Harry Reid Blasts ‘'Sanctimonious’ GOP In Angry Senate Floor Speech

[Clio the Leo]

I'm nominating "sanctimonious" for "political word of the year: lame duck addition."

HARRY REID BLASTS ‘SANCTIMONIOUS’ REPUBS IN ANGRY SENATE FLOOR SPEECH
Posted on December 15, 2010 at 4:42pm by Jonathon M. Seidl

Harry Reid (D-NV) delivered an angry, passionate speech on the Senate floor today blasting “sanctimonious” GOP senators for accusing Democrats and Harry Reid of disrespecting Christmas by threatening to keep the Senate in session through the holiday.

“I don’t need to hear the sanctimonious lectures of Sens. Kyl and DeMint to remind me of what Christmas means,” Reid said during a Senate floor speech Wednesday afternoon.

The speech was in response to criticism from GOP Sens. Jon Kyl (AZ) and Jim DeMint (SC). Reid said the blame for an extended session lies with Republicans for filibustering and using “every procedural trick in the book to delay legislation.”

Kyl suggested Tuesday that Reid would be on the verge of “disrespecting one of the two holiest days for Christians” by pushing the Senate to work on the omnibus spending bill and the New START nuclear treaty right up until Dec. 25.

Reid on Tuesday warned that he may call senators back after Christmas to finish work on legislation, including the Dream Act, which would grant legal residency to the children of illegal immigrants who meet certain conditions.

DeMint said it would be “sacrilegious” to hold votes on the $1.1 trillion spending package and the treaty immediately before Christmas.

Reid responded that Republicans were to blame for extending the session up until Christmas.

“My question, Madam President, is where were their concerns about Christmas as we’ve had filibuster after filibuster on major pieces of legislation during this entire Congress,” said Reid, who accused Republicans of deploying the tactic 87 times.

“These are additional days of wasted time we could be using to pass legislation to get home for the holidays,” Reid added. “Yet some of my Republican colleagues have the nerve to whine about having to stay and actually do the work of the American people.”

Video below....
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/harry-reid-blasts-sanctimonious-repubs-in-angry-senate-floor-speech/

[MrModerate]

1. They could stay home to discharge their religious obligations.

Oh please, do!

[mtnsnake]

2. I love Harry Reid

I know he's not the most popular person around here, but I have always thought the guy is one of the strongest Democrats we have.

[Cosmocat]

19. Three years and 255 days too late ...

but otherwise, good to see him crack down on them ...

[Supersedeas]

20. if the pattern follows, Reid will cave on this too -- just didn't have the votes

ya know

[IntravenousDemilo]

3. If that was "angry", I'd sure hate to see "placid".

Well, if the Republicans want to take Christmas off, let them. There are enough Democrats for a quorum, and that's enough time to introduce, vote on, and pass all sorts of necessary legislation.

[AlinPA]

4. His words are great but his delivery sounds so weak and meek. Sorry, Harry. I can

picture Barbara Boxer or Sherrod Brown making those statements.

[Hawkeye-X]

5. Ahem. Time to threaten the nuclear option to the Republicans - REMIND them who's still in charge

Let them PAY the consequences of 30 years of fuckage.

Hawkeye-X

[Occam Bandage]

11. And what good would that do?

In less than a month, the Republicans have an even better tool of obstruction: the House of Representatives. Sure, we might win it back in 2012—but in 2012, we lose the Senate, and we lose even more seats in 2014. Do we really want to get rid of the filibuster, just so we might get to use it again in 2016 (assuming everything breaks right for us)?

[Hawkeye-X]

14. That's why the Senate needs to pass this SESSION's bills that's being held up

by the obstructionist Rethuglicans.

Invoking the nuclear option would give them leeway to pass reasonable and progressive laws until the Rethugs gets their claws on the House. Then we can continue to ignore any teabagger bills, and rewrite the filibuster rules for next session's Senate. My suggestion that every Senator has to attend any threatened or invoked filibuster, and sit there until the filibusteree gets the cloture or the legislation tabled.

Hawkeye-X

[classysassy]

6. "If every day could be like Christmas"

An old Bing Crosby Christmas song,too bad the two senators don't act like Christians every day instead of acting like little devils 364 days a year.

[madamesilverspurs]

7. Well done, Harry!

And he didn't even have to use fake tears. . .

-

[struggle4progress]

8. I personally would consider DREAM and START great Christmas presents

[Recursion]

9. Wait... I thought a lack of angry speeches was what kept our party from succeeding

Why isn't everything better now?

[Life Long Dem]

10. Reid said

the blame for an extended session lies with Republicans for filibustering and using “every procedural trick in the book to delay legislation.”

[rasputin1952]

12. Kyl and DeMint are goomers left over from antebellum

America...bunch of miserable miscreants.

I can't count the times I've had to work during the Holidays...the Army, working in a hospital, a hospice, the aircraft industry...if it snowed, I'd shovel people out of their homes...Kyl and Demint wouldn't even consider the fact that plenty of Americans really work at all!

I'll call them what they are...assholes.

[Norrin Radd]

13. " disrespecting one of the two holiest days for Christians ?

i thought Christmas was Catholic, hence "mass?"

[Clio the Leo]

16. My father would tell you it's Pagan...

.... but that's a matter for another board.

[mwooldri]

22. TWO holiest days?

That'd be December 25th and January 6th, right? Depending on which Christian sect you're in, Christmas is on one of these two days.

But here in America, corporate America recongize just one day... not two. December 25th. Christmas Eve, nor Boxing Day (as is in England and Wales) are not US holidays.

[BeyondGeography]

15. Reid has them whining like babies

He's making them pay. Quite good.

[blazerunner]

17. edition > addition

[Kablooie]

18. Give'm Harry, Hell!

[bullwinkle428]

21. Holy shit! Standing up to a bully works? Who could have ever

imagined that a strategy like that might actually be successful?

[old mark]

23. I financially supported Reid's campaign - and I live in PA! I like him, and

I wish Democrats had had similar success here...Maybe I'll move to Nevada.

Is there anything to do for fun there?

mark