Democrats Divulge Emails With Boehner Staff as Shutdown Fight Gets Personal

[brooklynite]

Source: Roll Call

S

enate Democrats are considering leaking a series of emails between the chiefs of staff of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Speaker John A. Boehner regarding employer contributions to congressional staff health care plans, multiple top-level sources said late Monday.

Senate Democratic chiefs of staff discussed the emails between Reid chief David Krone and Boehner chief Mike Sommers at a recent meeting, according to a source with direct knowledge of the meeting.

Leaking the emails would be unusual, given the taboo over disclosing personal communications between top staffers. But the missives also would reveal Boehner’s position on employer subsidies for congressional staff. Democrats believe the Ohio Republican’s decision to attach an amendment to revoke those contributions to the most recent House continuing resolution was a direct shot at vulnerable Senate Democrats up in 2014 and would like to highlight the contradiction between Boehner’s public and private stances on the issue.

Senate Democrats believe that Republican efforts to force a vote on what some in the GOP have characterized as a congressional “exemption” are designed to politically corner Democrats like Kay Hagan of North Carolina or Mark Pryor in Arkansas, who represent more conservative states. Democrats contend that Republicans just want to campaign on the issue, while hoping the amendment will not pass.

Read more: http://blogs.rollcall.com/wgdb/democrats-mull-divulging-emails-with-boehner-staff-as-shutdown-fight-gets-personal/

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Gee, what about all that Senate "collegiality"?

[gopiscrap]

1. Go for it

[CreekDog]

2. collegiality means keeping hypocritical positions secret?

i don't think so.

[Lasher]

5. Collegiality was much better back when they used to cane each other on the Senate floor.

Maybe it never was all it's cracked up to be.

[Skinner]

3. This was a clever way to leak the substance of the emails...

...without leaking the emails.

[Tom Rinaldo]

7. Goodf point. But it would make a bigger splash if they were released and therefor could be quoted

Reid has good reason to be pissed. I wonder if a threat of actually releasing them is being played as a minor bargaining chip.

[denverbill]

4. I say go for it. Yank the benefits for Congress. That will be our 'compromise'.

[Delphinus]

11. Yes,

they should not be paid or have the benefits and perks they have come to rely upon.

[watoos]

6. Remember the story

about the lady who took in the rattlesnake that was frozen in the cold. She warmed it and nursed it back to health. The snake turned around and bit her anyway. It doesn't pay to be nice to a rattlesnake, er Republican, they will just come back and bite you anyway.

[calimary]

15. Same idea behind the story of the scorpion and the fox.

Scorpion can't swim and wants to cross the river. Asks the fox to take him on his back because the fox CAN swim. Fox says "but you'll sting me. You're a scorpion after all!" Scorpion says "what? That means I'd drown, too. What good would that do?" Fox accepts Scorpion's reasoning and proceeds. Halfway across the river, yep, Scorpion stings Fox. As they both go down for the last time, Fox asks the Scorpion - "WHY?????" Scorpion replies with a shrug - "'cause I'm a scorpion. That's what I do!"

[Scuba]

8. Aren't these communications subject to FOIA?

[onenote]

9. No.

FOIA only applies to agencies of the executive branch, not to Congress or the Judiciary.

[Scuba]

10. Did not know that. Thanks!

[Mustellus]

12. I called my congressperson's office today to compalain...

That was the first question I asked the nice lady: "How do you feel, personally, about your boss throwing your own health care under the bus?"

[calimary]

17. GOOD!!!! We need to confront these people and push it straight into their faces.

The lady you spoke with probably needs to hear another side than the one she evidently lives with (all-GOP-all-the-time).

[dhill926]

13. Fuck'im....

Enough is enough. Time to take Agent Orange down.

[barbiegeek]

14. /this is awesome

[littlewolf]

16. I think EVERYONE should be in the exchange

period.

staffers .... congress critters .... everyone.

bet sh*t works right first time every time.

[joshcryer]

18. I think the public should get Congress' coverage.

Which is basically single payer for them.