The "Lame Duck" session got booted. The Goose on Steroids kicked it's butt.
Ezra Klein has an interesting take on "why?" It's worth reading his entire article.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/...
So far, the lame-duck session has managed to pass an $850 billion tax-cuts-and-stimulus deal, the repeal of DADT, the Defense Authorization bill, a continuing resolution to keep funding the federal government, the START treaty, the food-safety bill, and probably a few more pieces of legislation I'm forgetting.
(I would add the 9/11 Responders to that list.)
The answer I think, is that there are plenty of Senate Republicans who aren't too comfortable with the class of conservatives who got elected in 2010.
Now, Ezra Klein is far too kind in his assessment. I say Republicans who voted with the Democrats realize that these are probably the last moments of sanity that they will see in their careers as Senators. They fully understand that the new crop of Representatives and Senators will never accomplish good legislation. These votes were a hat tip to their careers.
They have learned that their senate seat is sitting in sand, not on clay.
They have learned that radicals really can beat them.
They have learned that saying "no" to everything really wasn't that much fun and it surely was nothing to be proud of.
They learned that they don't have to follow Mitch McConnell and Jim DeMint down the path of destruction.
The big question this raises is: Will this same coalition be to the Republicans what the Blue Dogs were to the Democrats? Will compromise within the Republican party make the tea party heads explode?
Can this possibly end well for them?
Remember, there is nothing new under the sun....(going biblical on you!)
And speaking of lame...from the NRA
http://www.nagr.org/...
Dear Gun Rights Supporter,
Now that you've been alerted to how dangerous Harry Reid's "Goose on Steroids" of a Lame Duck session could be, please take action now and sign the petition below.
And after you sign the petition, I hope you'll make a contribution to help the National Association for Gun Rights fund all our programs to protect our rights.
Whether it's $10, $20, or even $50, every bit counts in the fight for the Second Amendment.
Thank you, in advance, for taking action today!
In Liberty,
Dudley Brown
Executive Director
and my favorite tweet of the day!
Hey Sarah Palin, remember when you asked how that Hopey Changey Thing was working out? Great! #InYourFace #Obama #111THCongress #FTW