Tea Party Era Begins With Refusal To Debate 'Omnibus' Spending Bill

WASHINGTON -- The new, more Republican Congress won't arrive in town until next month, but the Tea Party Era unofficially began on the Hill Thursday night.

Republican leaders in Congress, blindsided by grassroots fury over the tax cut deal they made with President Obama, are now scrambling to show their allegiance to the anti-federal, anti-debt movement.

The GOP brass, led by Senate party leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), did so tonight by eagerly backing the successful efforts of Tea Party favorites to block debate on a $1.1 trillion "omnibus" spending bill that would fund the entire federal government until next October -- but which contained billions of dollars in "earmarks" Republicans, including McConnell, once stoutly defended.

The omnibus bill also contained the spending priorities of the Obama administration and the soon-to-be-ended Democratic-controlled Congress.

GOP senators, led by Tea Party acolyte Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), had demanded the entire 2,000 page bill be read by the Senate clerk -- a formality that is almost always dispensed with. Most of DeMint's colleagues privately dismiss him as a grandstanding freelancer who backed extremists who lost seats the GOP should have won. But McConnell and the rest of his team not only didn't want to challenge DeMint on the spending bill, they were glad to join him in showing their newfound distaste for earmarks.

Senate aides say it could have taken 50 hours to read the entire bill aloud. Democratic leader Sen. Harry Reid would then have invoked cloture and, assuming he wins the vote, there would be 30 more hours of debate. That could push a final vote on the measure -- which would still have to be approved in the House -- until Christmas Eve.

But Reid announced Thursday night that he didn't have the votes he needed to block the maneuver or ensure debate after the reading of the bill. The reason, he said, is that nine Republicans who initially promised to support him had changed their minds.

Game, set, match Tea Party.

In the meantime, Congress now must pass another temporary stop gap "continuing resolution" to fund the government at current levels -- a measure that would not reflect any new Obama programs or policies, but which also would not have any new earmarks.

Comments

[Richhoho]

04:53 AM on 12/22/2010

A lot of political and even social issues are not yet resolve. The worst part is, they are rampantly increasing. If these issues will be unresolve it may lead the US empire to colapse. It is the perfect time to work out the figures for the new fiscal year, and Democratic senators have introduced a $1 trillion omnibus spending bill on the floor that has Republicans seeing red, reports College News. It is almost 2,000 pages long, which could discourage some from really reading everything inside. The real problem to Republicans isn't the length of the bill, however the reported 20,000-plus earmarks stuffed inside.

[Bob Rousseau]

09:45 AM on 12/20/2010

The republicans would be better off to simply tell the tea bags to go pound sand. The tea bags are a confused group of baby boomers that don't know their ash from their elbow. They feel they are "doing something" by dressing in those ridiculous patriot costumes and making noise at rallys. Little do they know, they are ruining their own selves and families. Tea bag extremists need to go away. Next year they will be met by the largets organized group this country has ever known. This group is already forming and will be a counter to the tea bags.

[proudem]

08:28 AM on 01/14/2011

I agree with your post but who is the largest organized group this country has ever known? f&f

[Largo Lagg]

09:10 AM on 12/20/2010

I just don't know how any of us can defend that 2000 page bill. We have no idea what was in it, nor did our representatives. This year's Congress handled spending in the most irresponsible of ways - relying on incompetency and deceit.

It is one thing to support one's side, but to support bad government? How desperate is the left for power, that it will defend the worst behavior in pursuit of some principle that the behavior doesn't even represent? The conduct on the left should be above reproach, and there is plenty of reason to pour our derision on the way our Congress conducted itself.

[Dustee]

12:06 PM on 12/20/2010

I'm sure that was an announcement from FOX news and their affiliates. It has been reported by non-partisan professionals that they have the most misinformed people in our country.

Anything, and I do mean anything that's reported as a negative against FOX, they will immediately say it's something from the 'left' that will keep you ignorant of the true facts forever.

[bobncar]

11:34 PM on 12/19/2010

The republican / tea party mantra........."Support the troops but don't raise my taxes. Borrow the money from China instead."

[sojourning]

09:39 PM on 12/19/2010

This is not the teabagger era, Howard. This is the era of ignorance, hypocrisy, pathological lying, and cowardice . . . of which the teabaggers are only a significant part.

[jamw]

06:01 PM on 12/19/2010

My goodness...what a stately position they have taken, true statesmen they are...whine, whine, whine and I'm not gonna talk about it neener, neener, neener...GROW THE HE- LL UP or pull a Palin and just quit and let us get some people in Congress who want work and help straighten out this country's mess.

[sojourning]

09:45 PM on 12/19/2010

Shhhhh! They're just entertaining themselves and then patting themselves on the back.

[proudem]

08:37 AM on 01/14/2011

made me giggle. fanned

[uncleebbie]

06:01 PM on 12/19/2010

since the very people decrying the earmarks had earmarks of their own in the bill, is it possible their thinking went like this: hmm, i want to push the vote on the bill until next year when my cohorts have more power so I will put in earmarks and then say hey there are earmarks in here so i won't vote for it. I am thinking this may have been their thinking all along, To which I say: sheesh!

[Hillbilly49]

05:41 PM on 12/19/2010

Conservatives are not necessarily stu-pid, but most stu-pid people are conservatives.



John Stuart Mill

[Em Smilez]

06:14 PM on 12/19/2010

Name calling.

Brilliant.

[Hillbilly49]

09:12 AM on 12/20/2010

"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." ~ George W. Bush

[Largo Lagg]

08:50 AM on 12/20/2010

That's why he has so many fans here. Name calling passes for intelligent discourse.

[Hillbilly49]

09:11 AM on 12/20/2010

"I am here to make an announcement that this Thursday, ticket counters and airplanes will fly out of Ronald Reagan Airport."  ~ George W. Bush

[impermanentlife]

04:58 PM on 12/19/2010

They would not recognize a tea party if it was put in front of them. Scones, clotted cream, champagne, fresh fruit, and other assorted delights. There is nothing delightful about this so called "tea party"!

[MiamiMama]

04:49 PM on 12/19/2010

The Tea Party would have been more effective if it included EVERYONE that was fed up with Washington. It became too much about Obama, Palin, Beck and Rush. That eliminated many people that were not to the extreme. Many people across the country do not like what is happening. They should have found common ground, nominated people that were like Scott Brown and others and they would have had more success.

[sojourning]

09:40 PM on 12/19/2010

. . . or John Brown.

[Lorindol]

04:16 PM on 12/19/2010

"Tea Party Era" - yikes!

[Em Smilez]

04:24 PM on 12/19/2010

To paraphrase Mr. Obama after he took office in 2009;

Elections have consequences. We won the election.

[Lorindol]

04:32 PM on 12/19/2010

Well, some of them anyway. You're right - there will be consequences . . . the most likely one being "Obama wins Reelection!" Getting these folks in office is the best way to knock off the romantic pixie dust and reveal them for who they really are. It won't be pretty. And the pendulum will swing back the other direction.

[freethinkergirl]

07:27 PM on 12/20/2010

Yep...and all those baggers are hiring lobbyist and taking more $$$$$$ from special interests....even the teaparty is up in arms about their hypocrisy....

[wikwox]

02:54 PM on 12/19/2010

Tea Party or not don't expect Washington to change, the new members will spout a mean Tea laden line or two but underneath will be just as intent on bacconeering as thier predecessors.

[GreenKate]

02:34 PM on 12/19/2010

GOP grandstanding about earmarks is ridiculous when defense grew from 359 billion per year to nearly 800 billion under W. How much did Cheney and his pals get?

[yoursotruly]

02:15 PM on 12/19/2010

Has anyone noticed the difference between the way the Republican Party treats tea party activists and the way the Democratic Party treats liberals. Republicans had big losses in 2008 and responded by moving right, refusing to criticize even the most wacky extremes in their coalition and strengthening their principles while refusing to compromise on anything. The Democrats are moving away from their base, calling liberals crazy, abandoning their principles and cooperating fully with the Republicans. The Republican strategy was wildly successful and how many think that the Democrats will succeed by doing the opposite? Yeah, that's shrewd Democratic politics. I predict another shellacking in 2012 and then MAYBE Democrats will learn. I'm not holding my breath, I work for my causes outside the Party.

[cue]

03:22 PM on 12/19/2010

You're right. But I think the reason for the difference in response between the parties is, the traditional Democrat/Republican dichotomy is a myth. The real demarcation should be viewed now as Liberal/Conservative.

Regardless of party designation, Liberal activists rebelled to form this country; conservatives preached loyalty to the king.

Liberals worked to secure equality, fairness, secular and religious freedom, a clean environment, safe food and consumer products; conservatives opposed the abolition of slavery, women's suffrage, Social Security, civil rights and Medicare, financial reform, consumer safety, improvements to the environment.

Liberals work for Government FOR the people since we view the Government AS the people; conservatives advocate for a Hobbs-ian society since they view the Government as the oppressor.

The Dem party has become way too heavily contaminated with conservatives to be a useful vehicle for getting the country back on track or to inspire loyalty and enthusiasm. If the party was paying attention, they would have noticed that a large number percent of conservative, Blue Dog dems lost their seats in the last round and they would realize their future might require a shift back toward their liberal roots.

[Largo Lagg]

09:05 AM on 12/20/2010

He's right, and you score about a 50.

The Tea Party is but one example of Conservatives who are rebelling against the party and the state.

Democrat blue dogs did not lose their elections because they were too conservative. They were faux Republicans in mostly red districts who lost the support of the Obama wave... it was so big last time, it washed them up on shore, stranded.

This is a country built on distrust of the government...and with good reason. History is littered with examples of tyrannical governments, replaced by other tyrannical governments. Somehow we are immune from this?

Even liberal Obama lies to get support for his preferences. Witness the healthcare purchase requirement - a fee in the debate, a tax in the court. Also, in the recent START treaty debate, objections and concerns are not answered with convincing explanations, but rather technically true rebuttals that avoid the core of the objections. Maybe you can excuse the tax thing, because that's just politics, but more than a few readers, with good reason, here have a reputation for disgust for lies concerning the conduct of foreign policy.

Almost all liberal ideas in this country have produced political polarization. From Social Security to welfare to Obamacare, a sizable chunk of the population wants nothing to do with it... because once adopted, these programs take self-sufficiency away from our society, and replace it with dependence on a dubious benefactor.

[BrightNBeautiful]

02:12 PM on 12/19/2010

The Bipartisanship Racket!

JEEZ, can’t we all just get along? Can’t we be civilized? Can’t we reach across the aisle, find common ground and get things done? Can’t we have a new Morning in America as clubby and chipper as MSNBC’s daily gabfest, “Morning Joe”?

This is actually the manifesto of the new political organization called No Labels. It’s no surprise that its official debut last week prompted derisive laughter from all labels across the political spectrum, not to mention Gawker, which deemed it “the most boring political movement of all time.” But attention must be paid. In its patronizing desire to instruct us on what is wrong with our politics, No Labels ends up being a damning indictment of just how alarmingly out of touch the mainstream political-media elite remains with the grievances that have driven Americans to cynicism and despair in the 21st century’s Gilded Age.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/19/opinion/19rich.html?src=me&ref=general