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babylonsister

(170,963 posts)
Fri Apr 19, 2013, 04:40 PM Apr 2013

It’s not easy being a United States Senator



http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/04/19/its-not-easy-being-a-united-states-senator/


It’s not easy being a United States Senator

Posted by Greg Sargent on April 19, 2013 at 1:51 pm


Apparently, the explanation of the moment on Capitol Hill for why Toomey-Manchin failed is that Senators didn’t think they could hold controversial positions on too many issues at the same time. Embracing gun control, gay rights, and immigration reform is too heavy a lift. This morning, Ezra Klein points us to one unnamed Senator who told the White House he is being pushed too hard:

“Guns, gays and immigration — it’s too much. I can be with you on one or two of them, but not all three.”


Meanwhile, Senator Joe Manchin, who tried to round up votes for his compromise on background checks, is on the record saying he has heard similar complaints from multiple Senators. So this really does appear to be a real and widespread rationale. Klein comments:

It’s rare that the psychodrama of the Senate comes on such full display. But to state the obvious, this isn’t just an explanation for a vote. It’s a salve for a guilty conscience. This is not the sort of rationalization that would be leaking from the chamber if senators were confident they’d done the right thing. It’s a rationalization for people who feel they did the wrong thing, and want to tell themselves it’s the cost for doing the right thing later, on an even larger scale.

As Klein concludes, this is rooted in a rather low standard for what constitutes “political courage.” Meanwhile, Steve Benen notes another important point, i.e., that backing Toomey-Manchin shouldn’t even have been difficult in the first place: “proponents had bipartisan cover; the key provision was written by two conservatives; and the polls were entirely one-sided.”

snip//

Meanwhile, on Manchin-Toomey, some of these Republican Senators who voted No really did appear to recognize that supporting it was the right thing to do. Some of them, such as Dean Heller, continue to say we need to improve our background check system, even while justifying the vote against Manchin-Toomey by citing bogus NRA “national gun registry” talking points that have been widely debunked by fact checkers and even Republicans like John McCain. Jeff Flake also continues to endorse the general policy goal of fixing background checks — even after voting No on Manchin-Toomey. So it looks as if Republican Senators will be willing to take a tough vote on a measure that will help the party (immigration reform) but were not willing to take a tough vote on one based on policy merits (Manchin-Toomey).

And so the argument that these Senators have already put themselves at an abundance of risk seems pretty thin.
8 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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It’s not easy being a United States Senator (Original Post) babylonsister Apr 2013 OP
OFFS Scuba Apr 2013 #1
What a bunch of cowards! GitRDun Apr 2013 #2
Interesting analysis. k&r for exposure. n/t Laelth Apr 2013 #3
So they refuse to represent us? Rex Apr 2013 #4
Why should they represent you? Do you pay them? Bucky Apr 2013 #5
My taxes help pay their salary. Rex Apr 2013 #6
We pay them in the low 6 figures. They pay them in the millions. Bucky Apr 2013 #7
Because you understand/comprehend the greed/avarice of the PTB? Rex Apr 2013 #8

GitRDun

(1,846 posts)
2. What a bunch of cowards!
Fri Apr 19, 2013, 04:47 PM
Apr 2013

What the heck do they think we send them there for?

Always when I think I've seen the low point, Congress finds a way to take it lower....unbelievable!

Bucky

(53,795 posts)
5. Why should they represent you? Do you pay them?
Fri Apr 19, 2013, 05:05 PM
Apr 2013

No, they're paid by the lobbyists for most of the work they do.

Bucky

(53,795 posts)
7. We pay them in the low 6 figures. They pay them in the millions.
Fri Apr 19, 2013, 06:20 PM
Apr 2013

ugh, why do I have to be right?

 

Rex

(65,616 posts)
8. Because you understand/comprehend the greed/avarice of the PTB?
Fri Apr 19, 2013, 06:23 PM
Apr 2013

I wish you were making stuff up, but that is the honest (and completely sad) truth.

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