Somebody should remind Coburn and DeMint that it's THEIR job to read [or have their staffs read and annotate] the bills ~ if the Rs persist, I hope Reid follows thru on this ~ let them fly home on Christmas Eve day and return the following Monday ~ Sooz

REID REMINDS GOP: 'CONGRESS ENDS ON JAN. 4'.... We've seen a fair number of instances lately in which the parties play a game of chicken -- waiting to see which side will blink first. The latest has to do with Senate calendar, and at this point, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is saying exactly what he should be saying.

To briefly summarize, there are several key priorities the majority intends to tackle in this lame-duck session. Several Senate Republicans believe if they use enough obnoxious delaying tactics, Democrats will simply give up and go home.

In the latest example of this, the Senate is preparing to vote on an omnibus spending bill that would fund the federal government through the rest of the fiscal year. Sens. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) and Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), the chamber's most right-wing members, intend to demand that the clerk of the Senate read the spending bill, out loud and in its entirety, before it's voted on.

The omnibus is 1,924 pages.

Coburn and DeMint aren't just motivated by "dickishness" -- though that's part of it -- the goal is to slow things down to prevent votes on other bills.

It's important, then, that the Democratic leadership makes clear that the tactics won't work. The notion of wrapping up the session this Friday has already been thrown out the window; the next step is Reid making clear that he's more concerned with getting everything done than he is with going home.

It's already assumed that members will be working next week. More to the point, Reid also said today that coming back after Christmas if next week doesn't go as smoothly as it should.

"There's still Congress after Christmas. We're not through," Reid told reporters today. "Congress ends on Jan. 4."

Good for him. If it's up to Dems, the to-do list could be tackled quite quickly. But if the likes of Coburn and DeMint want to drag this out, Dems have to be prepared to call their bluff.

—[url=mailto:sbenen@washingtonmonthly.com]Steve Benen[/url] 3:50 PM December 13, 2010

http://www.washingtonmont...idual/2010_12/027085.php

No days off at all is what I'd say... none.

Works for me.

I haven't had a day off since I became self-employed in '95. If I have to do it, so can they.

Kyl must be pals with Tony Hayward, the former CEO of BP who, during the massive oil spill, declared he wanted his life back ~ Kyl keeps giving me reasons to dislike/disrespect him ~ but it's impossible for me to dislike/disrespect him more than I already do ~ Sooz

KYL'S CONCERN FOR HIS CHRISTMAS VACATION.... Given all the work the Senate still has to do before wrapping up for the year, it's a given that members will be on the job next week. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), to his credit, has said it's possible the chamber will be voting the following week, too.

Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) seems chiefly concerned with the holidays. (via Rachel Slajda)

There are a few angles to consider here.

First, no one is talking about having senators or their aides work on Christmas, "one of the two holiest of holidays for Christians." I'm not a theologian, but I'm comfortable with the observation that modern Christianity places no spiritual significance on Dec. 27 through Dec. 31. The "respect" Kyl demands for his religious holiday appears to be intact.

Second, Kyl might want to take a peek outside his DC bubble -- the vast majority of American workers will be on the job the week after Christmas, and places of business nationwide will be open. (Does Kyl think all of these employers are "disrespecting" Christianity?) Asking senators to work when most of their constituents are working hardly seems unreasonable.

And third, the Senate is perfectly capable of getting its work done before Christmas, but that appears unlikely because Kyl's Republican colleagues are deliberately bringing the legislative process to a crawl. It's not Reid's fault the GOP is forcing needless, petty delays.

As it turns out, Kyl just happens to be the Minority Whip, which in theory puts him in a position of some influence. Instead of complaining about Reid, maybe he should have a chat with some of his obstructionist colleagues.

—Steve Benen 8:00 AM December 15, 2010

http://www.washingtonmont...idual/2010_12/027092.php

Add DeMint to the 'club' ~  ~ I really really really hope Reid keeps Congress in session for as long as possible next week and then reconvenes Congress on December 27th [if that is the Monday following Christmas] if for no other reason than to piss off DeMint and Kyl ~ Sooz

WHAT JIM DEMINT CONSIDERS 'SACRILEGIOUS'.... The Senate is set to move on ratification of the pending arms control treaty, New START, but the chamber's most right-wing member is intent on bringing the process to a crawl. Today, he announced his plan to force the Senate clerk to read the entirety of the treaty, out loud, just to delay for the sake of delay.

The stunt is expected to waste seven to 12 hours, on purpose, just to make the man-child from South Carolina feel better.

But it's his stated rationale that truly rankles.

I'm beginning to wonder if there's just something wrong with this guy. Today is December 15 -- it's not sacred, it's not a holiday, and it's not "sacrilegious" for public officials to do the jobs we pay them to do. Americans nationwide are working this week and next, as are U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Maybe conservatives need to suck it up and stop whining about having too much homework before winter break.

What's more, no one is "jamming" anything -- senators have been talking about this treaty since April.

If DeMint wants to blow off the entire national security apparatus and vote against New START, that's his prerogative. If he doesn't care about monitoring Russia's long-range nuclear arsenal, that's up to him. But playing the Christmas Card is more than a little pathetic, and something of an embarrassment to the institution.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs called DeMint's nonsense a "new low in putting political stunts ahead of our national security.... Every minute that the START Treaty is being read on the Senate floor increases the time that we lack verification of Russia's nuclear arsenal."

Update: Several readers have noted that DeMint's description of Christmas as "the most sacred holiday for Christians" is completely absurd. That's clearly true -- Easter has always been considered the holiest of Christian holidays. For adherents, a virgin birth is a big deal, but resurrection from the dead is a more notable development.

With that in mind, when drawing up a list of things Jim DeMint is deeply confused about, we can add "his own religion" to the list.

—Steve Benen 1:40 PM December 15, 2010

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archiv ... 027101.php