19 Times Democrats Tried to Negotiate With Republicans!

[n2doc]

The GOP's biggest talking point of the shutdown is only true if you ignore everything that happened before last week.

To hear almost any Republican lawmaker speak in post-shutdown Washington is to hear that Democrats are refusing to negotiate to reopen the government and avert a debt default. It's a talking point that may be selling well, but it's only true if you ignore anything that happened before last Monday at about 11 p.m.

Republicans think they've hit talking-point gold with the message, as we learned from a candid "hot mic" moment last week when Sen. Rand Paul privately told fellow Kentuckian Mitch McConnell that he didn't think Democrats had "poll-tested" the "awful" message. " 'It's my way or the highway.' That's what he's saying. Complete surrender, and then we'll talk to you," House Speaker John Boehner told ABC News on Sunday.

In a sense, Republicans are right. Democrats view keeping the government open and out of default as Congress's most basic job, and the characterize anything that threatens that as "ransom," so they say they're not willing to come to the table until the government reopens. But, in context, the GOP's biggest talking point of the shutdown falls apart when you consider that Democrats only started refusing to negotiate after Republicans stopped, the hour before the government shut down a week ago.

For instance, through a Senate Democratic aide, here are all the times since this spring Senate Democrats tried to negotiate with Republicans by sending their budget to a bicameral conference committee. Every time, Republicans blocked the move:

1. 4/23 Senator Reid requested unanimous consent to go to conference, Senator Toomey blocked.

2. 5/6 Senator Reid requested unanimous consent to go to conference, Senator Cruz blocked.

3. 5/7 Senator Murray requested unanimous consent to go to conference, Senator McConnell blocked.

4. 5/8 Senator Warner asked unanimous consent to go to conference, Senator McConnell blocked.

5. 5/9 Senator Murray asked unanimous consent to go to conference, Senator McConnell blocked.

6. 5/14 Senator Warner asked unanimous consent to go to conference, and Senator McConnell blocked.

7. 5/15 Senator Wyden asked unanimous consent to go to conference, and Senator McConnell blocked.

8. 5/16 Senator Murray asked unanimous consent to go to conference, and Senator Lee blocked.

9. 5/21 Senator Murray asked unanimous consent to go to conference, and Senator Paul blocked.

10. 5/22 Senator Kaine asked unanimous consent to go to conference, and Senator Rubio blocked.

11. 5/23 Senator McCaskill asked unanimous consent to go to conference, and Senator Lee blocked.

12. 6/4 Senator Murray asked unanimous consent to go to conference, and Senator Rubio blocked.

13. 6/12 Senator Kaine asked unanimous consent to go to conference, and Senator Lee blocked.

14. 6/19 Senator Murray asked unanimous consent to go to conference, and Senator Toomey blocked.

15. 6/26 Senator Murray requested unanimous consent to go to conference, Senator Cruz blocked.

16. 7/11 Senator Murray requested unanimous consent to go to conference, Senator Marco Rubio blocked.

17. 7/17 Senator Murray requested unanimous consent to go to conference, Senator Mike Lee blocked.

18. 8/1 Senator Durbin requested unanimous consent to go to conference, Senator Marco Rubio blocked.

19. 10/2 Senator Murray requested unanimous consent to go to conference, Senator Toomey blocked.


more

http://www.nationaljournal.com/congress/19-times-democrats-tried-to-negotiate-with-republicans-20131007?mrefid=mostread

[Squinch]

1. They also already compromised on the budget in exchange for not having to go through this

crap. I guess Boehner was drunk and didn't remember his promise.

[TheKentuckian]

2. At least 18 times too many.

[hootinholler]

3. Much more detailed than what I found earlier. Thanks! n/t

[Roland99]

4. Nine Times? Nine Times.

no...19 times!!

[Nite Owl]

5. How many people are aware of this?

We need a national primetime ad.
Expensive but most of us would contribute to fund it.

[benld74]

6. I have been telling this same story since 100113!

GOP refused comittee, KNOWING what they were planning to do ALL the time.