and what it means for our democracy. And, most of it can be traced back to the Powell Memo, written by the soon to be SCOTUS justice appointed by Nixon, Lewis Powell, in a memo he wrote to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
http://crooksandliars.com/2016/03/supreme-obstruction
After Barack Obama was elected president, the Republican minority filibustered more than 500 important bills (on issues ranging from infrastructure funding to ending tax breaks for offshoring jobs) before they took control of the Senate – an unprecedented number. But it has not just been legislation; they have blocked nominees to positions that keep government functioning. They have blocked appointments to judgeships: there are 35 Obama judge appointees who were waiting for a Senate confirmation vote long before Senate Republicans conjured up their no-appointees-during-an-election-year stance, one as far back as September 2014.
Republicans have also continually obstructed by starving government agencies of the funds they need to operate – the Internal Revenue Service is a case in point. They have even shut down the government when they could.
Republicans also dismantle government in the states, cutting taxes for the rich and corporations while cutting the things government does for the state's citizens. Many of these governors and legislatures achieved majority status following the Supreme Court's 5-4 Citizens United decision that opened the floodgates of undisclosed corporate and billionaire money into the political process. Once in, they passed restrictive voting rights laws and extremely partisan redistricting plans to lock in their majorities.
After so many years of this, the public is, to say the least, disillusioned to the point of giving up on government – even our current pretense of democracy.
But this has only gotten worse. This year, President Obama submitted his budget to Congress and Republicans refused to even look at it. They refused to schedule hearings before the House and Senate budget committees. They won't let the director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) come to Congress to testify.
Now, to top it all, Republicans have said they will not even consider any presidential nominee to the Supreme Court. If they prevail, the court will operate with only eight members, and precedent assures us that important cases will receive a 4-4 tie.
This Makes No Sense, Unless...
Republicans won't consider the President's budget? Won't consider a Supreme Court nominee - any nominee? Won't allow important bills to pass? Won't allow important governmental posts to be filled? Won't allow important government functions to be adequately funded? Dismantle important state agencies? It's like Republicans are saying, "No, we're not going to let you have your constitutional government."
What is going on?
Republicans are able to do these things to our government because the "framers" of our Constitution never anticipated that a (well-funded) ideology that opposes the very concept of democratic government would capture a political party, gain seats in the Congress and,as a strategy, simply refuse to participate in the processes of constitutional government.
The Founders did require an oath of office that assumes such participation, but they did not outline steps to take should obstruction be used to block operation of the government.
If you look at all of this from a perspective that Republicans are working within our form of government, it makes no sense at all. They have a constitutional duty to pass budgets, but instead allow the government to shut down. They have a constitutional duty to confirm (or not) appointments to government positions and judgeships, but they obstruct. They have a constitutional duty to consider Supreme Court nominees, but they refuse.
But if you consider that their purpose is to fundamentally change our form of government, it all makes more sense.
People who see much of the public as "takers," who view taxes as "theft," who view roads, schools and social services as "free stuff" are not people who prefer a democratic form of government. They (or at least those funding them) want a different form of government where the haves have the power and the don't-haves don't, instead of We the People sharing the power and the country.
At some point you have to take them at their word and accept that they mean what they say: "We want to get the government small enough to drown it in a bathtub." We are not looking at a disagreement over how to run our government here, we are looking at a disagreement over our form of government.
But our Constitution is clear on the form of government We the People have. That is why they are intent on setting the Constitution aside. We must tell Republicans that they took an oath to support the Constitution and its processes - or step aside and let We the People have our government back.
http://crooksandliars.com/2016/03/supreme-obstruction
After Barack Obama was elected president, the Republican minority filibustered more than 500 important bills (on issues ranging from infrastructure funding to ending tax breaks for offshoring jobs) before they took control of the Senate – an unprecedented number. But it has not just been legislation; they have blocked nominees to positions that keep government functioning. They have blocked appointments to judgeships: there are 35 Obama judge appointees who were waiting for a Senate confirmation vote long before Senate Republicans conjured up their no-appointees-during-an-election-year stance, one as far back as September 2014.
Republicans have also continually obstructed by starving government agencies of the funds they need to operate – the Internal Revenue Service is a case in point. They have even shut down the government when they could.
Republicans also dismantle government in the states, cutting taxes for the rich and corporations while cutting the things government does for the state's citizens. Many of these governors and legislatures achieved majority status following the Supreme Court's 5-4 Citizens United decision that opened the floodgates of undisclosed corporate and billionaire money into the political process. Once in, they passed restrictive voting rights laws and extremely partisan redistricting plans to lock in their majorities.
After so many years of this, the public is, to say the least, disillusioned to the point of giving up on government – even our current pretense of democracy.
But this has only gotten worse. This year, President Obama submitted his budget to Congress and Republicans refused to even look at it. They refused to schedule hearings before the House and Senate budget committees. They won't let the director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) come to Congress to testify.
Now, to top it all, Republicans have said they will not even consider any presidential nominee to the Supreme Court. If they prevail, the court will operate with only eight members, and precedent assures us that important cases will receive a 4-4 tie.
This Makes No Sense, Unless...
Republicans won't consider the President's budget? Won't consider a Supreme Court nominee - any nominee? Won't allow important bills to pass? Won't allow important governmental posts to be filled? Won't allow important government functions to be adequately funded? Dismantle important state agencies? It's like Republicans are saying, "No, we're not going to let you have your constitutional government."
What is going on?
Republicans are able to do these things to our government because the "framers" of our Constitution never anticipated that a (well-funded) ideology that opposes the very concept of democratic government would capture a political party, gain seats in the Congress and,as a strategy, simply refuse to participate in the processes of constitutional government.
The Founders did require an oath of office that assumes such participation, but they did not outline steps to take should obstruction be used to block operation of the government.
If you look at all of this from a perspective that Republicans are working within our form of government, it makes no sense at all. They have a constitutional duty to pass budgets, but instead allow the government to shut down. They have a constitutional duty to confirm (or not) appointments to government positions and judgeships, but they obstruct. They have a constitutional duty to consider Supreme Court nominees, but they refuse.
But if you consider that their purpose is to fundamentally change our form of government, it all makes more sense.
People who see much of the public as "takers," who view taxes as "theft," who view roads, schools and social services as "free stuff" are not people who prefer a democratic form of government. They (or at least those funding them) want a different form of government where the haves have the power and the don't-haves don't, instead of We the People sharing the power and the country.
At some point you have to take them at their word and accept that they mean what they say: "We want to get the government small enough to drown it in a bathtub." We are not looking at a disagreement over how to run our government here, we are looking at a disagreement over our form of government.
But our Constitution is clear on the form of government We the People have. That is why they are intent on setting the Constitution aside. We must tell Republicans that they took an oath to support the Constitution and its processes - or step aside and let We the People have our government back.
