Today's Washington Post recaps how Roadblock Republicans have brought action on literally dozens of bills to a grinding halt with filibusters and other delay tactics. The most embarrassing by far was Sen. Mitch "King Roadblock" McConnell forcing the Senate clerks to spend hours reading aloud the entire 492-page Climate Security Act.
But if all that isn't depressing enough, allow me to deepen your misery. What's worse: what the Senate hasn't passed, or what it has?
The Senate has managed to pump out a few big bills this year, including an economic stimulus package, which gave tax rebates to millions of Americans, and the farm bill, which directs agricultural spending. Late Thursday, the Senate approved a bill to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that also increases educational funding for veterans and extends unemployment benefits.Those are the Senate's big accomplishments? The "economic stimulus" bill borrows money from our grandkids to give us free money now and get politicians re-elected. The bloated farm bill maintains massive subsidies for corporate food producers and weakens environmental protections. And while funding for Afghanistan and veterans benefits is positive, why are Democrats voting to keep pumping money into Iraq so Big Oil can get no-bid contracts to pump black gold out?