Can you imagine what it must be like to write for Congressional Quarterly these days? Sam Rosenfeld over at Tapped passes along another note about the absurd and contemptuous manner in which the Grand Old Party conducts their business. Essentially, the Republicans held open a five-minute roll call for forty-four minutes (the Boston Globe reports forty, but Reuters reports forty-four in agreement with CQ) while they strong-armed their members into changing their votes. Yes, this bill was so bad that they couldn’t get all their members into line behind it, and after everyone in town had voted, the measure had lost, 210-214. But wait! The chair used its discretion (and the chair is particularly discreet these days) to hold the vote open until two Honorable Republican Representatives changed to abstain, and two Honorables changed their opposition to support. And then, with the vote 212-210 in favor of the bill, the chair discreetly gaveled the roll call closed, and the will of the people was enacted, and we all died a little.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m all in favor of a legislature where one side boos down the other’s leader, and that side shouts “Shame! Shame!” If that happened all the time, we would have a more vibrant and more civil representative democracy. But given how things are, a chant of “Shame! Shame!” is indicative of a near total breakdown of procedure. What was expressed was not the healthy if raucous debate of political opponents, but sheer contempt for proper procedure, for representative democracy, and for the people of the country.
Are they doing it with bribes or threats? Is it the carrot or the Hammer? Well, and either way, it’s a scandal, and even worse, it really is business as usual. And here’s the thing—when the Democrats take over, as one day they will, please Gd, in my time, speedily, speedily, when the Democrats take over, ought they act honorably? Ought they pay attention to older precedent and custom, and honor, and the way our House should be run? Or should they get what they can when they can, because people will, after all, die this winter when the cost of heating oil goes up, and whenever it comes, we won’t have time for honor?
chazak, chazak, v’nitchazek,
-Vardibidian.