Obviously many Americans are disappointed with our Federal Government and they very well should be. We are seeing today, a Republican minority with a helpful hand from President George W. Bush refusing to allow laws to pass, even when they agree with them. The Republican Senate, lead by our very own Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell, are constantly stalling bills that need to be passed. Why? It’s their way of painting the Democrats as unable to govern at the expense of those needing these laws so desperately.  Their technique is referred to as a filibuster. This requires 60 votes to end debate on a bill so that the Senate can vote on it. With the Senate having 51 votes for the Democrats and 49 for the Republicans, it’s been impossible to get the 60 needed votes to end debate.

 The GOP is determined to roadblock the will of the people. Sen. Charles Schumer of New York, who chairs the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee told the Politico last week, ““It’s very easy to have a strategy that says, ‘Let’s block everything, but they’re filibustering themselves out of seats. Republicans are blocking change, and people who wanted something different [in Washington] will want senators who won’t block change.” This does seem to be the case. The strategy seems to be to stall bad legislation, good legislation, and/or any legislation.  The more the Republicans can obstruct the Senate, the more they can blame Democrats for doing nothing. The NYT noted  says that Senate Republicans have become so reflexive in filibustering everything that moves that when Dems finally agreed to GOP demands on a bill to repair the alternative minimum tax last week, Republicans filibustered anyway — out of habit.

Mr. McConnell and his fellow Republicans are playing such tight defense, blocking nearly every bill proposed by the slim Democratic majority that they are increasingly able to dictate what they want, much to the dismay of the majority leader, Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, and frustrated Democrats in the House.

In fact, the Senate Republicans are so accustomed to blocking measures that when the Democrats finally agreed last week to their demands on a bill to repair the alternative minimum tax, the Republicans still objected, briefly blocking the version of the bill that they wanted before scrambling to approve it later.

The flip-flop Mitch McConnell says ““I think we can stipulate once again for the umpteenth time that matters that have any level of controversy about it in the Senate will require 60 votes,”.  However it was just a few short years ago that Mitch fully supported the “nuclear option” that was to eliminate the filibuster rule for judicial nominees when the Democrats were the minority. Now, Mitch sings a different tune.

 President Bush continues delivering his latest “do-nothing congress” sound bites but he doesn’t seem to be saying much about an “up and down” vote that he once felt so passionate about.  How can we have a functional government when GWB continues to defy the will of the people and insist on vetoing anything that isn’t tailored to his dictatorial and plutocratic thinking?  I tip my hat to Daily Kos for their list of  pending veto threats by George W. Bush.

 ·  Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act - H.R. 4, and the Medicare Fair Prescription Drug Price Act - S. 3
·  Employee Free Choice Act  - H.R. 800
·  Improving America's Security Act - S. 4
·  Water Quality Financing Act - H.R. 720
·  Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2007 - H.R. 985
·  Presidential Records Act Amendments of 2007 - H.R. 1255
·  United States Policy in Iraq Resolution - S.J.Res. 9
·  U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Health, and Iraq Accountability Act - H.R. 1591, S. 965, H.R. 2206
·  D.C. Voting Rights Act – H.R. 1433, S. 1257
·  Rail and Public Transportation Security Act - H.R. 1401
·  Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act - S. 5
·  Intelligence Authorization Act - S. 372, H.R. 2082
·  Food and Drug Administration Revitalization Act - S. 1082
·  Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act – H.R. 1592
·  Redeployment of United States Armed Forces and defense contractors from Iraq - H.R. 2237
·  Department of Homeland Security Authorization Act - H.R. 1684
·  Agricultural Disaster Assistance and Western States Emergency Unfinished Business Appropriations Act - H.R. 2207
·  National Defense Authorization Act - H.R. 1585, S. 1547
·  No Oil Producing and Exporting Cartels (NOPEC) Act - H.R. 2264
·  Federal Price Gouging Prevention Act – H.R. 1252
·  Human Cloning Prohibition Act - H.R. 2560
·  Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act - H.R. 2638, S. 1644
·  Creating Long-term Energy Alternatives for the Nation (CLEAN) Act/Energy Independence and Security Act - H.R. 6
·  State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act - H.R. 2764
·  Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Act - H.R. 2643
·  Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act - H.R. 2829
·  College Cost Reduction Act - H.R. 2669
·  Responsible Redeployment from Iraq Act - H.R. 2956
·  Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act - H.R.3074, S. 1789
·  Departments of Commerce and Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations Act - H.R. 3093, S. 1745
·  Farm, Nutrition and Bioengery Act/Food and Energy Security Act - H.R. 2419
·  Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act - H.R. 2831
·  Children's Health Insurance Reauthorization Act(SCHIP)- S. 1893, H.R. 3162, H.R. 976, H.R. 3963
·  Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act - H.R. 3161
·  Ensuring Military Readiness Through Stability and Predictability Deployment Policy Act - H.R. 3159
·  Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act - H.R. 2776
·  New Direction for Energy Independence, National Security, and Consumer Protection Act - H.R. 3221
·  Terrorism Risk Insurance Revision and Extension Act - H.R. 2761
·  FAA Reauthorization Act - H.R. 2881
·  Flood Insurance Reform and Modernization Act - H.R. 3121
·  Improving Government Accountability Act - H.R. 928
·  Regional Economic and Infrastructure Development Act - H.R. 3246
·  National Affordable Housing Trust Fund Act - H.R. 2895
·  Tax Collection Responsibility Act - H.R. 3056
·  Free Flow of Information Act - H.R. 2102
·  Responsible Electronic Surveillance that is Overseen, Reviewed, and Effective (RESTORE) Act - H.R. 3773
·  Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act - H.R. 505
·  Employment Non-Discrimination Act - H.R. 3685
·  Trade and Globalization Assistance Act - H.R. 3920
·  Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act - H.R. 2262
·  Homeowner's Defense Act - H.R. 3355
·  Temporary Tax Relief Act (AMT) - H.R. 3996
·  Orderly and Responsible Iraq Redeployment Appropriations Act - H.R. 4156