Durbin and Dumber: Attack of the Liberally Ill

by Sam Pierce

The symptoms are on full display as liberally ill members of our federal government exert their power (enumerated or seized) campaign against free citizens. The symptoms are also apparent in the behavior of those who support the actions of the liberally ill. Two prominent sufferers of liberal illness are in the spotlight today, Durbin and Dumber (or Durbin and Biden).

Illinois' own Dick has sent a plea to the e-mail addresses of those he believes to be his supporters. Sruely some are liberally ill enough to support Dick, but some of us find our addresses on the list as a result of a phishing expedition in the form of a poll on a public option in the bureacratic takeover of our healthcare. This particular plea allows Dick to reach his constituents with glaring hypocrisy and a faux moral high ground. Neither of which should be surprising since Dick is ill enough to believe that a majority of people want a public option in their healthcare deform (not a typo). Dick takes umbrage with Senate rule 22, the very same rule he among so many other liberally ill Senators (including President Obama) fought to preserve... when it was convenient for them.

A bit of Dick's drivel:

Dear sam, It's time to end the filibuster as we know it. The American people are sick of process blocking progress. They're fed up with an arbitrary tradition that allows a minority of Senators to prevent popular, much-needed legislation from even coming to a vote. They're exasperated with Republicans' veiled attempts to kill meaningful reform -- pleas for "more time" and "starting from scratch" -- which were on full display at yesterday's White House health care summit. Frankly, so am I. LINK REMOVED From the public option to financial reform, a few dozen Senate Republicans have used the threat of a filibuster dozens and dozens of times, blocking much of the sweeping change voters demanded when they elected President Obama and strong Democratic majorities to Congress. The right-wing obstructionists consistently misuse and abuse the filibuster simply to score political points, at the expense of the American people. The Harkin-Shaheen proposal would continue to provide ample time for a minority of Senators to voice their concerns about legislation and seek changes. But it would eliminate the permanent 60-vote cloture requirement to overcome a filibuster, gradually reducing the necessary vote threshold as debate continues, preventing the minority from using the procedural tactic to obstruct progress indefinitely. Commonsense proposals like this would allow a simple majority of Senators to end an obstructionist filibuster if it has dragged on for several days or weeks. And they would allow Congress to get back into the business of sending popular, much-needed legislation -- like a strong health care reform bill -- to the President's desk. LINK REMOVED Changing the filibuster is no pipe dream. In fact, back in the 1970s the Senate successfully amended what was a 67-vote cloture requirement to the current 60-vote requirement. But the unprecedented obstructionism we find in the Senate today forces another rethinking and modernization of the filibuster rule. LINK REMOVED When our Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution and drafted the initial rules of the Senate, they never intended requiring a supermajority to pass any and all legislation. They just wanted to be sure that Senators took time to carefully debate and consider bills before taking votes. That's exactly what reforms like the Harkin-Shaheen proposal will do. We cannot continue to allow a minority of Senators to paralyze progress. Together we can restore majority rule and make Congress work for the American people again. Sincerely, Dick Durbin U.S. Senator One must wonder if "our founding fathers" intended for a group of statists, elected by the apathetic, to seize the labor of the American citizen for any purpose of which the statist can dream. One must also wonder if Dick believes "our Founding Fathers" intended a group of elected statists to force American citizens to purchase anything. As a citizen of Illinois, I am ashamed of both Senators from this state. In this particular case, I believe the actions are typical Dick. The second example of the affects of being liberally ill is courtesy of our very own loud-mouthed dummy of a Vice President, who is moving the retirement funding ball down the field toward the federal government control goal line (h/t Andrew Wilkow). AP piece: "Biden announces retirement savings safeguards" by Julie Pace WASHINGTON – The Obama administration on Friday proposed new regulations aimed at protecting workers' retirement savings from unethical financial advisers. The safeguards would protect workers from conflicts of interest on the part of advisers who manage their 401(k)s and individual retirement accounts. The administration estimates that the protections would affect 15 million workers. The proposed regulations would require retirement investment advisers and money managers to either base their investment advice on objective computer models certified by independent experts, or refrain from steering workers into funds they are affiliated with or from which they are receiving a commission. Vice President Joe Biden and Deputy Labor Secretary Seth Harris announced the proposal during a meeting of the White House Middle Class Task Force. Biden said the regulations meet the task force's goal of helping middle class families plan for a secure retirement. "A lot of folks are not getting the best treatment, the best advice and the most help in figuring out how to deal with their retirement plans," Biden said. If the Labor Department enacts the proposed regulations, the rules would apply to all financial institutions that offer 401(k) programs to employers and offer financial advice to their employees. The folks who have done such a fabulous job with Social Security are not satisfied with controlling that portion of the average American's retirement.Exactly who the Hell are the "independent experts" who are going to certify those computer models? Furthermore, what business is it of the federal government to annex an even larger chunk of a private citizens retirement plans? Does the the idea of the dipstick who holds the second highest office in the land, having is fingerprints all over the decisions regarding how your retirement is funded, comfort you? if so, you too might be liberally ill. Cross-posted from: "The Immoderate Blog"