alternative fuels.
"But Senate Republicans are apparently not ready to respond to the deafening calls from their constituents to take action," he added.
• 
• 
• 
• 
Comments
Obstruction, Reid says! No, it's the Democrats who are blocking deep water and domestic drilling for oil to end U.S. dependence on Muslim Arab sheiks. It's the Democrats who are blocking the building of new refineries. It's the Democrats who are blocking more nuclear power plants to ease the burden on heating oil and gas. It's the Democrats who are blocking the construction of clean burning coal fired energy plants. It's the Democrats who are blocking extension of the Bush tax cuts for ALL citizens. It's the Democrats who are blocking judicial appointments to ease the seriously over-stretched court system. And it's the Democrats who are directly responsible for the high gas prices, not only with their base cost but with the enormous taxes they apply to each gallon. Yes, we know who the blockers are and the word begins with (D).
Posted by: Daryl | July 7, 2008 8:50 PM
Sirs;
I was under the apparently false impression that you, the Swamp to be precise, were soliciting and in fact hoping for 'posts' to your political 'blog', as the kids are calling it today.
I came to believe this notion as there appears a box at the bottom of each entry titled 'Comments;' and also a button called 'post' below said box.
Imagine my disappointment....
Posted by: J. Buffington Foulfellow | July 7, 2008 9:38 PM
The American people support drilling so this appears to be a problem for the Dems, not the Republicans.
Posted by: Kate | July 7, 2008 9:48 PM
Harry "Land Deal" Reid - if you want to be the majority, you better start showing some leadership. That abyssmal approval rating all rests of yours and Nancy's shoulders.
Posted by: Terry | July 7, 2008 10:06 PM
Now living in Nevada I can not wait to show my distain for Reid by voting for anybodu who is his opposition in his reelection.I am so sisgusted with his assine talk that I can not even vote for his son.
Posted by: Richard Davis | July 7, 2008 11:01 PM
Daryl has it right. The Republicans better inform the American people that it is Harry Reid and the Democrats who are ruining their lives. In order for energy prices to come down there needs to be more supply. The Democrats are clearly against more supply.
Course, the media will not inform the American public of this. The media is just as much against the American people as are the Democrats. Fact!
Posted by: Green Trees | July 8, 2008 12:46 AM
The Democ"rats" took control of congress in 2006 promising we will make things better. Well I ask you are things better with the Democ"rats" in charge. They keep on blaming the Republicans. You can only sing that song once before voters say "we put you in charge and you have failed". It time for the republicans again. At least gass was cheaper, food prices lower ,and less people were losing there homes.
VJ Machiavelli
http://www.vjmachiavelli.blogspot.com
ps Obama is the Neville Chamberlain of the Democ"rat"ic Party, and that is "CHANGE" for the worst.
Posted by: VJ Machiavelli | July 8, 2008 1:34 AM
Daryl @ 8:50 p.m.
U have absolutely nailed it / them. Harry Reid owns the playbook on partisan / obstructionist politics. The whinely little guy proposes near nothing and points his greasy fingers at every photo opportunity. The standard, predictable democrats do-nothing approach to solving problems, totally consistent too with their No-Energy policy. U can just “Hope” for a consume-able cup of swill on your next visit 2 starbucks. That would be slightly more likely. “Hope” & “change”. What a concept.
Posted by: Django Scott | July 8, 2008 2:38 AM
Harry "Land Deal" Reid - if you want to be the majority, you better start showing some leadership. That abyssmal approval rating all rests of yours and Nancy's shoulders.
Posted by: Terry | July 7, 2008 10:06 PM
Gee Terry "Margin Call,"
maybe legislator's like "Wide stance" Larry Craig and "Pamper me" Vitter who author bills that are totally hypocritical (and ridiculous) have contributed to Congress's poor approval rating. Their ilk had free rein along with the rest of the Right wing socialists for most of the Bush debacle.
Posted by: chimpymcflightsuit'snavigator | July 8, 2008 6:34 AM
Does no one realize that we won't see any effect from domestic drilling til at least 2020? If we become pioneers in renewable energy we'll be the market the rest of the world comes to look at in developing new technologies and revitalize our automobile industry. Oil, whether foreign or domestic, is a dead industry. Developing and leading in new, renewable industries is the way to make America great once again.
Posted by: Ahsan | July 8, 2008 12:40 PM
Chimpy John E,
Leadership on the energy issue like that provided by the two Congressman from Illinois today. Nancy and Harry will want to kill this idea since they just want the issue for the fall.
Posted by: Terry | July 8, 2008 4:03 PM
Chimpy John E,
Leadership - like the two Republican Congressman from Illinois have shown today. Harry and Nancy should take a lesson.
Posted by: Terry | July 8, 2008 5:27 PM