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Washington Prowler
Hiding Under the Ceiling
Obama’s reckless Defense appropriations cynicism. Plus: Dede’s desperate condition.
INAPPROPRIATE CONDUCT
While President Obama and his White House staff have taken a
drubbing in the media for their lack of initiative in proposing
or heavily influencing Congressional legislation, their
fingerprints are all over one bill that should come into focus in
the very near future: the Defense Department appropriations bill,
which has cleared committee and is awaiting passage by the
Senate.
The White House is keen to have the DOD appropriations bill passed, ideally before Obama makes a decision on the Defense Department’s recommendations on military strategy in Afghanistan, but it is also pressing for passage of an increase of the national debt ceiling to more than $13 trillion. The House has already passed a debt-ceiling bill and is awaiting the Senate’s version.
But Democrats, particularly less liberal Democrats in the Senate, are nervous about a debt-ceiling vote that they are certain Republicans will make political hay with. Which is why, according to Senate Appropriations Committee staff and Senate Democrat leadership staff, White House legislative director Phil Schiliro, and his deputy in charge of the Senate, Shawn Maher, supported the idea of attaching the debt limit increase as an amendment to the DOD bill, one that will garner far greater bipartisan support than a stand alone deficit increase bill would.
“We need the DOD bill passed and we need the debt ceiling increased,” says a Democrat leadership aide. “I don’t think Republicans want to be seen not supporting our troops and at the same time potentially destroying the economic recovery we see emerging.”
That is exactly what Democrats see as what another Senate staffer called a “win-win” for them. “Maybe we are exposed for playing politics with our troops by attaching the debt ceiling to the DOD approps, but right now, no one in our caucus is necessarily ready for that kind of fight, revisiting the debt debate. If we can avoid it, we’re going to do it. And the White House supports us all the way on this one. They have been very active on this.”
Some Democrats and Republicans in the Senate want some kind of trigger inserted in the debt-increase bill that would require reductions in spending and the national debt. But because the House has already approved its debt bill, it would have to go back for another vote on the trigger amendment, one that House leadership does not want, particularly with the 2010 election cycle approaching quickly.
DEDE’S DESPERATION
Dede Scozzafava’s
financial support to fund her collapsing Republican bid for the
New York 23rd Congressional District is now almost exclusively
being drawn from the Republican National Committee and the
National Republican Congressional Committee, and according to
NRCC sources, her staff is, essentially, “four paid staff and her
family,” adding ruefully, “and I’m not so sure about the
family.”
Scozzafava’s campaign hasn’t had a good week, taking hits almost daily from conservative grassroots organizations and websites and in the media. Last week, just about every major conservative political website and organization called on Scozzafava to step aside after it was revealed that her husband called the cops on a Weekly Standard reporter who was politely asking the candidate tough questions about her support for card check legislation. Scozzafava’s husband also approached local Democrat party leaders earlier this year about the possibility of her running on the Democrat party line should the Republican nomination not take shape.
Now, recent polling by the NRCC indicates she is running behind Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman, who is raising, according to campaign sources, about $50,000 a day online to fund an aggressive media campaign across the district. And in response to those bad polling numbers, the NRCC is attempting to organize a petition demanding that Hoffman end his campaign so that a Republican can win the race. NRCC staff deny that they are behind the phone calls and petition for Hoffman to step aside.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (36) | Leave a comment
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The American Guardian | 10.26.09 @ 6:40AM
The Democrats playing politics with the troops again ? In 2006 Kanjorski accused the Democrats of claiming that if the Democrats won the 2006 elections, they would stop the war.
Its 2009 and they want to send more troops to the middle east ???
Nick| 10.26.09 @ 12:48PM
Kanjorski is a member of the democrat party.
Pingback| 10.26.09 @ 7:27AM
Twitter Trackbacks for The American Spectator : Hiding Under the Ceiling [spectator. links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Rob| 10.26.09 @ 8:32AM
Since the great uniter was elected things seem to have fallen apart all over. I support the conservative candidate Hoffman and hope that if we get back to AMERICAN values that we can save this nation.
Greghawk| 10.26.09 @ 10:16AM
Democrat Infiltration ---
This candidate, with her suspect R credentials, serves to point out the dry-rot in the GOP foundations.
Her husband sounds like a real winner; and her puppet master. Let's look at other so-called Republicans at the local level. How many would have close relations with people who act like Democrats? What number of these people would it take to nominate a McCain, or perform other election-rotting mischeif?
Robert Rosencrans| 10.26.09 @ 12:25PM
And this leads to a normal question. What the Hell is Michael Steele thinking?
Tim| 10.26.09 @ 12:48PM
Probably something like :
!#@#*&%# Conservatives!
Robert Rosencrans| 10.26.09 @ 5:21PM
The funniest humor has an element of truth. Your comment is probably very close to what happens inside the RNC headquarters.
Nick| 10.26.09 @ 12:55PM
Hopefully this sticks a fork in Newt for good.
Go away, enjoy retirement (on our dimes, by the way), and write your inane books. But quit trying to act like a "Conservative" leader.
Donaldo| 10.26.09 @ 1:00PM
Right on target, Nick. Newt must have had a lobotomy several years ago, as demonstrated with his sharing of the couch during an "anti-global warming" commercial with Nancy Pelousy.
mujalan| 10.26.09 @ 1:51PM
I'm with you Nick. I think Newt is showing his true colors on this.
JBobs| 10.26.09 @ 2:06PM
I admit to being a longtime Newt fan (his knowledge of history and his ability to articulate conservative positions and support his arguments with detail are second to none); however, his frequent "establishment" (Repub first, conservatism second) behavior is disappointing. We need true believers to lead the conservative cause... Newt is apparently not the one.
Oldefarte| 10.26.09 @ 1:28PM
As a lifelong Republican voter, I say to HADES with the Republican Party and their nominated candidate. This country is currently like a swirling you-know-what in thei toilet; and conservatives [along with Republicans and blue dog Democrats] had better wake up and smell the roses or this country will end up in the cesspool of nations!!!!!!!!!!!
tj| 10.26.09 @ 2:30PM
VOTE EM ALL OUT.... TERM Limits....They shove this down my our throats... there will be he-- to pay come 2010. If its not good enough for thee... then its not good enough for me!!!!! Stand up people fight, write and protest on all levels...This is treason!
Houston Rao| 10.26.09 @ 2:32PM
Mr. Steele:
Your approach and actions such as these are why your solicitations to me for contributions go unanswered.
Gerald Stephens| 10.26.09 @ 3:20PM
This moment in history exposes the United States of America to peril as severe as that of an English king and our own Civil War. Our citizen forefathers and mothers with empty bellies and bare feet in the snow never yielded.
They were confronted in some quarters with ridicule and derision. They starved and died in defense of the Constitution, the first of more to come.
Ridicule and derision in now focused on a courageous gathering of citizens, again in defense of the Constitution and the requirement contained therein stipulating eligibility to serve in the Office of President of the United States of America.
Barack Obama has REFUSED to release records in support of his eligibility. The question is both painfully and dangerously obvious. WHY?
It is difficult to comprehend why any citizen would be satisfied to allow the Constitutional question to go unanswered.
Catch up on the legal battle! Several attorney citizen soldiers, not unlike the signers of the Declaration of Independence and 'minutemen', have cases before the courts at this very time.
Three information sources:
United States Justice Foundation
Attorney: philjberg@obamacrimes.com
Attorney: Orly Taitz
Following a reading of the evidence the ridicule and derision will evaporate.
Gerald Stephens
Hartford CT
Blacque Jacques Shellacque| 10.26.09 @ 4:34PM
Scozzafava's husband also approached local Democrat party leaders earlier this year about the possibility of her running on the Democrat party line should the Republican nomination not take shape.
Sounds like Arlen Specter in drag....
Pingback| 10.26.09 @ 5:16PM
The American Spectator : Hiding Under the Ceiling | Under ar mour live today. links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
wulfmankarl| 10.26.09 @ 8:22PM
Funny bit:
Karl Marx endorses Scozzafava with a song!
http://02e56fa.netsolhost.com/.....ses-dede-s
Pingback| 10.27.09 @ 12:11PM
Craig Newmark: More innovation toward better public service from Washington | Legal-S links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
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