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Abuse of Power

Wow. Just wow. I knew that Republicans were the party of no, but I didn’t realize that they would argue that it would be an abuse of power to just do your frickin’ job.

So here is the situation. Obama’s Attorney General Eric Holder has resigned. Obama will now nominate someone, who has to be confirmed by the Senate. Only a majority vote is required (no filibusters are allowed), so this should be pretty straightforward.

But wait. What if Republicans gain a majority in the Senate, which polls are projecting that they will do in November? Then the Senate could block approval of any nominee and hold the nomination hostage until their demands are met. Don’t think they would do this? Did you forget that they recently shut down the entire US government because Obama wouldn’t repeal the ACA?

So the GOP is already calling for delays in any confirmation hearings or votes, even though Obama hasn’t even nominated anyone yet.

Republican senator Ted Cruz is leading the charge, declaring in a statement “Allowing Democratic senators, many of whom will likely have just been defeated at the polls, to confirm Holder’s successor would be an abuse of power that should not be countenanced.”

OMG, he is practically drooling at the prospect of taking over the Senate. He wants the Senate to stop doing anything until then.

I fear that the last two years of the Obama administration are going to see even crazier levels of Republican obstructionism.

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8 Comments

  1. PatriotSGT wrote:

    So is Ted Cruz the new Palin or Bachman? We need to get idiots like that out of congress. I’m not against conservatives, I am very much a fiscal conservative, but bat-shit stupid is what I really can’t stand. The Jr Senator from TX just doesn’t seem to understand how gov’t works. By the time holder’s successor takes over he’ll only have less then 2 years before a new President comes on board and is replaced. A small mind from a large state, jeez.

    Friday, September 26, 2014 at 6:10 am | Permalink
  2. Iron Knee wrote:

    I personally believe that Cruz is far more dangerous than either Palin or Bachmann, because of his close connections to Goldman Sachs (his wife is a managing director). But like Palin and Bachmann, he seems willing to say almost anything to get attention.

    Friday, September 26, 2014 at 8:04 am | Permalink
  3. Dan wrote:

    ??? the second to the last line???
    The Senate has been doing something?

    Friday, September 26, 2014 at 10:22 am | Permalink
  4. Judith Kurland wrote:

    These continual complaints about “Obamacare” but enjoying their new health insurance are a sure sign of racism. They dislike the term because they dislike that an intelligent, thoughtful, black man was elected president twice and they hate that. Call it by its name – Racism.

    Friday, September 26, 2014 at 1:02 pm | Permalink
  5. Michael wrote:

    I wouldn’t compare Cruz to Palin or Bachmann. I’ve always found the latter two just rather inept and incompetent. In contrast, I find Cruz to be a competent but radical and obstinate zealot. Like IK, I find that much more dangerous for the future of governance.

    Friday, September 26, 2014 at 1:07 pm | Permalink
  6. westomoon wrote:

    I fear that the last two years of the Obama administration are going to see even crazier levels of Republican obstructionism. Well, of course they will. This is the Congress that turned and ran, rather than back up their incessant warmongering with an authorization for the President they reflexively hate.

    But, speaking of hatred, there’s a punch line to their current belligerence about Holder, who they apparently hate even more than Obama — he has said he’ll stay until his successor is confirmed.

    So by playing to their most extreme audience, they will be cutting off their noses to spite their faces yet again — the only way they’ll get rid of the guy they love to hate is by confirming his successor. Refusing to confirm a new AG means they’re keeping the one they hate in the job he’d like to leave.

    Maybe that’s intentional? All this hate apparently does bring in the bucks from their poor fear=crazed base.

    Friday, September 26, 2014 at 1:38 pm | Permalink
  7. Ralph wrote:

    Or as John Stewart put it in last night’s show, “He’s never leaving.” It’s hard to imagine any candidate Obama puts forth being confirmed by this Congress.

    What’s amazing is how the Republicans may even be poised to take the Senate after all these years of obstructionism and bringing any meaningful legislation to a halt. The question is, who’s voting for these people and why? They don’t seem to particularly stand for anything, it’s mainly what they stand against, especially anything Obama. They don’t do sh*t beyond pointing fingers and crying wolf. Or bringing up canards like Benghazi and, most recently, the latte salute. I know, that last is mostly Fox and Palin. Sigh.

    Friday, September 26, 2014 at 3:56 pm | Permalink
  8. Jon wrote:

    “I fear that the last two years of the Obama administration are going to see even crazier levels of Republican obstructionism.”

    Ya think?

    Monday, September 29, 2014 at 1:42 pm | Permalink