Today, Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) voiced his concern that the Senate is moving away the Founders’ vision. No, Senator Reid has not admitted the unconstitutionality of his health care legislation. Rather, in his floor remarks, Senator Reid asserted that the Founders never envisioned the Senate to be a forum for endless debate on legislation: “Because it couldn’t be any further from what the founders had in mind. They didn’t write this esteemed body’s rules so that we could stare at the hands of the clock, which are right up here, as they rotate around each other without end.” In 2009, the Senate is no place for robust debate.
The Democrats claimed otherwise in 2005 and 2008. According to Senate Democrats then, the Founders’ saw the Senate as a check to the president and the House of Representatives and relied on rigorous debate to pass good legislation and to prevent the tyranny of the majority. Senator Reid stated that “without robust debate, the Senate is crippled.” Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) echoed Reid’s sentiment that extended debate is crucial to protect the minority against the “Tyranny of the Majority.” Russ Feingold (D-WI) saw extended debate as necessary to “stand up to the President or to cool the passions of the explicitly majoritarian House.“
When Democrats control Congress and the Presidency in 2009, suddenly the Founders see the role of Senate as rubber stamping legislation without debate or input from the minority party. It’s not the Founders who have changed; it’s the Democrats’ use for them.
What a bunch of ___ hypocrites.
No honor; no intergrity. So much for constitutional intent of safeguards such as checks and balances.
This is eerily similar to the esteemed, recently departed senator, who overnight, apparently "convinced" his state house/senate to change the rules so that a democrat governor could nominate a family friend to fill a senate seat.
This was the same esteemed recently departed senator, who was apparently involved, in getting the democrat house/senate to change the rules, WHEN a Republican governor was in office, so that there would be an election process in the event of a vacant senate seat.
Odd it was HIS seat, a democrat seat, possibly at stake?
It's hard to keep faith with so much shenanighans going on.
are we quickley becoming a fascist state????
will we have a chance to vote for a different president in 2011??
Harry, At the precise point in time that you have bought sufficient votes to pass this legislation, the debate will be over and you can go home for the holidays. Keep talking Harry, the longer this takes, the more likely it is that you will ascertain not all members of your party are without a conscience.
Since that post is old, I'll post my comments about the "unconstitionality" of national health insurance here:
There's some lawyers writing at the Heritage Foundation, right? Did any of them pass Constitutional Law? If they did, they might remember the landmark case of McCulloch v Maryland. It set the precedent that the Congress has *implied powers* to establish new institutions to achieve the written goals, which include providing for the "general welfare". If you want to say making a national health insurance is unconstitutional, you would need to say that the Federal Reserve is also unconstitutional, as they are descended from the National Bank that McCulloch ruled was constitutional. You'd also have to rule Medicare unconstitutional because – guess what – it's also a national health insurance plan!
Oh, the evils of state-run health care. The government better keep their dirty hands off of my Medicare and Social Security.
You're too late. They already used up our social security and have all but bankrupt medicare.
Harry Reid the Tea Leafs. There are millions, not limited to Tea Party Patriots, that disagree with your recollection of what the Founding Fathers intended. The Federal Papers maintains the opposite contention. Protracted debate ensures that there will be no rush to judgment that would be injurious to the citizens of the Republic.
Consequently, I would rate Harry's bluster as simply the rhetoric of an Career Politican removed from the reality of governance of the people, by the people and for the people.
Ron Wilner
Founder and Creator of The Taboo Party
http://www.throwallbumsoutofoffice.com
Throw All Bums Out of Office
thetabooparty@gmail.com
Yes, Reid being pissed about Republicans dissenting is just as absurd as when Republicans insinuated Democrats were unpatriotic because they were blocking Bush's war bills. That's just politics, and unfortunately the game is played the same way by some politicians on both sides.