President Obama and Senate Democrats agreed on Tuesday to a three-bill agenda that they believe will strengthen their party for November’s midterm elections.John Cole and BooMan are both right: Obama has accomplished a hell of a lot and that has been completely lost in the narrative. This Congress really has been the most productive in ages. The problem is despite a massive oil disaster that will decimate the Gulf Coast for years and evidence that this is the hottest year on record, despite 59 Democrats in the Senate, 59% of the House, and the White house all under their control, the Democrats are going to let climate legislation die.
Democrats agreed to send the Wall Street reform conference report, an extension of unemployment benefits and legislation bolstering credit for small businesses to Obama’s desk in the next two weeks.
They calculate that all three bills fit the party’s campaign narrative that Democrats are standing up for working people while Republicans act for Wall Street and corporate interests.
The three-bill agenda also embraces the notion that politics is the art of the possible, for the party appears to have the votes to pass these pieces of legislation.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) announced that the Senate will take up energy legislation before the August recess, but it is far from clear whether that bill will reach Obama’s desk.
Energy and climate legislation was not discussed Tuesday in a meeting between Obama and a group of Senate Democrats at the White House.
We have more problems than we have the political will to fix them, and the unfortunate part is because of that we will continue to suffer. Yes, you cannot expect all of the problems Obama inherited to be addressed in 2 years, that's insane. But it will only get harder to address them from here on out. If all that has happened this year has still made climate legislation impossible in Washington, then what will it take?
We're fresh out of miracles, people.
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1 comment:
Evening up congress and forcing debate may get some real solutions out. In the end people have to stop deciding positions based on party lines.
We need to address the lack of enforced regulation with the oil industry, we need to address our lack of an independent energy plan (which has gone on for what? 8+ presidents now), we need to come up with real solutions for immigration reform and we definitely need to have people keep a very close eye on Wall St. Preferably someone who's armed...
Broad issues with varying solutions.
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