House Dems Turn Out the Lights On the GOP

Politico is reporting that while GOP leaders opposed a motion to adjourn the House, the Democrats have closed up shop and even turned out the lights. While the lights and microphones have since been turned back on, it makes for an amusing mental image and possibly even a few dark YouTube video spoofs. "Only about a half-dozen Republicans were on the floor when this began, but the crowd has grown to about 20 now, according to Patrick O'Connor. 'This is the people's House,' Rep, Thaddeus McCotter (R-Mich.) said. 'This is not Pelosi's politiburo.' Democratic aides were furious at the GOP stunt, and reporters were kicked out of the Speaker's Lobby, the space next to the House floor where they normally interview lawmakers."

Comments

That's not all!

[Anonymous Coward]

The summary didn't state everything. Pelosi was trying to stop a vote concerning foreign oil drilling. The REP's are currently mad and speaking to the public who have gathered in the upstairs gallery, arguing (one-sided, of course) their concerns and solutions for rising gas and energy prices.

Re:That's not all!

[stinerman]

Not bringing up votes on bills that the Speaker doesn't like is very standard practice and has gone on for decades.

Any bill can be brought to the floor by 1/2 of the House via a discharge petition. Republicans apparently don't have the votes to bring the bill to the floor over the objections of the Speaker.

Didin't the GOP do this too

[clonan]

As I recall in 2003 the GOP chair of a committee refused to allow the Democratic members of the committe to speak, ignored a motion to continue the hearing and stormed off WITH the gavel in hand...all this beacuse the dems wanted to call some witnesses for testimony.

I forget the details but google knows all.

Re:A cheap and embarrassing Republican stunt

[Anonymous Coward]

You didn't need to cheapen your post with the silly, biased commentary.

"It may work. If the Democrats did this, the media would be happy to portray them as whiny little losers who didn't know when to go home. (Which would basically be accurate.)

But since it's Republicans doing it, the media -- including Slashdot, in this case -- will find amusement in what the Dems "did" to the GOP."

Seriously? You think the media and slashdot have republican bias?

Yes I can

[Woundweavr]

Changing a bill after it had been passed

One aspect of the pending FBI investigation centers on Young's role in securing a $10 million earmark in the $286.5 billion highway bill passed in 2005. The earmark, which was inserted in the bill after final passage by the House of Representatives and Senate, was for a study of a highway ramp sought by a Florida real estate developer. At a fundraiser while on a trip to Bonita Springs, Fla., to inspect the site, Young received more than $40,000 in donations.

Holding open vote

CBS News correspondent Bob Fuss reports there was chaos on the Hour floor as Republican leaders passed the bill by holding a five-minute vote open for almost 50 minutes until they could convince two Republicans to change their votes.

They buttonholed lawmakers for last-minute lobbying as Democrats complained loudly that the vote should be closed. Finally two GOP lawmakers switched from "no" to "yes," giving the bill's supporters the margin of victory.

(additional examples)
It is against House rules to keep a vote open in order to alter the outcome.

a recorded vote by electronic device shall not be held open for the sole purpose of reversing the outcome of such vote.

"Abusive holds" is difficult to quantify but I'd point towards Tom Coburn's extensive holds.

Re:It's called speculation...

[Doc Ruby]

If you're going to do "Conservative math" and divide quarterly profit by annual revenue, you're going to come up with whatever numbers you want, like inany Republican economic analysis.

If you leave out a $290M Exxon-Valdez settlement (pennies on the dollar owed, and a onetime charge on decades of legal operations), Exxon actually profited $11.97 BILLION. Annualize that number, and you get $47.88 BILLION profit. Of about $404.55 BILLION 2007 revenue, that would be about 11.8% profit. On such a huge, global operation, with retail prices hitting all kinds of ceilings (like people forced to decide to skip food, healthcare or gas/heat), that is a fabulous profit rate on a fabulous amount of revenue. More than 5% profit on such huge revenues would still be fabulous. Especially when the rest of the US economy, that these giant revenue extractions are strangling, is shrinking and failing.

Now, if you want to go for Conservative economics gold, just suggest something irrelevant like "Wal-Mart is #2". Congratulations!