“It was just one vote in the early days of a new Congress and a new presidency, but it was hard not to see Wednesday’s big zero – not one of 177 House Republicans supported the economic stimulus bill – as an ominous sign that Washington is still stuck in the bitterly polarized politics that has blocked progress on big issues for years,” a USA Today editorial argued. “The process was a textbook example of what President Obama was talking about in his inaugural address when he referred to the ‘recriminations and worn-out dogmas that for far too long have strangled our politics.’ In this case, Democrats wanted more spending programs; Republicans wanted more tax cuts. The Democratic majority refused to yield, so the Republicans all voted no.”
Meanwhile, Republican leaders are hailing the unanimous “no” vote as a return to GOP principles of small government. “How about those House Republicans?” bragged Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C..
When the U.S. Supreme Court let Goodyear get away with having paid far less to Lilly Ledbetter than to her male colleagues over a period of years, it was up to Congress to make it right for others in the same position. It seemed absurd that the court expected Ledbetter to have brought suit within 180 days of the company’s first act of discrimination against her, as if employees have ready access to such payroll information. Two years after the court decision, President Barack Obama signed a bill into law Thursday that rightly counts each new paycheck as an unlawful practice, while limiting potential back pay awards to two years. Unfortunately, only one member of the Kansas delegation, Rep. Dennis Moore, D-Lenexa, saw fit to vote for the commonsense legislation, which also protects those discriminated against because of race, religion, national origin, disability or age. Kansas Republicans on Capitol Hill have echoed GOP leaders’ contention that the bill was an overreaching gift to “wealthy trial lawyers.” But it’s significant that all 16 women in the U.S. Senate, including four Republicans, voted for the bill. And with their votes against it over the past week, Republican Reps. Todd Tiahrt of Goddard, Jerry Moran of Hays and Lynn Jenkins of Topeka and Sens. Sam Brownback and Pat Roberts signaled they were content to let pay discrimination go unpunished in cases where the companies were lucky enough to keep it secret for at least six months.
The decision by Rep. Jerry Moran, R-Hays, to run for U.S. Senate next year already has three Republicans vying for the 1st Congressional District seat – state Sen. Tim Huelskamp of Fowler, former Sam Brownback aide Rob Wasinger of Hays and Pratt businessman Timothy Barker. But it’s been awfully quiet in the 4th District, where Rep. Todd Tiahrt, R-Goddard, also is expected to run for Brownback’s Senate seat. Perhaps the Kansas GOP’s Kansas Day hoopla in Topeka this weekend will turn up some contenders. Ditto the Kansas Democratic Party’s Washington Days next month. So far, speculation about possible GOP wannabes focuses on state Sen. Susan Wagle of Wichita, Senate Majority Leader Derek Schmidt (left) of Independence (yes, it’s in the 4th District, barely) and two Schlapps – son Matt (a former Tiahrt and Bush aide) and mom Sue, a Wichita City Council member. The most likely Democrats are state Reps. Raj Goyle (right) and Jim Ward of Wichita, Wichita Mayor Carl Brewer and Kansas Board of Regents vice chairwoman and Wichita investment adviser Jill Docking (who made a strong challenge to Brownback in 1996).
The following satirical headlines come from borowitzreport.com:
STARBUCKS ELIMINATES COFFEE, CUPS, STIR-THINGIES; Latest Cost-cutting Measures
OBAMA SENDS BIDEN ON ‘SPECIAL MISSION’ TO ANTARCTICA; High-level Trip Could Last Four Years, President Hints
OBAMA POISED TO BECOME MOST ASS-KISSED PRESIDENT IN HISTORY; Suckage Reaching New Heights, Historians Say
BUSH REPEALS ENGLISH LANGUAGE; Last Official Act as President
OBAMA HOPES TO CALM AMERICANS WITH SERIES OF BORING SPEECHES; Economic Address Contains Opposite of Stimulus
“It was just one vote in the early days of a new Congress and a new presidency, but it was hard not to see Wednesday’s big zero – not one of 177 House Republicans supported the economic stimulus bill – as an ominous sign that Washington is still stuck in the bitterly polarized politics that has blocked progress on big issues for years,” a USA Today editorial argued. “The process was a textbook example of what President Obama was talking about in his inaugural address when he referred to the ‘recriminations and worn-out dogmas that for far too long have strangled our politics.’ In this case, Democrats wanted more spending programs; Republicans wanted more tax cuts. The Democratic majority refused to yield, so the Republicans all voted no.”
