Forty-Three Ted Cruz Hard Right House Republicans Planning to Sue President Obama for Doing His Job as President

When I think it is impossible for the Republican Party to get any dumber, along comes some of the House Republicans to prove me wrong once again.  One of those jerks is running for the Oklahoma Senate seat being vacated by Senator Coburn at the end of the year -- Republican James Lankford of the 5th District.  BTW, when is he going to resign?  The Speaker of the OK House, TW Shannon, resigned to run for the seat but not heard a peep out of Lankford.  TW would make a much better Senator than Lankford any day of the week. Would bet TW is happy to be out of the OK House and having to deal with some of the hard right because he is not that hard right -- it must have driven him up a wall.    Will bring you more on the OK Senate races as it gets closer to our summer primary and probably gets nastier.

Some of the hard right House Republicans have jumped over the cliff with their latest attacks on President Obama for doing his job.  One of my favorite writers, Jason Easley, Politicususa had this to say:

Forty three House Republicans Want to Sue Barack Obama for Being President

Forty three House Republicans are sponsoring a bill that if passed would force the House to sue President Obama for behaving like a president. 

According to The Hill, “Forty-three Republicans have cosponsored the resolution since Obama’s State of the Union address, where he threatened to enact policies if Congress didn’t act. The “Stop This Overreaching Presidency (STOP)” measure, introduced by Rep. Tom Rice (S.C.), now has 104 co-sponsors, including Senate GOP hopeful Reps. Jack Kingston (Ga.), James Lankford (Okla.), Steve Stockman (Texas), Paul Broun (Ga.), Steve Daines (Mont.) and Phil Gingrey (Ga.).” 

The House Republicans are upset because Barack Obama had the nerve to act like a president. They are angry that he delayed the employer mandate, implemented the DREAM Act for the executive branch, let people keep their substandard health insurance policies, and ended work requirements for welfare recipients. 

Courts have ruled for decades that presidents have the constitutional power to delay the implementation of a law. Like all presidents, Obama’s executive orders only cover the executive branch. President Obama didn’t implement the DREAM Act for all of the country, just for the executive branch.  Read More

It dawns on you that these current hard right Republicans in the House and Senate could care less what the Constitution says about three equal branches of Government.  No place does it say the House is Supreme to all other branches but you would never understand that from the hard right rhetoric aka lies coming from the mouths of the Senator Ted Cruz Republicans in the House:

House Republicans are trying to sue the president for exercising his constitutionally granted powers. This is another attempt to delegitimize this president. Republicans are upset that the president is working around their obstruction, so they are taking him to court to try to get him to stop behaving like a president.

How much influence has Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) had on this current action of suing the Presiddent since he convinced the House to shut down the Government last fall?  My guess is a lot seeing some of the people involved.  In doing the research I found this 5 Feb 2014 article from the Houston Chronicle's, Texas on the Potomac Blog:

Cruz report accuses Obama of “assault on Texas”Posted on February 5, 2014 | By William T. Brown 

Sen. Ted Cruz has issued a report on “The Obama Administration’s Assault on Texas.”
The freshman Republican from Texas  is the ranking minority member of a Senate Judiciary subcommittee which deals with the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights. 

This report, the third in a series written by Cruz on what he sees as Obama overreach, “ goes through 10 cases where the Obama administration has advocated for overbroad views of federal power and has been over and over again repudiated by the federal courts,” Cruz said in a Fox News interview.  Read More

Question of the Day:  Can a sitting Senator can also be Speaker of the House since the Speaker does not have to be an elected House Member?   Seems that Ted Cruz is already the de facto head of the hard right in the House so why not be Speaker?  Cruz must be livid at Speaker Boehner for finally getting the courage to go against the House's hard right to pass a clean Debt Ceiling Bill as Cruz was determined not to let a clean bill pass.  Then Cruz lost in the Senate, when Minority Leader McConnell grew a backbone for a few hours and rounded up votes to stop a Cruz filibuster.  Now the hard right who has raised more money than the Chamber and middle of the road Republican groups are out for blood in the 2014 election wanting to elect hard right ideologues and don't care if they beat Democrats in November as long as they stand on principle.

These excerpts from the article at Alternet, Tea Party and the Right, basically say what many of us who were lifelong Republicans until 2010-2012 have been saying:

This week, the Tea Party aligned Senate Conservatives Fund called on House Republicans to force out Speaker John Boehner in an email that read, “Unless we install a new leader who will actually go on offense, Democrats will never fear us and we will never have any leverage.” 

We may be witnessing the genesis of another temporary or permanent fracture of the Republican Party, for what was once a happy coalition of secular and social conservatives, united to defeating Obama and liberalism, has turned into an openly hostile civil war for control of party, and by all measures the Christian Right/Tea Party faction are winning in their objective of purging what they believe are Republicans In Name Only. 

This is a war establishment Republicans cannot win for not only is the Christian Right/Tea Party faction the most reliable and agitated voting bloc within the party, but also they’re now out raising Chamber of Commerce-sponsored establishment candidates thanks to a cabal of hyper-religious organizations, the Club for Growth, and the Koch brothers. Since August, the Koch’s Americans for Prosperity has spent more than $27 million on ads, which puts it on pace to outstrip its overall $38.5 million spent on the 2010 election. 

It’s worth noting that there barely remain any open shirted “moderate Republicans.” Almost two-thirds of House Republicans voted against bipartisan efforts to reopen the federal government and prevent the U.S. defaulting on its loan obligations. The non-partisan Mann and Ornstein write in Its Worse Than it Looks, “The Republican Party has become an insurgent outlier – ideologically extreme; contemptuous of the inherited social and economic policy regime; scornful of compromise; unpersuaded by conventional understanding of facts and science; and dismissive of the legitimacy of its political opposition.”

Lost count of the number of times since 1998 that I have been in dust ups with the 'my way or no way' crowd on conservative websites for their stupid mantra of not caring if their candidate wins as long as they stand on principle.  My shock is that they are now in charge of the Republican Party.  According to everywhere I turn, the hard right have outraised the establishment types led by the Chamber who were attempting to wrest control of the Republican Party away from the hard right.  Looks like a dismal failure from establishment groups after what I am hearing from people I know in various locations.

Koch Bros are willing to let the hard right have their theocracy as long as they get what they want -- no Government rules and regulations so they are free to pollute at will and kill the vibrancy that has always been the hallmark of American ingenuity.   Koch Bros who want more money for themselves discovered they could get the hard right to be their puppets because it is obvious the hard right are more inclined to be puppets when you use the right mantra then think for themselves.  They have been sitting in hard right churches for years being told what to think and what to do.  Cannot fathom that.

Took me years but finally found out my trouble here in Oklahoma from the time we moved to Norman was with the hard right Republicans who make up most of the GOP in Oklahoma.  I am an independent thinker and that falls outside the norm for loyal GOP party members who are told which candidates to support. Here is an example:  In 2006 in the GOP primary for Governor, a nasty hit piece went out around the state by some County Chairs in support of Ernest Istook for Governor.  I was supporting another candidate.  When I got sent the letter as the Vice Chair of the County, the nitwits at OK GOP had left in faint grey lettering - Paid for by the Ernest Istook Campaign for Governor.  OK GOP and some County Chairs had sent out an obvious partisan Istook document and the worst part is a good many Republicans believed the document.  You cannot fight stupidity.

I can think of a few others that had the same trouble with the hard right who is now firmly in charge the OK GOP and calling the shots in the Governor's office.  The allegiance to ALEC and the Koch Bros in this state by some of the Republicans in the Oklahoma Legislature along with some statewide elected officials is mind boggling.  Cannot fathom being led around by some ideological group -- guess that is why I gave up Rush Limbaugh years ago -- found myself yelling at my radio in the car -- very seldom listened at home since the early 90's when he had all the parodies which were funny -- my all time favorite was the one on Ross Perot, "They are coming to take me away."  It was hilarious but Limbaugh hasn't been funny in years -- now he is just a shrill hard righter spouting lies and hate.

In 2007/2008 after supporting Rudy in the primary and getting clobbered by so many people on conservative websites, I started backing off posting where I had posted for years.  The Washington Post even had me as part of the purge of the GOP in the fall of 2006 from a website but I was in FL not posting.  It took awhile but almost immediately after the mid terms, I realized that the Republican Party had left me a long time ago and I just wouldn't admit it.  Was never a hard right ideologue -- always considered their 'my way or no way' mantra stupid and still do.  No way to run a Government.

Meeting more and more Republicans who live in the hard right red states who have had it and are changing parties or supporting Democrats in 2014.  This hard right takeover that leaves no room for independent thinking is my last straw.  Wish I could say it has been fun to be a Republican in Oklahoma but I would be lying.  At times it has been horrible, terrible, and nasty with attacks from the hard right that I cannot fathom toward more centrist GOP.  First time in my life to be considered a liberal Republican is in Oklahoma.  When you meet the Tea Party/Religious Right here you understand why.  You finally wake up one morning and realize I cannot deal with these people any longer.  Mine came in the spring of 2012 when I decided to support President Obama and drive my neighbors nuts. Never regretted it for a moment.  The words I use are 'Freedom, Liberated, and Relief'  as I can now express my feelings and not be called names by those on the progressive side.

Finished Reading Former Florida Governor Charlie Crist's new book, The Party's Over -- How the Extreme Right Hijacked the GOP and I Became a Democrat.  Enjoyed the book from start to finish and found myself agreeing with the current Democrat candidate for FL Governor over and over again. Gov Crist speaks my language.  You understand when someone as high profile as the former Governor can write a book like this that you are on the right track with supporting Democrats across America in 2014 and telling the GOP to 'Shove It!"

Congressional Republicans Undermine President Obama at Every Turn with Refusal to Compromise

“In the end it didn’t pass (background checks) because we’re so politicized. There were some on my side who did not want to be seen helping the president do something he wanted to get done, just because the president wanted to do it,” Toomey said.

This is the confirmation that some members of the media have refused to acknowledge that there are a group of about 22 Republican Senators who will do anything they can to keep bills from passing that will help President Obama in any way.

Oath of Office 

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.

"I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office" have gone MIA with some Senators whose sole purpose continues to wreck havoc with President Obama's term in office.  Somehow I missed that being part of their duties.

Since President Obama was elected hate groups who call themselves Patriot Groups along with militias have been on the rise.  White supremacist groups are alive and well while Republicans in Congress close their eyes and in some instances encourage these groups with their rhetoric.  Throw in conservative talk radio and Fox News with their lies and hate who have played to the lowest common denominator which has led to real problems.  Republican members of Congress are trying to bring the Government to a standstill with their obstructionism based on lies and rhetoric.  They along with GOP Governors and members of state legislatures have done nothing but bash President Obama from Day One spewing hate and lies which has hurt the Country but they don't seem to care as long as Obama doesn't win anything.  Senator Toomey may have tried to walk back his comments but they are still out in the open.

The rise of hate groups is frankly frightening.  The people behind this movement throwing dollars around like the Koch's are fostering more hate that could lead to more shootings and bombings in this Country.  Hate can make people do some pretty heinous acts.  Koch's IMHO will back any group that is against the Government regulations they abhor.  As they try to buy newspapers now, even people who were not paying attention are waking up to the Koch Bros being bad for America.  Koch's and other major GOP donors want what is best for their companies including the right to pollute our water and air.  They have bought politicians to do their bidding along with various groups like Americans for Prosperity, Freedom Works, aligned with ALEC who is wrecking havoc in our states, and Super PACs to buy more politicians.  The Koch's are not the American Dream but the American Nightmare along with their Republicans puppets.

From the Southern Poverty Law Center 2011 Report:

The Patriot movement first emerged in 1994, a response to what was seen as violent government repression of dissident groups at Ruby Ridge, Idaho, in 1992 and near Waco, Texas, in 1993, along with anger at gun control and the Democratic Clinton Administration in general. It peaked in 1996, a year after the Oklahoma City bombing, with 858 groups, then began to fade. By the turn of the millennium, the Patriot movement was reduced to fewer than 150 relatively inactive groups. 

But the movement came roaring back beginning in late 2008, just as the economy went south with the subprime collapse and, more importantly, as Barack Obama appeared on the political scene as the Democratic nominee and, ultimately, the president-elect. Even as most of the nation cheered the election of the first black president that November, an angry backlash developed that included several plots to murder Obama. Many Americans, infused with populist fury over bank and auto bailouts and a feeling that they had lost their country, joined Patriot groups. 

The swelling of the Patriot movement since that time has been astounding. From 149 groups in 2008, the number of Patriot organizations skyrocketed to 512 in 2009, shot up again in 2010 to 824, and then, last year, jumped to 1,274. That works out to a staggering 755% growth in the three years ending last Dec. 31. Last year’s total was more than 400 groups higher than the prior all-time high, in 1996.

Lot of people joining these groups today from the hard right were not active in politics before the Tea Party exploded on the scene.  Many of them stayed home and didn't vote if there were not hard right candidates on the ballot.  A lot of so-called 'Patriot' groups  have come out of the Tea Party movement which was financed by the Koch Bros and hatched as an idea by Fox News on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange which, in turn, has led to their growing numbers.  These groups were out in force to defeat President Obama but failed miserably as common sense American voters threw their conspiracy theories out the window.  Who would have thought that members of Congress would be espousing some of these same conspiracy theories.  Now the groups threatened current elected officials with primaries if they vote against what they want.  These groups are out of control as the leaders and others played on their willingness to believe conspiracy theories no matter how bizarre.  No one knows what is next for the Patriot Groups and militia if they don't get their way.

SPLC has taken a look at some of these conspiracy theories - to most people they are unbelievable but when you have members of Congress like Bachmann (MN), Gohmert (TX) or Broun (GA) along with others espousing these theories,  concern begins to grow.  Since President Obama was re-elected by large numbers many of the hard right have gotten much worse which I didn't think possible.  The hard right cannot stand the fact that a man they believe is unfit to be President was re-elected.  These people are not facing reality including some who ran for President as a Republican when you read their conspiracy theories and listen to their hate rhetoric:

Generally, Patriot groups define themselves as opposed to the “New World Order,” engage in groundless conspiracy theorizing, or advocate or adhere to extreme antigovernment doctrines. Antigovernment groups do not necessarily advocate or engage in violence or other criminal activities, though some have. Many warn of impending government violence or the need to prepare for a coming revolution. Many antigovernment groups are not racist. 

A particularly prominent conspiracy in the antigovernment movement is that the United Nations, which is usually seen as spearheading the “New World Order,” is imposing a global plan, called Agenda 21, to take away citizens’ property rights. There is a UN program with that name to develop sustainable communities across the globe. Agenda 21 was agreed to by political leaders from dozens of countries, including the first President Bush. But in typical fashion, these antigovernment activists have twisted it into a global conspiracy. 

Other notable conspiracies found in the antigovernment movement include the idea that the government is secretly planning to round up citizens and place them in concentration camps run by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA. Another conspiracy alleges that there are plans to merge the United States, Canada and Mexico into a single country. Fears of impending gun control or weapons confiscations, either by the government or international agencies, also run rampant in antigovernment circles. As a result, many antigovernment activists believe that being well armed is a must. The militia movement engages in paramilitary training aimed at protecting citizens from this feared impending government crackdown. 

The antigovernment movement hit its previous high of 858 groups in 1996, the year after the Oklahoma City bombing. Timothy McVeigh, the Oklahoma City bomber, was motivated by extreme antigovernment beliefs then circulating in the militia movement. He was also inspired by the racist novel, The Turner Diaries, modeling his attack on a scene from the book. 

The antigovernment movement of the 1990s, typified by the proliferation of militias, was fueled by a string of incidents, including the 1993 government assault on the Branch Davidian compound, that were seen as evidence of an out-of-control government willing to attack citizens. Other factors included the struggling economy in the early 1990s, particularly in Western states, and the election of President Clinton, who was perceived by these activists as a liberal intent on seizing their weapons.

Since we had conspiracy theories with President Carter, President Clinton, and now President Obama there is one continuing theme - they are Democrats.  Is this what drives these groups?  Are the hard right so convinced that Republican candidates for President are bought and paid for by the NRA so they don't have to worry about gun control?  Seems they missed the part that President Reagan didn't believe in the general public having assault rifles and supported an Assault Weapons Ban.

Used to laugh when the media talked about the mind numbed robots that listened to Limbaugh but they have a good point.  He used to have parodies which were funny.  I still remember the one about Ross Perot, "They are coming to take me away, away" which was funny.

Today Limbaugh is filled with hate against the President or anyone who dares to disagree with him (Limbaugh).  His rants are so far over the top he is hemorrhaging sponsors who refuse to be associated with such a mean and nasty person.  Yet the hard right follows his orders like lemmings as he touts himself as the only person who could be right.  He is part of the GOP War on Women. Wonder what Bain Capital thinks today of their investment in Clear Channel prior to the 2008 primaries who gave Limbaugh a huge contract worth $400 million in July 2008.  Would say it was a very bad investment with little to no return since Romney lost the primary in 2008 and the Presidential campaign in 2012.

How much violence especially against individuals are we seeing today that goes back to the hate we are hearing and seeing from Republican members of Congress, Governors, state legislatures, conservative talk radio, televangelist who seem to preach more hate then love today, along with hard right candidates for office like we witnessed in 2012?  Those Presidential debates with some of the dumb comments sent me over to Republicans for Obama where the people were sane with common sense realizing that the Republican Party we are knew had gone hard, hard, hard right.

Joe Scarborough, the former conservative Congressman, elected in 1994 thanks to the Contract with America that had no social issues is having the same problems with today's Republican Party that a lot of us are facing.  Those members like Scarborough who pledged to serve only three terms were replaced by more hard right social conservatives whose numbers are growing each election in Congress. Even then it is nothing compared to today's Senate where people like Tea Party Ted Cruz (TX) were elected in 2012 and Tea Party Rand Paul (KY) and Mike Lee (UT) elected in 2010 are turning out to be a total disaster for Republican rebranding.

Speaking of Joe Scarborough, yesterday's show with a video of Ted Cruz attacking the Senate including Republicans as squishes is a must view.   Tea Party backed Cruz is now thinking of running for President as a 'man of the people.'  One problem with 'man of the people' - he is a graduate of Harvard Law, clerked for Chief Justice Rehnquist, was Solicitor General of Texas appointed by Texas Attorney General Abbot, and received his undergrad degree from Princeton.  How can the Tea Party members swallow that Cruz is a 'man of the people?'  Shows how gullible they are if they swallow his rhetoric.  He has over 50% rating of lies when he talks.  As you will see in this video he added to those lies with his comments about the Republican Conference coming after him.  He went way overboard as a 4-month Senator, but he has done one thing both sides agree:

The Washington Post‘s Jonathon Capehart said Cruz has firmly established his reputation in his four short months on Capitol Hill. “If there’s bipartisan agreement on Capitol Hill it’s that Sen. Cruz is a bit of a jerk, well, maybe he’s not a bit of a jerk, he is a jerk. Democrats don’t like him, but Republicans really can’t stand him.”

Tea Party elected officials across the board in Congress are pretty classless but I think Cruz takes the prize for being the most classless, arrogant, "my way or no way" total jerk in the Senate.  It is obvious Cruz is lying at his Town Hall about what happened in the Conference but it doesn't bother him at all as he tries to score points with his hard right base.  He found a gullible bunch of people who will believe anything he says which is shocking that anyone could swallow Cruz's koolaid:

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Some day when the history of the Obama Presidency is written, he will be wearing a white hat and the Republican Congressional obstructionists the black hats as the people who tried to destroy the County as we know it for their own and wealthy donors gains. History will not portray the Republican Party well starting at the beginning of this century as they have gone farther to the right with each passing year and social issues are now number 1 in a lot of their minds. Are Cruz, Paul, Lee, Gohmert, Broun, Bachmann, Palin, and others the beginning of the end of the Republican Party?

Inhofe Leads "Filibuster" Against Secretary of Defense Hagel - Cloture Vote on Friday Morning

"It is tragic that they have decided to filibuster this qualified nominee," said Reid. "It is really unfortunate."

There is no better example of Republicans in the Senate putting Party over Country then the fact at noon tomorrow, Secretary of Defense Panetta officially leaves office which means the Department of Defense will not have a permanent Secretary of Defense, but acting.  Republicans should be ashamed with their attacks on Hagel especially on Benghazi which he had nothing to do with but they are trying to score political points against President Obama.  This group of cowards who are afraid of a Tea Party primary challenge don't deserve to be reelected to the Senate ever again if they vote to continue the filibuster when you read the following:

NATO is hosting Defense Minister meetings next week in Brussels where the allies will discuss the ongoing war in Afghanistan.

A meeting of NATO on Afghanistan and we have no permanent Secretary of Defense thanks to the obstructionist Republicans who keep opposing Obama on everything.  This is one more obstruction in a long list that has a lot of Republicans saying they will not support or vote for a Republican in 2014 including this one.

Majority Leader Reid weighs in on the GOP Filibuster of Chuck Hagel showing the hypocrisy of Senate Republicans once again:

Senate Majority Leader Says ‘It’s Tragic’ GOP Is Filibustering Hagel

By Ben Armbruster on Feb 14, 2013 at 12:30 pm
Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) 

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced today that he has scheduled a cloture vote for Chuck Hagel’s nomination as Defense Secretary for Friday morning. 

In an impassioned speech on the Senate floor, Reid lambasted Republicans for their “unprecedented” obstruction on Hagel (this is the first time in the history of the United States that a president’s nominee for Defense Secretary has been filibustered). “It’s shocking,” Reid said, “that my Republican colleagues would leave the country without a fully empowered Secretary of Defense during all the things that we have going on in the world including a war”: 

REID: I have heard speeches from the other side a lot saying, “you know the president should have the right to choose whoever he wants.” He has the support of this body, a majority vote in this body in this democracy. We are a nation, Mr. President, at war. We are whether we like it or not the world’s indispensable leader. We’re it. For the sake of our national security it’s time to put aside this political theatre and that’s what it is. 

People are worried about primary elections. We know how the Tea Party goes after Republicans when they aren’t conservative enough. Is that something they need to have on their resume? “I filibustered one of the president’s nominees.” Is that what they want? The filibuster of Senator Hagel’s confirmation is unprecedented. I repeat. Not a single nominee for Secretary of Defense ever in the history of our country has been filibustered. Never, ever!

“We need a Secretary of Defense,” Reid said later. “It’s tragic that they’ve decided to filibuster this qualified nominee. It is really unfortunate.” Watch the clip: 

Senate Democratic aides are reportedly saying they may not have enough votes to break the filibuster while some are reporting that there are enough votes for cloture, but the actual vote on Hagel’s nomination won’t take place until after the recess.

However, NATO is hosting Defense Minister meetings next week in Brussels where the allies will discuss the ongoing war in Afghanistan. “We need our new defense secretary to be there,” a White House spokesperson said today, calling the GOP obstruction “unconscionable” and adding, “It does not send a favorable signal for the Republicans of the U.S. senate to delay a vote. …It’s difficult to explain to our allies why that’s happening.”

Congress is going on a week's recess next week for President's Day which is one day.  They have been back in DC for six weeks and already need a week off?  Sequestration coming up on March 1st and they take next week off?  The 112th Congress was the most do nothing Congress in modern times but the 113th is starting out worse.  The House GOP may be the laziest group of Representatives ever as they were on vacation last year more than they worked.  Guess a week's recess is more important then confirming a Secretary of Defense or working to avoid Sequestration?

Why are GOP Senators filibustering Chuck Hagel when it makes the Republican Party look nastier and spoiled sports after they lost the election.  The way this group of GOP in the Senate is going, they will never win the White House unless they move back to the center right after all of their lies and innuendos against President Obama and now his cabinet picks.  Inhofe has gone so far as to say he doesn't think Obama should be picking the Defense Secretary.  Talk about stupid - it sounded like he was inferring that Obama was not smart enough to pick his own cabinet.  Obama won the Presidency by 5 million votes but Republicans refuse to acknowledge with winning elections comes being able to choose your own people which Inhofe and other Republicans refuse to acknowledge.

Majority Leader Reid weighs in on the GOP Filibuster of Chuck Hagel showing the hypocrisy of Republicans once again:

Senate Majority Leader Says ‘It’s Tragic’ GOP Is Filibustering Hagel

By Ben Armbruster on Feb 14, 2013 at 12:30 pm
Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) 

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced today that he has scheduled a cloture vote for Chuck Hagel’s nomination as Defense Secretary for Friday morning. 

In an impassioned speech on the Senate floor, Reid lambasted Republicans for their “unprecedented” obstruction on Hagel (this is the first time in the history of the United States that a president’s nominee for Defense Secretary has been filibustered). “It’s shocking,” Reid said, “that my Republican colleagues would leave the country without a fully empowered Secretary of Defense during all the things that we have going on in the world including a war”: 

REID: I have heard speeches from the other side a lot saying, “you know the president should have the right to choose whoever he wants.” He has the support of this body, a majority vote in this body in this democracy. We are a nation, Mr. President, at war. We are whether we like it or not the world’s indispensable leader. We’re it. For the sake of our national security it’s time to put aside this political theatre and that’s what it is. 

People are worried about primary elections. We know how the Tea Party goes after Republicans when they aren’t conservative enough. Is that something they need to have on their resume? “I filibustered one of the president’s nominees.” Is that what they want? The filibuster of Senator Hagel’s confirmation is unprecedented. I repeat. Not a single nominee for Secretary of Defense ever in the history of our country has been filibustered. Never, ever!

“We need a Secretary of Defense,” Reid said later. “It’s tragic that they’ve decided to filibuster this qualified nominee. It is really unfortunate.” Watch the clip: 

Senate Democratic aides are reportedly saying they may not have enough votes to break the filibuster while some are reporting that there are enough votes for cloture, but the actual vote on Hagel’s nomination won’t take place until after the recess.

However, NATO is hosting Defense Minister meetings next week in Brussels where the allies will discuss the ongoing war in Afghanistan. “We need our new defense secretary to be there,” a White House spokesperson said today, calling the GOP obstruction “unconscionable” and adding, “It does not send a favorable signal for the Republicans of the U.S. senate to delay a vote. …It’s difficult to explain to our allies why that’s happening.”

From James Fallows at The Atlantic comes more information about the filibuster of Chuck Hagel:

As has been evident for some time, Hagel has majority support in the Senate for his confirmation as secretary of defense. As has become increasingly evident these past few days, much of the opposition to Hagel has become a parody of itself. Former Republican Senator and foreign-policy grandee Richard Lugar, himself the victim of a Tea Party challenge, said yesterday that the attack on Hagel was "unfortunate and unfair." Meanwhile the publisher of the Omaha World Herald answered allegations that Hagel (who represented Nebraska) was anti-Semitic with an article headlined, "Impressive Omaha Jewish Support for Chuck Hagel," and Aryeh Azriel, the rabbi at Temple Israel in Omaha, said that accusations that Hagel was anti-Israel were "extremely stupid." 

The new development is reported by Josh Rogin on Foreign Policy's The Cable blog, which says that several Republicans intend to filibuster Hagel's nomination -- but are looking for some way to weasel around the word "filibuster." They don't like that word (a) because they have tried to normalize the idea that a 60-vote super-majority threshold, which is the margin required to break a filibuster, should be seen as the routine requirement for Senate action of any sort; (b) because several prominent Republicans, including John McCain, have already said that they don't want to filibuster Hagel; and (c) because in the long history of Cabinet-level nominations, outright filibusters are either unknown or exceedingly rare. You can get all the details on their extreme rarity from the Congressional Research Service.

Rogin points out the machinations through which the Republican opponents of Hagel (a Republican) are trying to insist on a 60-vote threshold without calling it a filibuster. For instance, he quotes our old friend Sen. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, plus Sen. John Cornyn of Texas:

Inhofe's demand for 60 votes is related to his overall objection to Hagel becoming defense secretary, which is based on Hagel's past record on issues ranging from Iran, Israel, Hamas, and cuts to the defense budget. Inhofe also wants Hagel to further disclose financial records related to his past speeches.

"We're going to require a 60-vote threshold," Inhofe told The Cable. 

Cornyn told The Cable, "There is a 60-vote threshold for every nomination." 

Cornyn may think that, but it is not so. As a matter of history, it has obviously not been the case for Cabinet nominations; and as a matter of legality, it is true only if the opposition is willing to transform the balance of American politics by filibustering every nominee. 

Turn to Rogin for more, including curlicues like this (emphasis added):

Inhofe insisted that his demand for a 60-vote threshold is not a "filibuster." Inhofe said he will object to unanimous consent for a simple majority vote, which will prevent Reid from bringing the Hagel nomination to the floor without first filing for cloture, which requires 60 votes to proceed to a final vote.

"It's not a filibuster. I don't want to use that word," Inhofe said. 

(snip)

But I am anything but agnostic about the tactics being used against Hagel. They started with personal smears, and they've led to this new version of Congressional obstructionism. It will be a shame all around if these tactics "work." This is a fight the administration should take on, and be sure it wins.

Read More at The Atlantic

Now Inhofe doesn't want to use the word filibuster but wants to require sixty votes when only 51 votes are required?

This is it for me when it comes to the Republican Party unless there is a huge change in the future.  For 2014 and 2016, I wouldn't vote for any Republican for Congress or President after what we have been witnessing.  These Senators are so afraid of being primaried they won't stand up to the Tea Party or should we say Koch Brothers?  How about grow a spine and do what is best for the Country and not worry if you are going to be primaried.  Selling out the Country to keep a job as a member of Congress shows a great lack of integrity and a willingness to see the Country go down because some Republican doesn't want to be tea partied in the primary.  Vote 'em out in '14!

Time for term limits?

FL Sen. Nelson Slams Cruz: "Senator Cruz has gone over the line" - Hagel for Sec Def Clear Committee

Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) schools Senator Ted Cruz on decorum and the fact that Cruz was not honest in the hearings on Chuck Hagel for Secretary of Defense. Texans should be ashamed to have Cruz represent them in the Senate. If McConnell had a backbone, he would removed Cruz from Armed Services. Cruz's attacks on Hagel were way over the top along with his LIES!  Frankly Senator Nelson could have been even stronger with the allegations made by first term Senator Ted Cruz who has been there little over a month.  Whoever put Cruz on Armed Services should be ashamed!

FL Sen. Nelson Slams Cruz: "Senator Cruz has gone over the line" 
Mark Corcoran - February 12, 2013  

Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) slammed Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) during an Senate Armed Services Committee meeting today saying he had "gone over the line." During a hearing on Chuck Hagel’s Defense Secretary nomination, Cruz objected to moving forward on the nomination and made wild and strange accusations that Hagel might have received money directly from countries like North Korea and Saudi Arabia. Of course, Cruz provided no evidence for his wild claims.

Senator Nelson:   

"I want to put on the record that this senator feels like Senator Cruz has gone over the line," Nelson said. "He basically has impugned the patriotism of the nomniee. 

And your conclusions, which you are entitled to come to, in essence about him being cozy with Iran."

"You have also stated your opinion that you don't think he's been truthful with this committee, and those are two fairly strong statements," Nelson said. 

"There's a certain degree of comity and civility that this committee has always been known for," Nelson said. "Clearly in the sharpness of difference of opinion — to question in essence whether somebody is a fellow traveler with another country, I think is taking it too far."

Chuck Hagel's nomination was voted out of Committee today along party line votes and is expected to be confirmed after Senator Reid said he will accept no holds on the nomination that Senator Inhofe (R-OK) wanted to put on the nomination.

Looking forward to seeing Chuck Hagel as Secretary of Defense even if major aerospace contractors are not!