Democrats Claim Solid Advantage on Senate Committees
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's (D-NV) office released the final breakdown of ratios on committees last night, and what sounds like a dry piece of non-news is actually a serious win for Democrats.
After some questions about whether the undecided Minnesota race would leave committee organizing in limbo, Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) have settled on a three-vote advantage for Democrats on every Senate committee except Appropriations and Armed Services -- on those panels, Democrats will have four more members.
This means that every time an even mildly contentious bill comes up to a vote -- or a mildly contentious nominee, for that matter -- Democrats can afford to lose one centrist member to the Republicans and still get a win.
The tax-writing Finance Committee and the purse-controlling Appropriations panel are already filled to capacity with Democrats. The new appropriators are Sens. Jon Tester (D-MT) and Mark Pryor (D-AR), while Sens. Thomas Carper (D-DE), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), and Bill Nelson (D-FL) will get their crack at the tax code on Finance.
OK, so NO EXCUSES for inaction, right?
BTW, that includes accountability for torture. The fact that all these administrative people are coming out and admitting torture is like poking us in the eye, saying, "We are guilty but you are pussies and you'll never do anything about it, so there!"
Let's prove them wrong!
Question: Can these people get arrested in other countries (if they have the hubris to travel) and tried for Crimes Against Humanity? Can the world do what we refuse, in other words?
January 14, 2009 9:29 AM | Reply | Permalink
If a country has a universal jurisdiction law, they can go after former Bush Admin officials. According to amnesty.org, there are more than fifteen countries with this kind of law, including, perhaps ironically, the United States. They already tried to get Rumsfeld this way in Germany, and I think France and Spain. Rumsfeld, Cheney, and the rest will probably have to be careful where they travel.
January 14, 2009 10:01 AM | Reply | Permalink
"No one is above the law" is just an ideology, not reality. When you have 35% of the population backing a war criminal, justice can't be served because its just called "partisan politics". That says a lot about this country.
I wish these countries would put a price on his all their heads as soon as they leave power. Once they are prosecuted we will absolutely know that America is a land of justice and not corruption and hypocrisy that stains us today.
January 14, 2009 10:08 AM | Reply | Permalink
Happy news! Let's just hope the extra bodies contribute to increased spine!
January 14, 2009 10:26 AM | Reply | Permalink
Doubt it, I guess the real question is, how many spineless Dems does it take to make the equivalent of one spined Dem? Sadly, the number is infinity.
BTW, every time I see your moniker (GTFOOH), I have to laugh.
January 14, 2009 11:07 AM | Reply | Permalink
This is excellent news.
Harry Reid did good.
(Wow. Did I just say that?)
About the "losing one centrist member"? More like losing a DINO...
January 14, 2009 11:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
I don't believe it.
I don't believe Mitch McConnell gave away that much advantage to the spineless, ball-less, repug-fellating Harry Reid.
It's a trick. There's way more to this. My guess is that the unspoken quo for this quid is that Harry agreed to raise the number of votes required for a "majority" from 60 to 80.
And matyra is right - no amount of majority is enough to overcome dem spinelessness.
January 14, 2009 11:44 AM | Reply | Permalink
Will there be anything left for Franken when he is finally seated?
What about Sen. Clinton's committees? Will the new senator from NY automatically take her committees, or will there be another reorg?
January 14, 2009 12:15 PM | Reply | Permalink