I constantly read and hear that Obama was a terrible president and didn’t care about the average American because he had a Congressional Democratic Supermajority, but he just failed to use it.
That is a LIE!!!
That is a GOP LIE!!!
Repeating it, just means you are repeating Republican LIES.
I will detail the best I can, exactly how Obama did not have the supermajority he’s accused of having.
This gets very confusing, so I may make a mistake here and there, and will have to edit the numbers, but, you will finally see this myth debunked.
President Obama was sworn in on January 20, 2009 with just 56 Democratic Senators,
and 2 Independents, Senator Joe Lieberman and Bernie Sanders
So, we will count these as 58
He should have had 59, but Republican Norm Coleman contested Al Franken’s election win calling for a recount in Minnesota, this fight would go on for 7 months until July.
(Al Fraken would not be sworn in until July 7th 2009) We will come back to this later in the post.
This is where it all begins to go downhill:
Kennedy, Byrd Taken From Inaugural Luncheon
January 20, 2009This is when we first hear of Robert Byrd being sick.
Kennedy, Byrd Taken From Inaugural Luncheon
Sen. Ted Kennedy became ill at a post-inauguration luncheon for President Barack Obama and was taken by ambulance to a hospital. Kennedy is battling a brain tumor. Meanwhile, 91-year-old Sen. Robert Byrd was also taken from the luncheon, but his staff say he is not ill.
Ted Kennedy was out battling a brain tumor in January and February, leaving Obama short a vote
this leaves Obama was only 57 votes.
Remember above, we had 58 votes, now we are down to 57
March 5th 2009
Ted Kennedy returns for a short time to try to work with Obama, while still
battling brain cancer.
April 2009 Pennsylvania’s Republican Senator Arlen Specter switched parties.
This now gives Obama a 59 votes, IN THRORY, but, we still have Ted Kennedy and Robert Byrd sick, and often unable to attend votes.
So, now for April of 2009 Obama has a 59 Democratic Majority, again, this is only in theory.
May 2009 Senator Byrd becomes very sick
June 2009 Senator Byrd of West Virginia was hospitalized
June 2009, Obama has a 59 Democratic Majority, but Byrd is OUT sick
so he really only has 58 votes
So, while it LOOKS like Obama has the 60 vote Supermajority, he doesn’t
because Robert Byrd is still out sick.
This leaves Obama with 59 Democratic Majority
August 25th, 2009 Senator Ted Kennedy dies of brain cancer
Now Democrats are left with a 59 Vote Majority /
but in reality again, it’s only 58, because Robert Byrd is still sick.
September 1st. Obama only has a 58 / 59 Majority cuz, Byrd
September 24th, 2009 Paul Kirk fills Kennedy’s seat in Massachusetts
This leaves Obama with a 60 Seat supermajority in THEORY ONLY
Byrd is still sick, yes he is occasionally able to attend congress for votes, but is often voting from a hospital bed.
From Sept 24th, 2009 to February 3rd, 2010, Obama has a 60 Vote Majority only part of the time, due to Robert Byrd still being very ill.
February 4, 2010 when Republican Scott Brown was sworn into the seat Senator Kennedy once held
February 4th now Obama has a 58 Seat Majority
Do you see a two-year supermajority?
Yes, there was a handful of days when Obama was able to get that full majority, but it was not at all as many people make it out to be, one site takes the numbers and figures he has roughly 24 working days with a supermajority, that is out of 2 years. I will update later with that link as well.
Anyway, this is exactly how it happened, so those claims can now be debunked again.