When there is a bill pending before that Senate that has the support of Democrats, Republicans and even the industry it proposes to regulate, and a single Senator is preventing the passage of the bill by unanimous consent, you can be pretty sure that the culprit is either Tom Coburn (R-OK) or a Teabagger. In this case, it’s not Coburn. And in this case, the InsaniTEA is hereditary.
The only senator opposed to a bill to toughen federal safety regulation of oil and gas pipelines said Wednesday he’s willing to work with Senate leaders to schedule a debate on the measure, but he’s still blocking expedited passage.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who is philosophically opposed to federal regulation, also blamed Democratic leaders for the Senate’s failure to act on the measure, saying they could have scheduled a debate and vote on the bill at any time.
But a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., accused Paul of "a classic tea party stunt."
"The simple fact is that if Sen. Paul stopped blocking this bill, it would sail through with overwhelming bipartisan support," spokesman Adam Jentleson said.
The bill has wide, bipartisan support and is backed by industry and safety groups. It was approved without opposition by the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee in May. Paul is the only senator opposing an effort by the bill’s Democratic sponsors to pass it swiftly using "unanimous consent" procedures that eliminate the need for a time-consuming debate.
"I believe legislation should have open debate and votes. It need not take weeks. Certainly we could spend an afternoon for the people’s elected representatives to discuss whether they got massive new regulations," Paul said in a statement… [emphasis added]
Inserted from <CBS>
How many times have we seen this happen. A single Republican holds up a bill, and the rest say it isn’t them. That may also be the case this time, but not necessary. Rand Paul is the son of the original wearer of the tinfoil hat, Ron Paul, and reflects his extremism on most issues. I guess they think that, instead of depending on nanny government, folks should all move somewhere that has no no natural gas pipelines. Thank goodness that Ron “never mattered, never will” Paul is retiring in 2012, after a last useless attempt to win the Republican presidential nomination. May the son of tinfoil follow him into obscurity in short order.
Rachel Maddow and blogger Joe Sonka discuss this issue and expand it into a demonstration of why Democrats, not Republicans, are the party of American values.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Whose values do you want?
12 Responses to “When InsaniTEA is hereditary”
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Correct me if I am wrong but did not the democrat majority have one lone chance to change the rules of the filibuster? Did they not have a small window of time time where they could have stopped a lone Senator from saying I am filibustering this and then going home while the rest of the Senate waited and waited and yet still more Americans die over ignorance and the need to keep a lone face in the news? If I remember correctly the Democrat party made a “gentleman’s agreement rather than a rule change. So we get the shit again and they get a check for doing everything but work.
Of course you’re right, and you probably also remember how furious I was at Leg Hound Harry made that agreement against the wishes of Obama and most of the Democratic Caucus. The Republicans kept their word for almost a week.
Pardon me while I go on a “rant – tirade” on this issue – and thanks so much TomCat for placing this story in PP! This is all part and parcel of my cause celebre: FRACKING! Not an issue that the president is so totally against! I have petitioned him on this particular issue several times a month for a couple of years now! The insidious gas companies have kept most of these explosions under wraps without too much press and without any regulation or explanations. New York City is under lethal attack, along with the rest of the country. Proposed in NY is the drilling of the Marcellus Shale (the Saudi natural gas deposit of North America) which also extends from Ohio, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania, the drilling has begun in PA – already accompanied with a couple of explosions, spills as well as the poisoning of the Susquehanna River! The documentary “Gasland” noted for its iconic clip of ignitable tap water filmed on location in PA as well as several areas particularly effected by this dangerous unregulated process of extraction. NY’s Gov. Cuomo and Mayor Bloomberg have quietly been preparing the city’s dependency on this gas – building a refinery in Queens directly across the river (East) from Manhattan,, and a fleet of natural gas buses (which IS and extremely clean fuel – AFTER the most dirty of fossil fuel ecxtraction process known to man)! The city also has plans for a gas pipe line (SPECTRA) to run from the Delaware Water Basin (where NYC’s water/reservoirs supply) is located through Jersey and to cross the Hudson river into Manhattan at 14th Street – the pipe is the same dimensions as the one that blew in CA – placing a 20-30 block radius in jeopardy if an explosion like the one in CA should occur. Most NY’ers are painfully ignorant that that these plans are in effect, with only weeks from decisions that may effect their lives and the city, as well as the lives of 16-19 million preople dependent on the water from Delaware River Basin (including NYC and Philly) – this process, though lethal to those by the drilling sites, will compromise the health of millions who bathe and drink and cook with it. This water has been among the cleanest in the nation directly from the tap and unfilitered. Several Texans are aware of the dangers – take Dish, TX for instance a town that is all but destroyed by the practice. Bush and Cheney in 2005 exempted the Oil/Gas companies from the clean air and water acts specifically to promote fracking! Each well uses 8-10 million gallons of fresh, clean water for drilling purposes – acres of land are devastated by clearing, and there is a 24/7 heavy truck traffic production for the use of carrying water to and toxic waste from these sites (without the necessity of declaring that they are carrying Haz-mats), as well as misters that spray the toxic sludge into the air for evaporation, the toxins involved are approcimately 500 in number with several known carcinogens and from the drilling – radiation as well as butane and methane) – the process is a hazard to our wildlife – in NY leased properties for proposed drilling includes some of the State’s most pristine parks. Obama hasn’t banned this process (France has). The fight itself is almost over – the companies have also been capable of watering down “impact statements” due to the same lack of regulations!!!!!!! For more info – goodle fracking or go to NYH2O.org, or Unitedforaction,org – this process is a Gulf disaster in the making (multiplied by thousands)! I’m sorry to be so verbiose – but you touched “my” subject! Thanks again for this TomCat!!!!
Lee, I’m sure you know that I also oppose fracking and have written several articles saying so. Had Democrats held the House in 2010 and increased their Senate majority instead of losing ground, we would have ample resources allocated to developing green energy. Sadly, too many lefty voters whined and stayed home or cast third party protest votes. Until we get Democratic majorities sufficient to overcome Republican blocking tactics and get green energy going to fill the gap, we will be held hostage by poison energy: oil, gas, coal, and nuclear.
Nothing I can add to the well written article and the very well written responses :
All I can say is Rand Paul , the spoiled son of a wealthy man– is even more deluded and delusional than his demented father–Self centered and egotistical —
Thanks and well said, Phyllis. This is the one that did it.
Let’s not do what’s good for the people. That would be too sensible.
RepubliCorp never deals in sense.
Hrtrdity is no alibi for Rand Paul. He is thoroughly worthless!
In his case, worthless is hereditary too! 😉
Apples seldom fall far from the tree. When Rand Paul was steeped around the dinner table in his father’s warped ideas, he has no chance to view anything else without blinders. How can an ophthalmologist be so blind?
I worked with kids between 12-20 yrs old about 3 times a week for over 5 years. As most people know. kids at that age frequently push the envelope on just about everything. When I decided to move on, the kids said thank you for giving us the freedom to do things and thank you for some rules to keep us safe.
If I read Rand Paul correctly, he is not in favour of rules to keep people safe. I believe he said that if a mine collapses and you survive, you go to another mine to work and hope you don’t get killed there. Well, I think all people want rules and need some rules so that they know what is expected, what is allowed. And rules help people and corporations know the boundaries. At one point, it was stated that this bill, which Paul is holding up on misguided, strident principles, is supported by the bipartisan committee and the industry. So you have 105 senators going one way and one lone quack going against the flow. Do you think maybe he needs an “attitude adjustment”?
From CBS — Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., whose district includes San Bruno, said the bill is a “good start” but doesn’t go far enough to incorporate National Transportation Safety Board recommendations.
Paul’s actions show he is “blinded by ideology” and “indifferent to the overwhelming evidence that self-regulation of the gas industry is a prescription for further death and injury,” Speier said in a statement.
Both Ron and Ron are outspokenly opposed to safety regulation. They say that the market will correct itself. What they don’t say is how it does so. After a defective product or service has killed or injured a few thousand people, word gets around and people stop buying it.