Senate Democrats agreed Wednesday night to a Republican demand to block President Obama from making recess appointments while Congress is out of town campaigning for the midterm elections.

Democratic leaders have agreed to schedule pro-forma sessions of the Senate every week over the next six weeks, a move that will prevent Obama from making emergency appointments, according to Senate sources briefed on the talks.

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This past weekend, the Tea Party rallies moved from the steps of the U.S. Capitol to Searchlight, Nev., home of the man activists hold responsible for passage of Obamacare: Senate majority leader Harry Reid. On Saturday, traffic into the tiny mining town where Reid grew up (population 700) was backed up for miles, as 7,000 people gathered for the Tea Party Express “Showdown in Searchlight.” Activists carried signs that read, “Harry: Searchlight Needs You, America Doesn’t.” And Sarah Palin drew raucous cheers when she told Reid, “You’re fired.”

But will a self-proclaimed Tea Party candidate end up saving Harry Reid’s job in November?

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From ALG News’ Capitol Hill Correspondent Derek Baker:

In the Senate, while Reid and Co. begin their secret “non-conference” negotiations with the House, several GOP Senators are taking steps to block the anti-capitalist Consumer Financial Protection Agency from moving on their side.

Bottom Line: Chairman Dodd is proceeding with the bill’s markup, but gathering the necessary 60 votes to overcome a GOP filibuster is now less likely. This is great news for America, since along with ObamaCare and cap-and-trade, the financial regulatory bill is one of the top three economy killers the Dems are pushing.

In the House, Pelosi and other House and Senate leaders announced they will skip the traditional conference procedure of reconciling the two differing health bills, instead opting for their favored secret negotiations beyond the public eye.  Republicans are obviously outraged, but some notable Democrats are as well. Rep. Grijalva, as co-chair of the Progressive Caucus, stated, “I am disappointed that there will be no formal conference process…I and other progressives saw a conference as a means to improve the bill and have a real debate, and now with this behind-the-scenes approach, we’re concerned even more.”

Bottom Line: There are no surprises here. We’ve said all along that Pelosi and her liberal cohorts will continue their pattern of secrecy, corruption, and contempt for the American people. Some liberal rank-and-file members are talking revolt, saying they won’t just swallow what the Senate passed. It’s an interesting — though unlikely — scenario.

At the other end of the Avenue, BO is feeling the heat for his Administration’s failure to stop the Christmas Day terrorist from boarding the plane and his tepid initial response to the almost fatal incident. He has summoned his top security advisors to the White House for a download on the security failure.

Bottom Line: Unfortunately, incidents such as this may be on the rise, as terrorists abroad see a hesitant and perhaps weak U.S. president and are looking for opportunities to test his resolve. ]]> http://washingtonalert.org/2010/01/inside-the-dome-for-january-5-2010/feed/ 0 http://washingtonalert.org/2009/12/inside-the-dome-december-23-2009/ http://washingtonalert.org/2009/12/inside-the-dome-december-23-2009/#comments Wed, 23 Dec 2009 14:32:16 +0000 Adam Bitely http://washingtonalert.org/?p=129

From ALG News’ Capitol Hill Correspondent Derek Baker:

In the Senate, what seemed increasingly improbable has changed in just a few days to inevitable. Yes, as you all know, the government takeover of healthcare – Harry Reid flavor – is scheduled for an 8am vote tomorrow on Christmas Eve.

So, what happened in between?  Not just one or two, but literally dozens of United States senators sold their vote for tens of millions of dollars worth of projects for their home state:  all at taxpayer expense, all adding to the deficit, and none improving the quality of health care in America by one iota.

Bottom Line: Though this writer has temporary moments of sadness, grief, anxiety, frustration, even depression at the thought of what 60 senators are poised to vote on against the express will of the majority of Americans, mostly anger and determination have set in.  Like many of my fellow patriots, I commit to never cease fighting against socialist, statist policies that strip liberty from each of us one page in the federal register at a time.

Remember, this piece of trash hasn’t been conferenced or signed into law yet, and it won’t ever be if we unite and verbally assail all those that voted for it over the Christmas recess!

In the House, the Republican minority got one man stronger, thanks to former Democrat Rep. Parker Griffith.  The truth about his reasons for switching — that Obama and Pelosi are out of control spenders, and the healthcare takeover is bad for America — is very unfortunate.  However, the immediate sniping that began about his departure among Democrat leaders has been rather amusing to watch.

Parker stated he cannot align himself “with a party that continues to pursue legislation that is bad for our country, hurts our economy and drives us further and further into debt.”

Otherwise, nary a creature is stirring in the House, except for the mice (and I’m serious about the mice – I’ve seen them).

At the other end of the Avenue, yesterday Obama claimed his greatest achievement of the year was to rescue the financial system, while he was on the verge of greatness on healthcare and energy.  He stated:

“Overall, if you had a checklist of promises made, a lot of those promises have been kept … we will have achieved a fundamental shift in health care, energy, education and our financial regulatory system that will put this economy on a firmer footing to grow over the long term. … the most important thing we did this year was to ensure that the financial system did not collapse.”  For good measure, he also stated that both the large banks and community banks were not lending enough and needed to step up their efforts.

Bottom Line: The arrogance of Obama does not cease to astound the informed observer, who realizes record numbers of Americans are out of work and the financial services industry now has a greater regulatory burden to contend with than ever. Banks are not lending precisely because of government-mandated lending policies – it’s that simple. ]]> http://washingtonalert.org/2009/12/inside-the-dome-december-23-2009/feed/ 0 http://washingtonalert.org/2009/12/inside-the-dome-december-22-2009/ http://washingtonalert.org/2009/12/inside-the-dome-december-22-2009/#comments Tue, 22 Dec 2009 14:37:02 +0000 Robert Romano http://washingtonalert.org/?p=73

From ALG News’ Capitol Hill Correspondent Derek Baker:

In the Senate, 2,457 pages of bad news just got one vote closer to final passage with the latest procedural vote – setting up the Christmas Eve cram-down.  It’s been over 40 years since there has been a Christmas Eve Senate session – but, then, there has never been a bill that would destroy so much of the U.S. economy and raise taxes by just shy of a half-trillion dollars that was rammed through the Senate with the speed and secrecy of ObamaCare.

Though the “robust” government-option is no longer in Reid’s bill, liberals are already scheming about how to insert it later.  While the bill has not yet even passed the Senate and is far from being conferenced with the House, HELP committee chairman Harkin is gleeful about increasing the government’s role further. He recently stated regarding the government-option, “It will be revisited.  This is just the beginning… What we’re building is a starter home, not a mansion.  And guess what? We have room for expansions and additions later on.”

Bottom Line: As we have said all along, the ultimate goal for Democrats is not better health insurance or increased coverage, it is government control of the entire industry. There is simply no federal tax too high and no government mandate too onerous to give Reid and his cohorts pause as they literally seek to ruin America’s healthcare system and the U.S. economy.

In the House, many liberal Democrats are grousing about being handed Reid’s version of ObamaCare that they are not allowed to change much, and quite bitter about the fact that Lieberman has dictated many of the details – including forcing Reid to jettison the robust government-option.

Bottom Line: Pelosi has precious few provisions she’s allowed to change, including the Senate’s language that provides federal funds for abortion “services.”  With Stupak dug-in, the real question is whether or not his other pro-life Dem counterparts will stick to their convictions or be bought off in the process.

At the other end of the Avenue, BO is bragging about beating back a Republican filibuster attempt in the Senate and charging his minions to call every opponent of ObamaCare a racist, right-wing fanatic (i.e. – the majority of Americans).  Meanwhile, he’s trotting in the community bankers and lenders for a WH meeting to ask them why they aren’t making more loans and why they haven’t saved the faltering economy yet.

Bottom Line: There will be a reckoning for BO on his policies and his statements, one of them coming in 11 short months. The vast majority of Americans realize when they have been lied to, and they generally don’t appreciate it. ]]> http://washingtonalert.org/2009/12/inside-the-dome-december-22-2009/feed/ 0 http://washingtonalert.org/2009/12/hello-world/ http://washingtonalert.org/2009/12/hello-world/#comments Mon, 21 Dec 2009 15:21:08 +0000 Adam Bitely http:/?p=1

From ALG News’ Capitol Hill Correspondent Derek Baker:

In the Senate, America got an object lesson in character – or the lack of it – over the weekend from Sens. Reid and Ben Nelson. Reid unveiled his manager’s amendment, which strikes the public option in favor of a program to be run by OPM similar to FEHBP. However, unlike FEHBP, the director of OPM will contract with health insurance companies to provide insurance that covers abortion. In fact, Reid’s bill expressly provides for the federal government to subsidize private health insurance plans that cover abortion services.

Nelson has agreed to vote in support of Reid’s latest bill, despite the fact that it covers abortion services.  Nelson has, in the past, been an opponent of abortion and federal funding for abortion services. He has repeatedly made statements that he would not support the Senate health bill if it did not contain Stupak-Pitts like language. As you may recall, Sen. Reid, as a practicing Mormon, is also supposedly pro-life.

At roughly 1am this morning, the cloture motion for the healthcare abomination passed the Senate by a party-line 60-40 vote (both Reid and Nelson – and of course, Lieberman — supporting). That kicks of 30 hours of debate on the manager’s amendment.

Throughout the weekend, more payoffs and secret deals cut by Reid were discovered.  Language appeared in the manager’s amendment that provides $100 million for a new medical facility at a public university, though it is not clear which state and Senator will receive this perk at the taxpayers’ expense. Provisions benefitting several other states — including Nebraska, Vermont, Florida, and Louisiana – have also been discovered, and there is undoubtedly untold millions tucked away as payoffs in the bill and amendment.

Bottom Line:  When character and integrity are absent, there is no limit to the depravity to which men will resort, regardless of how it affects others or even the entire country.  Barring an act of God in the next three days, Reid’s latest version of ObamaCare will pass the Senate. It is, however, still a very long road through conference to final passage. So, to quote the Bard of Baker Street, “The game is afoot!”

In the House, the RSC and Republican leadership have been active over the weekend urging their members to use all available means to communicate to their constituents on the disaster unfolding in the Senate. Also, Rep. Bart Stupak – a pro-life Democrat who actually has convictions and character – released a statement that said, “While I and many other pro-life Democratic House members wish to see health care for all Americans, the proposed Senate language is unacceptable.”

Bottom Line: While Reid will now get his heart’s desire of a Christmas Eve vote, this sets up an immense battle with the House over abortion funding and lack of a government-run option, which may still be the undoing of ObamaCare.

At the other end of the Avenue, Obama announced a non-binding climate agreement as he prepared to depart Copenhagen and return to the U.S. BO actually called the agreement a “meaningful and unprecedented breakthrough” because, of course, everything he touches is apparently meaning and unprecedented.

Bottom Line: BO also said it was going to be “very hard” to get a legally binding treaty, and he’s right on this.  The American public is becoming more skeptical by the day of the global warming hype, perhaps helped by the inconvenient fact that the East Coast is under 18 inches of snow right now. ]]> http://washingtonalert.org/2009/12/hello-world/feed/ 1