by David Lightman
Joe Biden has a message for all those people who voted for Democrats and wanted change: Stop being so demanding.
Recent polls have shown a growing disenchantment with the Democratic-controlled Congress, a view the Delaware Democrat said today was "totally understandable.''
The problem, he told a Christian Science Monitor luncheon today, was that "we were not straightforward" about what Democrats could do.
"We do not have control. We do not have effective control of the U. S. Congress," he said. There are 49 Democrats, 49 Republicans, and two independents who caucus with the Democrats, to give the party a majority.
But, Biden said, "You need 60 votes to proceed and 67 votes to prevail over a presidential veto."
With 51, he said, "we can stop bad things from happening," but can't quickly end the Iraq war or set a timetable for redeploying troops.
"It's an unrealistic expectation that Republicans will give us enough votes to do that," he said.
Biden was peppered with questions about Iraq, military strategy and his voting record at the 40-minute lunch. There was little talk about his underdog presidential bid.
About the only time it came up when he was defending his missed votes this year and his stewardship of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which he chairs. Biden insisted he is always around for crucial votes and major committee hearings.
And, he said, he expected to miss more votes as his campaign continues.
Then again, Biden said, "I expect to be the nominee. I'll miss a whole lot of votes.".
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Comments
Joe states the obvious. Neo-con brainwash victims take note of the fact that your representatives are stalling any progress. Vote out all neo-con republicans!!!
Posted by: Logic Prisoner | June 21, 2007 3:25 PM
To hell with the demon-crats.
Enough posturing...nothing but poverty pimps on every level.
Just look at IL governor Blagojevich blowing $76,000 tax-payer dollars since late May and climbing for his personal flights to and from Chicago/Springfield.
For what?!?
So he can come up with more ways to screw every working class stiff in the state?
Posted by: Rey Flores | June 21, 2007 3:47 PM
Well. So not having a 60-vote majority in the Senate can stop progress? This is, no doubt, an unprecedented situation in the history of the nation. I mean, how can anyone pass laws in that kind of environment? Oh, the humanity.
Posted by: JB | June 21, 2007 4:42 PM
The Demoncraps are a joke. Vote them all out! Most aren't Americans anyway! You wanna talk about traitors: The Democratic National Committee.
Posted by: John D | June 21, 2007 4:44 PM
You know folks, when a Politician starts making excuses, I get curious.
Biden, is blaming not having a 60 vote majority to close debate when his own party votes against closing debate.
So what do I do use, the Internet, check out this site below, go to the end and work back, taking notice of Majority and Minority Party seats and what is the total # of seats.
How stupid do these people think we are.
http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/history/one_item_and_teasers/partydiv.htm
Posted by: PG | June 21, 2007 4:50 PM
Biden is right, the knuckledragging Republic Party members still have enough sway in Congress to keep things mucked up for the rest of the country.
08 can't get here fast enough!
Wingnut Rey Flores, what's wrong, not geting enough hits on your pro-Neocon blog-site so you have to come on here to spread the Wingnut crap?
Posted by: John E | June 21, 2007 7:00 PM
LP,
Where was that excuse the past six years when the GOP held control of Congress?
The dems have the term "majority" in their title, they need to start acting like it.
Posted by: Terry | June 21, 2007 7:48 PM
I was one of the people that was down on the Democrats because of their inaction in Iraq, but I remembered, George Bush is going to veto every bill that he doesn't like. I am still going independent if possible.
Posted by: Earl Umfleet | June 21, 2007 9:49 PM
Terry,
I agree.
Americans couldn't undo the '04 election, so they did the next best thing by voting in Democrats in '06.
These Democrats have one mandate: Stop Bush in his insane policies in Iraq.
Get it done! Do it now!
Posted by: Doug Zook | June 22, 2007 8:23 AM
John E,
You have the unmitigated audacity to call Republican "knuckledraggers" - while you suck up to Biden's obvious lies?
You all know damn well that the Democrats can end the war simply by doing next to nothing. Biden can even take a vacation when it happens.
It works like this. When the President asks for more money for the Iraq war, the Democrats in the House of Representatives say, "War? What war?" and go on with any other business they may have. You see, a spending bill has to originate in the House of Representatives; the Constitution says so. Nothing in the Constitution requires Congress to fund everything the President wants. The President only gets to “propose” legislation; not demand it.
So, when the Democrats refuse to take any steps toward submitting a funding bill, the House Republicans would then be required to do so. But Republicans don't have the votes to get such a bill out of the House without the support of Democrats. When the bill comes up for any vote, all the Democrats have to do is vote against it. If they did, their majority would insure the bill dies there.
The House Democrats only have to repeat the process as many times as it takes to force the President to withdraw the military from Iraq.
In the meantime, Joe Biden could be gulping Piña Coladas on the beach in Puerto Rico when he gets the news the last of the bills have failed and the war is over. That's because the bill will never get to the Senate if it doesn't pass the House first. If it is erroneously passed in the Senate first, the House Democrats can simply vote against it. Or, the House Democrats can simply nuke the bill with a "blue slip" resolution which would send the bill back to the Senate to die a silent death. Again, either way the Democrat’s majority in the House means the bill would die.
And, either way, neither Biden nor any other Democratic Senator has to lift a finger to do anything to make the war go bye-bye.
Don't you just hate it when politicians like Joe Biden lie like this? Don't you just hate it when loyal lap-dogs buy into these lies without question? Sheesh.
Posted by: John W. | June 23, 2007 12:51 AM
Do you mean that the Democtatic Party, the "party of the people" LIED to their constituents when they were running for election? How can they live with themselves? I expect every one of them to resign once they find out they weren't "straightforward"
Posted by: eatsnopaste | June 23, 2007 5:06 AM
Doug,
Let's start the impeachment proceedings. :)
That will get the approval numbers back-up to 16%
Posted by: Terry | June 23, 2007 7:50 AM
Terry,
I'm onboard. Where do I sign?
Posted by: Doug Zook | June 23, 2007 9:18 AM
Doug,
call you local lib congressman or pelosi - wasn't this near the top of their agenda?
Posted by: Terry | June 23, 2007 10:16 PM