E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSMaine Republican Olympia Snowe says the Senate spends too much time in political battle and not enough on solving problems, and more than a few of her colleagues agree.
Snowe, the Senate's most liberal Republican, found herself in a familiar spot Thursday as the only member of her party to join with Democrats on a politically freighted vote. This time, it was a vote to affirm an Obama administration directive requiring employers to provide contraception coverage to their workers regardless of religious or ethical concerns.
The vote, originally demanded by Republicans in a political battle that Democrats came to embrace, provided ample fodder for political ads but had nothing to do with an underlying highway bill. That measure continues to twist in the wind despite widespread support, trapped in a divisive, polarized Senate that rarely seems to legislate and often seems incapable of tackling politically challenging problems.
So Snowe, 65, is leaving at the end of the year, voicing frustration that the Senate is simply too polarized and that she doesn't know whether she could be "productive" in a fourth Senate term.
"It's a reflection of the political dynamic in America, where we don't look at America as a whole. We look at it through the red and blue prism," Snowe said in an interview. "And so it becomes more divisive and I think ultimately has manifested itself in the Senate and an overall process that lends itself to dysfunction and political paralysis that doesn't allow problems to be solved."
Snowe's departure continues a steady exodus of the chamber's moderates. Centrists like Ben Nelson, D-Neb., and Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., are also leaving, following on the heels of the recent departures of Evan Bayh, D-Ind., Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark., and Republican-turned-Democrat Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania.
"People in the center are increasingly vilified by the far left and the far right," said Sen. Susan Collins, Snowe's home-state GOP colleague. "We used to be applauded for bringing people together to solve problems. Now we tend to be criticized by both sides."
Snowe is leaving even though she would have been poised to take the helm of the Commerce Committee if Republicans take control of the chamber. She also serves on the Finance Committee, which has sweeping jurisdiction over health care, taxes and trade.
There's little real legislating going on in the Senate these days, however, as the chamber lurches from one politically staged vote to another.
The chamber hasn't debated a budget since 2009. Annual spending bills are passed in huge omnibus measures with little discussion, much less amendment.
"There's a rank-and-file rebellion brewing here," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. "Most people who come to the Senate work hard to get here and have done things in their lives of accomplishment. And I think a lot of us are getting tired of sitting around looking at each other."
"This body is supposed to be a great deliberative body. It's supposed to do what's right for the nation," said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. "If everything here is political, it it's to score points rather than solve problems, then what good is the United States Senate?"
Added Feinstein: "It's a heartbreak. And it's a heartbreak to lose (Snowe), candidly."
Republicans say Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., is too quick to employ parliamentary maneuvers — used frequently by leaders in both parties — to block Republicans from offering and getting votes on their ideas. And they charge that Reid, when he does schedule votes, is more interested in painting Republicans into a political corner, as he did during last fall's debate on extending a 2 percentage-point cut in the Social Security payroll tax and on a tax surcharge on millionaires pressed by Democratic leaders.
Democrats, who control the Senate with 53 votes, counter that Republicans require Democrats to produce 60 votes for virtually everything and deny Reid approval for parliamentary steps that were considered routine just a few years ago. A long roster of presidential nominees remains stuck in limbo, blocked by Republicans.
"It's supposed to be deliberative. Instead now the floor is just a wasteland of quorum calls and lurching from one filibuster to another," said the Senate's No. 2 Democrat, Dick Durbin of Illinois. "It really, I'm afraid, has damaged the institution."
Since it takes 60 votes to do anything, virtually nothing passes that doesn't have the approval of Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. What that often means is that much of the real legislating is done by a handful of top leaders and committee chairmen, leaving most senators out in the cold.
After a meeting at the White House on Wednesday, GOP leaders emerged optimistic that the House and Senate would work together more productively on bipartisan jobs and energy legislation.
Snowe sounded unconvinced in a statement announcing her retirement.
"Unfortunately," she said, "I do not realistically expect the partisanship of recent years in the Senate to change over the short term."
Leave a Comment:
Snowe is frustrated over government gridlock.
The less government does the less they screw up.
Careful you know how excited the rabble on the left get when someone tells the truth.
That statement is absolutely true. It's only half the story though. Are you suggesting nothing should ever be done because complicated plans sometimes result in failure? Should we apply that same standard to business and personal life as well?
Like Ms Snowe, I too used to be a moderate Republican. Then I became a disenchanted Republican, then a disenfranchised Republican, and then an ex-Republican. The party has now moved so far to the fringe that I have finally become an anti-Republican. The hatred, the vitriol, and the flat out dishonesty that the GOP has come to represent saddens me beyond words. Ms Snowe was one of the last civil and rational voices in the party. She will be missed by all who believe that moderation and compromise benefit the country far more than extremism and obstruction.
Who the hell has been in charge of the Senate since 2007? If the boss can't get things done he needs to leave!
Procustes - I don't believe a word you said. If you believe Snowe has been the only civil and rational voice in the Republican party then you have always been a democrat. When we get an honest and civil Republican who sides with their party they are demonized by the left. When we have an honest and civil Republican that sides with the Democrats they are put up on a pedestal by the left.
Learn you Civics , Three equal parts of government. Executive , legislative , Judaical
He is NOT the BOSS
Frank - So Harry Reid isn't in charge of the Senate? Think a little bit, it doesn't hurt that much.
I think what Frank is saying is that Harry Reid is not "King of the Senate" and, even though the Democrats hold the majority, Senate rules are such that, unless the other party cooperates to some degree then a 60 vote majority is needed to get anything done. Both sides have hardened their stances to such an extent that this rarely occurs. It's a sad situation for the country and we are indeed poorer for the loss of Ms. Snowe
Since the Tea Party emerged,it has become a far right versus the Dem's. in a continuing battle ,with no give nor take compromises which we, their employers are becoming more annoyed at. This Parliament is supposed to be a one of compromise which usually means that it meets some where near the middle philosophically but with this far right action of our way or the highway we are being destroyed by this T/P. .in transience
These words were written in 1776: "Democracies progress through this sequence: from bondage to spiritual faith; from spiritual faith to great courage; from courage to liberty; from liberty to abundance; from abundance to selfishness; from selfishness to complacency; from complacency to apathy; from apathy to dependence; from dependence back again to bondage."
How true these words are. Will 2012 prove to be the pivoting focal point to a return to bondage via a Totalitarian Government?
Brad, you can check online how many bills passed in the House have actually made it to the floor of the Senate (the number is under 5 out of over 100). Blaming it on the Tea Party is highly laughable.
Likewise, Reid has been in charge of the Senate since 2007, no Budget has even been out of committee for a vote since 2009 (Last budget signed by Obama, yes Obama signed FY 2009).
Blaming it on the tea party is a sign of being disingenuous and not truly paying attention. Reid is using every parliamentary trick he can muster; such tricks as filling the trees to block GOP amendments as well as over-ruling the Parliamentarian (Nuclear Option?!?!) which is rarely done on any major vote. Reid has by far used more tricks to stop any input from the other side than the GOP has. It just doesn't get as much coverage because filibuster is the hot new buzz word. By the way, did you know that close to 1/3rd of all filibuster votes passed by near unanimous? Reid submits all non-controversial votes to vote for cloture to simply drive up the vote totals for the media to lambast the GOP. Good stuff.
Guardian-- No.
We have knowingly entered into the social contract we call government in order to live in society, with a minimum of discord and to maximize the common good. If we endeavor to allow our government to function in the way it is meant to, we can prosper. The problem is that politics has gotten increasingly competitive. We have an electorate that is increasingly like rabid fans of some sporting team. This is not sport. This is the means by which we organize our social existence.
The overriding concern has become electability, and re-electability. We must put an end to career politicians. The parties have decided it is more important to remain in office than it is to do the work of the people. There are a number of things we can do to address this. Term limits must be adopted for all branches of government, including the judiciary, which has become likewise increasingly political. Money must be removed from the process. Contributions to campaigns must be strictly limited and regulated. ( there's that dirty word regulation). People must begin to demand that the government accomplish things. Demagoguery and extreme adherence to ideological extremes must be weeded out of the public square, and be replaced with a solutions oriented congress, willing and even enthusiastic about finding common ground and compromise that will allow for progress to occur.
Demonizing of opposing positions and proponents of those positions must cease. All must enter into the discussion with the assumption that all motivations which animate all parties are the same. That all are there to serve the common good, that all are patriotic and that all want only the best for the American people. If we start with this assumption it is far easier to listen to each others ideas and look for consensus and compromise.
These are not difficult things to change. It is more like teaching little children how to get along with one another. And yet our government seems unable or unwilling to undertake this. It is a shame that the political middle has become an impossible place to reside, and Senator Snowe will be missed.
The fact of the matter is that the democrats ran in 2006 on the issue of needing to take control so they could fix everything that the republicans were screwing up. We gave them control of the whole Congress. They took an attitude of "we won, we will make the rules now". They have FAILED. We then gave the dems the White House and Congress. They FAILED again. Now the left blames everything on the republicans again. What do you lefties want? What is it going to take for you to get your act together? The last time this country had so much control in one parties hand was in the Jimmy Carter years. They FAILED then too.
And please don'tt use that lie about the republicans are stopping us from doing our job. If that is true, why didn't the democrats stop the republicans when they were supposedly screwing everything up??? You just can't have it both ways.
We all know that what is happening is fundamentally wrong, There was a time when people could speak to each other in civil terms, why is it that we can't accept or at least try to understand one another. Our own comments here show our utter disdain for any thought other than our own. But we expect the elected officials to intermingle their ideas with one another and somehow come to a justifiable viable solution. Corporatism has become our government, Republican and Democrats alike are looking for re-election, re-elections take money to outspend your opponent, corporate lobbyists can supply what you and I can't. In turn, if we remove all the middlemen, we see that corporations (or those with enough money) run the country. If these politicians actually cared for the position they represent, and remembered when they did care about this country and not just themselves, maybe we could get this country moving again, but I just don't see it happening.
The compromising is over, R's dont care for D's and vice versa, it's that simple. These posts alone prove it! Apparently we are beyond the realization that maybe someone with a different letter in front of their name could have a great idea or an intellect for that matter. They are the enemy, and the enemy is always wrong! The problem is the people are the caught in the wake of their corporate pandering and animosity towards each other. Is it impossible? Abraham Lincoln hired the very politicians he ran against as his cabinet, Chase, Seward etc.. Maybe he realized that they actually had something to offer this country, even if he didn't agree, he didn't dismiss their intellect out of hand.
Sorry to ramble on and maybe you don't even agree with anything I have said, but I guess I still have the right to my opinion and speech, for now anyways.
I just hate to see whats happening to this country and it's people!!! It is sad.
It is especially sad when a fully formed mature adult like Olympia Snowe can not take the craziness any more and an extremist, Taliban-like candidate like Rick Santorum actually has a chance to win the GOP nomination. Are we getting more and more un- American?
The problem isn't that both sides aren't compromising, it's that only one isn't.
JH,
You are either just another foil for the rightwing revolutionaries or you are so blinded by partisan politics or you are paying little attention to what has been going on in Congress. Republican moderates have literally ceased to exist in either House moderate voices are muzzled and the voices heard are only the extremes twirps like Louie Gomer get national exposure and on the Senate side an idiot like Michelle Bachmann is a party luminary. Moderates like McCain are forced further from the center and have become primarily back benchers. The remaining field in the primary is led by Romney the definition of a moderate who is driven to right wing extremism to counter daily attacks from his opposition. Rick Santorum whom I have campaigned against for about 20 yrs would have been better served working for Torqemada than the people of Pa and now the US. Gingrich is a ploitical opprtunist and hypocrite who rewrites history daily to deny his previous ruination of the party and personal disgrace. Ron Paul simply wants to reinstitute the Articles of Confederation and put the economy in the hands of anarchocapitalists , yeah these guys are not extremists. Over 80% of Democratic proposed legislation has recquired 60 votes never before have we reached 25% and when the GOP held the Senate it was more like 15%.
As to people changing politics it happens all the time on both sides. Most would consider my politics fairly far left I of course see them as moderate desiring a return to the political and economic policicies and climate that made us the greatest and most powerful nation on earth. GOP Republicans of the 60s such as Ronmney, Rockefeller, John Anderson, Nixon and Ford would be seen as left wing in todays GOP. I registered Republican in 1973 and worked for Larry Williams on my 1st GOP campaign, I worked for Arlen Specter and was looking forward to perhaps a career in politics either local or with as an aid. My epiphany came after the election of Ronald Reagan especially after 84 and the change in the party right down to its local roots had changed. Prior to Reagan ALL politicians strove to use the Federal Government as an agency for change and what we viewed as the good of the people. With Reagan everything became ideology with directives written not by the party but by the Heritage Foundation. We were now supposed to campaign on the idea that people should despise and distrust the government we were trying to represent. Receiving direction from consultants and Foundation functionaries was hard enough but for me representing the hateful views of the Gerry Falwells , Pat Robertson and the Bakers was a little too much to handle. The people I grew up admiring politically would not have gone in the same building with these people let alone broken bread with them. I had campaigned for Bush Sr. in 80 and kept my registration in 88 although I campaigned for no one in 88 and after watching what we did to Michael Dukakis who was to all accounts a fine man and a dedicated public servant, husband and father I could no longer bring myself to identify with the party. Four years as an independent which in Pa means you can't vote in either primary I drifted into the Democratic Party. Meeting Mrs Clinton in 94 reenergized my desire to be involved in campaigning and have spent some time working to defeat the likes of Santorum and Toomey.
Believe what you will but many people for many reasons can no longer live with the party thaey saw as the moderate one trade places and become the radical one.
jkh
We Americans who will vote in November are the ones who need to stop complaining and actually vote for change. Stop listening to the contraception debate. Religious debate. Those items dont need to be politicized and should be decisions of personal choice between YOU and your SPOUSE! NOT governed by men who hate the educated (Ricky Santorum) yet has 3 degrees including a Law Degree... We need real answers. Not people who want to force Judea-Christian law on America. Not people who want to invade other nations and start WW3.
To actually fix the problem something fundamental needs to happen, say Term Limits for ALL members of Congress, not just the President. House members and Senators get to sit and wait for their party to take control before they actually start to do "work," rather than obstruct. BOTH parties do this. With term limits you'll remove a lot of the BS that happens when the other party is in control. Term limits will force the people WE elect to do the actual work for the citizens as a whole, not just a select few who line their velvet pockets.
Currently the President has a max term limit of 8 years or 2 terms. Senators and House members can be elected and re-elected forever until they die in office. When you have a senator, such as Kennedy, McCain, John Kyl, etc, that sits for 25+ years, its impossible for them to ever do work for the citizens of their state. They are too ingrained in DC and too close to lobbyists.
A Senator should get 1 term of 8 years. House members 1 term of 8 years. The President 1 term of 8 years. If you are elected to Either of the offices, then you can have 1 term in the other 2 of 8 years. The only way to change America is to have the House members go back to Part-Time like they were when America was being founded and when we became a nation.
But, Americans will vote along party lines in November and then 2 years from now, we'll all be back here complaining that NOTHING ever changes.
A vote for R means America will go in reverse, just the way you shouldn't drive your car on a regular basis. A vote for D means America will continue to move FORWARD and improve, just like the way your car moves when its in the D position.
I am very much independent, and as a clear thinking human, the GOP are out to destroy America from within and by war with Iran. Yet they don't realize attacking Iran (a sovereign nation) will only cause Russia, China and North Korea to defend Iran. America can't defeat the "enemy" in Afghanistan in 11+ years, how could we defeat a billion person army that China would have? We need to focus on rebuilding America first and the GOP don't want to do that. They want a mass of uneducated, unemployed who can be easily controlled.
Yes...FORWARD over a cliff....or BACKWARD toward constitutional sustainability.
Independents are often frustrated because their core values are so weak that they are swayed by anything that "sounds good". The problem is that so much of what Progressives support "sounds good": save the whales, nobody goes bankrupt, no one loses their home, if someone is sick they shouldn't have to pay for medical care, save the planet - all things green at any price, etc. All sounds just great and even I wish it could all be true...but it can't.
The intellectually high minded Progressive believes deeply in benevolence....using other peoples money....as if there were no limit. Somewhere along the line, Progressives figured out that these "gifts" of benevolence also served as a means to secure votes. The Republicans followed suit.
We are screwed as a nation: any adult thought expressed (much less acted upon) is killed at the alter of Socialism...paradoxically - so no one has to suffer.
Populism (let alone class warfare) is a game for the short term. Yet it is populism that wins elections circa 2012. Again, we are screwed as a nation.
Good post SCGuardian...but I don't think it will be to the Government that we will be in bondage to. It will be corporations. Particularly multi-national corporations. Government is ruled by them and soon so shall we all be...
JH - the democrats ran on the platform that the republicans were fiscally irresponsible by running huge deficits. That even though the 2005 - 2007 Republican Majorities cut Deficits from nearly 600 billion per year to 350 billion. Then after gaining control of both houses in 2007 added $200 billion to Bush's Budgets for 2008 & 2009.
Snowe... a voice of reason in a house of nattering gibbons and feces hurling chimps. Sad state of affairs when the people who most reflect the average American are fleeing the political malaise in droves...
That is the kind of puerile nonsense spewed by drug-addicted college dropouts like Rush Limbaugh and Glen Beck to mask their own ignorance.
Do nothing, and the only mistake you'll ever make is failure to act.
A mature person seeks to first determine what it is that we want government to do, and then make sure that government does those things efficiently and well.
Oats Willy,
Thanks for the post! As I was typing, I kind of lost site to mention the very points you've made! Your points, I believe, are the only way to insure that the political aims of the politicians, are just that, and not personal goals.
Thanks Again, Mike
The problem isn't that both sides aren't compromising, it's that only one isn't.
Sad, but true. Republicans have compromised on practically nothing, preventing anythng good from being done. If anything, the Democrats have compromised overmuch, to the point that we still have a ridiculous tax code that transfers wealth hand over fist to those that need it the least.
charles w. pendexter....."It is especially sad when a fully formed mature adult like Olympia Snowe can not take the craziness any more and an extremist, Taliban-like candidate like Rick Santorum...."
I suppose it is OK for a Liberal to say DISGUSTING things like this about Republicans, but let one Republican or Independent say something negative about Mr. Obama, his Czars, or his Liberal Cabinet members then the comment would get collapsed.
Way to go Charles....keep up the good Liberal talking points, it just makes folks think twice about re-electing Mr. Obama.
So....where are you.....Moderators ?
@SCGuardian
I would amend that statement:
From apathy to cynicism and corruption. Then, from cynicism/corruption to collapse.
Well if government is best that governs least then this is the best Congress of all time. I only wish that our forefathers had added one requirement to the constitution: That all laws and regulations automatically expire every ten years unless renewed by congress. Imagine, government reduction, tax code simplification all accomplished by Congress simply stuck in gridlock!
If you responded on this message board with how terrible the other side is and that they are the reason why things are not getting done then you are part of the problem and not the solution.
Olympia Snowe will be missed by us independents. She votes for what she thinks is best for our nation and not for what big money can give her or tells her to do.
ldo the problem is that Santorum is behaving like a Taliban zealot. People agree with things that make logical sense. Calling Obama a Marxist does not make sense to everyone because some actually see Obama as a Conservative Democrat because he has embraced many Republican ideas and policies. We would not call Santorum a Taliban zealot if he would stop preaching that if elected he is going to force the country to follow Christianity through unconstitutional laws restricting our freedoms according to Church doctrine.
There are not so subtle differences.
Geowil....."ldo the problem is that Santorum is behaving like a Taliban zealot."
Ah, just another day in the life of a Liberal.
Moderator: another poster who is provoking the rules and taunting other posters. Time for a week of TIME OUT.
United States Senate - Wikipedia
Quite a few ignorant people here that don't even understand how their own government works. Above is a link to the United States Senate on Wikipedia. Spend a couple minutes and educate yourself instead of being wannabe political pundits saying things that are completely inaccurate. How do you expect to persuade anyone when the basic facts are just wrong? If you can't get those right then you destroy all credibility of what is being said.
Greg, while you state that people are misinformed or ignorant, you don't point out what specifically the "wannabe political pundits" are stating incorrectly. I'm just curious in case there was something I've stated that is incorrect, in your opinion.
ldo, it is what it is. Santorum wants to force Christianity onto all American's whether they want it or not. The Taliban wants to enforce radicalized Islam on all Arabs whether they want it or not. It may not be over the same religion but Santorum's actions are parallel to the Taliban controlled Imam's
Our present government as our past government is a reflection of the people. Today many want to blame anyone but themselves for their present problems, just as the two political parties in DC blame the other for their problems. In the past Congress & the President worked together, but the American people also did the same in their day to day lives. They reached out to their neighbors.
Today, people go out of their way to be rude, selfish and very much have an entitlement attitude. And most who get frustrated in this country today, like Snowe quit. They quit by not showing up and voting.
You can keep on blaming our government, but really people need to stand in the mirror, our government is a reflection of you. We reap what we sow.
I do not understand where this Christianity claim comes from.My understanding of Christians is that they believe in the teaching of Jesus the Nazarene. I have only studied the.K J.Version,but I don't know where these people are quoting from ,but it certainly is not the bible that I studied,maybe the Old Testament ,but certainly not the New one.
The old bromide is exceptionally true since January of 2011: "What is the opposite of progress.... CONGRESS."
The Senate was set up with 6 year terms in order that thoughtful, apolitical work would be accomplished. Senators, it was thought, would be free from the political winds which whip through the House every two years. Instead, we have found that since 2009, when the super-majority was lost, that partisan politics is the rule, rather than the exception.
It is indeed the Republican party which has the greater responsiblity for the partisan divide. When the Senate minority leader states that his number one goal is to prevent the President of the United State from serving more than one term, that is a clear indication to every Senator in his party to obstruct the progress of the country by any means possible. The only time anything has been accomplished by the Senate has been when it is more politically disadvantageous to do nothing than to do something.
I certainly hope the Democratic party maintains control of the Senate. I also hope that they, as the Majority party next term eliminate the ability of the minority to filibuster every single item which comes up for a vote.
Jesse-Az -- Your post is beating a dead horse. We have already compared Pelosi's first term with 300+ bills passed, many of which were heavy-lift significant legislation VERSUS Boehner's term in which the Teapublican House takes one week off for every two weeks worked. The Teapublicans in both chambers have submitted extreme bills, some with crazy amendments attached, some recycled with new labels, all of which have been purely political symbolism that have zero input from the Dems and zero chance of being passed.
The "starve the beast" balanced budget amendment is a case in point. The spending cuts are so draconian at (16% or less of GDP) as to collapse the government and cause anarchy. Aside from being unconstitutional (taxation without representation), this piece of crap was resubmitted under a new label of a "jobs plan." Other than this they have renamed buildings, commemorative coins, and other nonsense.
Did you bother to read the article and take note about the non-stop Teapublican filibusters, blocks and holds? As a result, a super majority of 60 votes are required to pass anything. The FACT is the Teapublicans have been Do Nothing Obstructionists because they have NO plans, solutions, or ideas to offer, and most Americans recognize this.
Jim Hayes-375865 -- JH is a known troll, but thanks for trying to use the Rule of Reason with him/her just the same.
GEllis -- LOL. Here are examples of populism: "I will lower the price of gas to $2.50 a gallon." "I will repeal 'Obamacare'." "I will balance the budget by cutting taxes 20% and at the same time keep defense spending at current levels."
Holy cow, I've never heard so much chicken crap than the speeches given by Santorum and Romney after the most recent primaries in Michigan and Arizona. I'm surprised Santorum didn't choke and throw-up after spewing that much red meat in such a short amount of time.
Santorum wants a theocracy. Romney wants a plutocracy. Gingrich wants autocracy. Ron Paul wants anarchy. All of them want their own brand of fascism. Socialism is the least of our worries.
FR Gremlins...
Pick new ones out of the phone book.
TruePatriot-445959
I think it has come time for some anarchy!
What I couldn't believe was how Sen Snowe was so persecuted by Rachel Maddow and some dude my idol Dylan Rattigan had on his show yesterday. Sen Snowe left because of polarization and Barney Frank left because he was too lazy to go out and campaign because of redistricting. Yet, Barney Frank was treated like royalty.
Maybe MSNBC shouldn't be so polarized and just report the news.
As for the Blunt Amendment, I wasn't thrilled how it was written and would've voted against it. HOWEVER, I do believe that Obama forcing the Catholic Church to include contraception in their health care is unconstitutional.
For that matter, nearly all of Obamacare is unconstitutional. You can't force people to buy insurance.
This was not about contraception. This is about violating the first amendment by forcing a religion to do something the government wants. The Church wasn't telling the government what to do...it was the other way around.
That is a clear violation of the First Amendment.
aarpmom: the problem is, anytime there is a difference of opinion between a religious organization and the government, it can not be the religious organization which prevails, so long as the government does not specifically target that organization. The laws which are made must apply to ALL PEOPLE, otherwise we do not end up with equal protection of the law.
While the first amendment may prevent government religion, the fourteen guarantees equal protection of the laws. In this case, most likely the Court would require equal protection.
@ 420 Frees The Mind - we do have term limits and elections every 2 years (for the Senate and then for Congress) (they come up for a vote every four years. If we don't like these people, then we need to quit voting straight ticket. When people vote the straight ticket, not only are they proving they are really lazy, but also that they don't have a clue about anyone who is running. Now because of these people, we get "lifers" in the Senate and the Congress and every state has them. Sometimes, if they don't vote straight ticket, they vote by "name recognition only." Again, a very lazy way to vote, but also easy.
Voting well takes time and effort. You need to follow the campaigns, read anything about the candidates you can get your grubby hands on, check our their voting records, listen to their speeches (tells volumes about the candidate) -- then vote YOUR conscience, not anybody else's.
Frank-1271752
Learn you Civics , Three equal parts of government. Executive , legislative , Judaical
Ha ha....Mistake or not, now THAT is funny.
With Republicans (RHINO's) like Snowe, is it any wonder there was "grid-lock"? I suspect this has more to do with her re-electability chances than her irritation with the job. The fact is she was a liberal with an "R" next to her name ... of course this only serves to makes things difficult, you goof ball! To all political wannabe's -- Be honest with yourself and your constituents and let the chips fall where they may and we can avoid this type of foolishness in the future.
If you're liberal or progressive, say so. in 2012 this seems to be the "stylish" thing to do. Who doesn't want a good little progressive/marxist controlling their lives and futures?
Common & STexan, Senator Snowe is Highly re electable, she's been there 24 years thank you very much. Common, you almost got it right: "the less government does the more they screw up is what you should have written.
Snowe would have EASILY won re-election... why is it you people talk without knowing what the hell you're saying all the damn time. The institution is BROKEN! We need it FIXED and she's right it's BOTH parties.
Why does the right always label moderates as Liberal. It just shows how the GOP establishment has turned into a fundamentalist regime.
much of the real legislating is done by a handful of top leaders and committee chairmen, leaving most Senators out in the cold
Maybe it's about time these "cold" Senators grow a collective sack, light a fire under McConnell's purulent ass, and vote for the good of the country for once.
KMan, not so, bills are written by lobbyist not by our elected officials because they have allowed themselves to be/have been bought.
No, Allison, Common got it exactly right. When government meddles in things, there are unintended consequences. The less they do, the less we have to deal with the unintended consequences of their actions.
ST Exam. You are wrong. I hazard to guess you do not live in Maine. I do. She would have been handily re-elected. The problem with people like you is that you make statements about which you know little to nothing.
Book, so are you saying that our duly elected officials are correct in not doing what we sent them there to do which is our country's business? You think it's perfectly correct that lobbyists to write our country's law's?? If that is your premise, which I doubt, why do we have government? Why have government at any level, why should there be any elections if that is your belief?
You see the irony in everything you just said right? You label yourself as Texan with your user name, you're spouting republican propoganda with ignorance toward your own parties doings. You're the very thing, practicing the same ignorance that caused Snowe to walk out.
They're supposed to be representing us, the senate. Every American is not fully left or fully right. It isn't black and white anymore (or blue and red in this case), and hasn't been that way for quite some time. We could do this in a time were the parties were untainted, pure, and willing to listen to eachother. Now thanks to career politicians holding on for dear life for fear of falling into the pit of recession like the rest of us, our people suffer and our dynamics as a competant nation crumble. I applaud anyone who walks out or makes a stand against the current generic parties that accomplish nothing but getting reelected.
One could argue that one being reelected means the people want this person in office. If one thinks this is the case then one needs to rethink how TODAYS politics work. This isn't the 40's anymore and Lincoln wouldn't recognize the republican party as compared to his own back in his day so don't feed me that rhetoric.
We need change. There will be change hopefully when reelections pop up. But myself, like Snowe, have heavy doubts that there will be. The ones that want change aren't rich enough to cause it and the ones that are rich enough wish to continue getting richer on todays current, stagnant, government.
After 24 years in congress with nothing of note, it's time she went out to pasture. Congress wasn't meant to be a lifetime career.
As for congress, they could screw up a wet dream without even trying. What have they done that hasn't been F'd up?
kiwi23, I have to say your wrong, Book is parroting, he/she has no beliefs of his/her own.
Jose, have I seen you on Brisa and Jose's FB? I agree with you in any event.
Since you don't even know how long Snowe has served in the Senate (18 years at the end of this term), your evaluation of her election prospects is less than credible.
How are conservatives a "fundamentalist regime?" Maybe compared to the "Socialist regime" of the Democratic party, it is true. Are you against the fundamentals of moral government that existed until it started to be eroded by Socialist influences?
Yes and no, Allison. I do not vote for people just because they will "accomplish" something. I will vote for someone who is willing to ensure the principles on which this country was founded are adhered to. It is not the job of our federal government to pay for the little league ball park or light rail transit or any other local project in Hodunk, Any State.
Regarding laws written by lobbyists, I agree. I don't care if the lobbyist is from the pharma industry or the Sierra Club. Special interest influence affects politicians decisions far too often.
As for this particular vote which sent Snowe over the edge, my opinion is that she and anyone who voted to mandate benefits which an employer must provide were wrong. This should not be a function of the government - mandating that contraceptives or any other service not only be covered, but must be at no cost to the employee.
Politicians, both sides, bought and paid for by the likes of the Koch Bros and their ilk. Nothing for the People but disenfranchisement, but ALL for the Corporations, the 1-2%ers, and the zealot Fundamentalists.
Noah, are you ignoring the attacks on "Blue Dog Democrats" during the ACA debates? Are you ignoring the attacks on Senator Wyden because he is working with Paul Ryan on how to reform Medicare (increasing at an unsustainable 5.3% pace)
Blind partisanship is exactly what Snowe was talking about, you are one of the examples.
Know, god and you should be able to forgive 1 mistake on my part. The bottom line is I probably know more than you in any event but I do stand corrected on the number of years Senator Snowe has served. I guess I added in some of her years as a Congresswoman--my mistake!!!
Question do you know anything else?? Just curious.
Sorry Jesse, I don't know what you are talking about. I'm not saying that there isn't a far left wing fringe that attacks moderate democrats. I'm SAYING that the fundamentalist right is no longer a fringe element of the party. I'm SAYING that the right is SO far to the right that they don't even recognize a moderate when they see one. Moderates are just liberals now.
Colorado Man, I did not use the word moral or religious in my fundamentalist statement. Don't twist my words. Conservatives are defining THEMSELVES as a fundamentalist regime by attacking other conservatives who have different FUNDAMENTAL ideas on what conservative means.
BTW. You imply that socialism is immoral. Do you have any logic to back up that statement?
STexan, you're a troll.
Why is someone in TEXAS commenting on the electability of a Senator in MAINE? Have you lived in Maine? If the answer is "no", your opinion is meaningless.
STexan -
Only someone who lives in Texas with the total losers you keep throwing out to the rest of us - Rick Perry, G. W. Bush, Ron Paul - could actually believe your claptrap.
For those of us in Maine, Snowe was one who voters easily crossed the party line for. Last election, she won with a 74% vote. Got that? 74%. A landslide.
In the current election cycle, she was heavily targeted by out-of-state "interests" (AKA Tea Party). Not one of her primary challengers had a ghost of a chance of getting the primary vote, not to mention actually elected.
Our benighted Tea Party Governor, LePage" may well be a 1 termer as he absolutely cannot control his mouth. This spills over on much of his toadies who keep ending up in conflict-of-interest problems or grossly politically-inspired witch-hunts (the State Treasurer, the Secretary of State, the Director of the Tate Planning Office.)
Snowe's departure will in all likelihood do one thing - get a Democrat, Chellie Pingree, elected. For you out-of-staters, your so-called "RINO" will be your dream of an opportunity to boost the "R" score a very lost dream, and she will make you very, very unhappy.
Even those of us who disagreed at times with her will miss her.
Are you against the fundamentals of moral government that existed until it started to be eroded by Socialist influences?
Colorado,
Which "moral" government are you referring to that existed before it was "eroded" by Socialist influences? Do you mean the one that denied women the right to vote? Did the erosion of the "moral" government you speak of start then? Or perhaps you are referring to the 60's when our "moral" government granted a whole segment of the population rights "moral, white" people had their whole lives?
Is this the "moral" government you hearken back to before "socialist" influences eroded her??
What Colorado meant is that we should go back to the policies that the conservatives have defended in the past: slavery, sweatshops, disenfranchisement of women and racial/religious minorities, the robber barons unrestricted pollution of our land/water/air and unpaid-for wars.
I am trying to understand what it is some people think they are "conserving" these days. It seems ironic to me that their struggle to conserve a sterilized version of the past has damaged our present and may well ruin the country's future.
Just looked up the word "obstruction" in the dictionary, and 2 photos are next to the word, Reid & Pelosi...
trafdlo, you "forgot" to add Speaker Bohener (sp) and wanna be but thinks is Whip Cantor.
go check your info, the republicans have sent no less than 31 bills to the senate, not 1 has been read by Reid and the dimwitedcrats.
"Compromise is not a bad word, that is why my bill is the one that will pass" Reid at his best!!!
None of those 31 bills sent to the senate had a remote chance of passing. They were specifically designed to NOT pass. More wasted time and tax payer money by the fundamentalist right.
The Republicans didn't even have the 'nads to read the entire U.S. Constitution into the record during that ridiculous charade they staged when this Congress convened...and now they whine that the meaningless jingoistic culture war bills they keep sending up don't get read?
Maybe when they offer up some well-thought, meaningful, reasoned and rational legislation that's RELEVANT for the problems this country faces regarding energy policy, jobs, tax reform, entitlement reform, immigration, etc they'll begin to regain some measure of believability.
Until then they will continue to show themselves for what they are: a bunch of insipid asshats who are more interested in kowtowing to the likes of Limbaugh, Norquist and the Kochs in order to stay in office and not have to actually work a real job.
of course, a republican would never filibuster......would they?....uh ummm, never mind
None of those 31 bills sent to the senate had a remote chance of passing. They were specifically designed to NOT pass. More wasted time and tax payer money by the fundamentalist right.
And of course you have in fact read all 31 bills, gone over them with a fine tooth comb, right after you have had your daily glass of kool-aid.
You must be one of the smarter liberals out there to come up with that post all on your own.
Maybe they did, maybe not but I guess we are all to believe that YOU did, right? Sure, traf. Sure you did.
The bills were written to score political points and were not expected to pass.
This problem is solvable, just like the problem was solved in the former Democratic Congress on November 2, 2010 (just 16 very short months ago) by an overwhelming vote to change what needed to be changed. When the Senate is "changed" in a similar manner on November 6th, then then "gridlock" will be no more!......JUST VOTE!
Jusbiden, people did vote, they voted in waaay too many T-baggers and too many repubs signed that "pledge" of the t-baggers.
8.3% unemployment, 15% of the population on food stamps.
And you are blaming the "T-baggers" that have only been in office for 1 year?? You need to re-wind the tape just a bit more than that.
It's pretty hard to deny that the Tea-party has massively influenced the GOP and is a HUGE problem in congress. How can anything ever get accomplished when so many people take a fundamentalist, black and white approach to everything. Very few things in this world are black and white. Most are a shade of grey.
trafdlo, I don't know how busy or even where you have been the last three years but the t-baggers didn't just come onto the "scene" last year, it's been approx. 3 years as a matter of fact. Hence, instead of the Republican Party we now have the Republican Party/T-baggers which translates out to the Party of No. I guess you hadn't heard about it, the repubs allowed themselves to be highjacked by the baggers.
I WILL vote - McConnell out at the first opportunity. His example is one of the reasons that I left the Republican party after almost 30 years. He is an embarrassment to politicians in general and the Commonwealth of Kentucky in particular. I have been disenchanted for a while now, but I made my final decision when he said that his top priority was making sure that Obama was a one-term president (not the economy, not the concerns of the people that put him into office - just his ire that the Republicans lost). To him, it's all about the power - and he's been there way too long.
it's been approx. 3 years as a matter of fact.
The last election was in the fall of 2010, then in January of 2011 the newly elected took office.
Now let me get my calculator out here.............. 2012 - 2011 = 1 year not 3.
trafdlo, you just recently got some interest in politics going didn't you...it shows
Ah, this ani't my 1st BBQ there liberal.
trafdlo, sorry it took so long to get back to our discussion: Senator's are elected every 6 years and Congress people every 2. So there is always some election going on somewhere in this grand old country of ours.
Once we vote all the GOP obstructionists back out of the Congress then the country can move forward again.
.
I guess Snowe could leave and has somewhere to go where she can avoid this rancor and bull@!$%#.
I wish America had "somewhere else" to go.
I'm sure we have some stubborn ones on the left, but the right has organized into a gestapo like group that votes as an aligned block and never compromises. Just look at how many times the left has given in to demands without movement on the right.
This is a one-sided stagnation and can be fixed in November.
8.3% unemployment, 15% of the population on food stamps. And you are blaming the "T-baggers" that have only been in office for 1 year??
I don't blame the "T-baggers". I blame the Republican party. The only reason that unemployment is up and so many are on food stamps is because Republicans trashed the economy. And we are going to be a while recovering from it no matter who the president is or which party has a majority in Congress.
I also think that we will be longer recovering from the poor economy if Republicans are given free rein in Congress. They have blocked any and all progress in Congress. They bitch and harp on government spending, then walk away from a deal that would have decreased spending $4T only to pass a deal that trimmed a paltry $20B from 1 year's spending. They bitch and harp about government picking winners and losers in the free market, then refuse to end subsidies for their own special interests. They are not really the party of NO, they are the party of YES or NO depending on how it affects their pocket - and to hell with the voters or the country!
The American electorate has three choices in 2012.
1. Choose Republican Congress and President - and go back to tax break and spend policies "to get the economy going again" Goodbye middle class.
2. Choose a non-supermajority Republican/Democrat Congress and Rep/Dem President - more gridlock.
3. Choose a supermajority Democratic Congress and Democratic President - which will focus on improving our economy and helping the middle class.
The good news for the republicans in number 3 is that there are enough Democrats in the hip pocket of corporate interests, that only half of what the Democratic Party wants will get enacted. Fortunately, half is better than nothing, which you will get with the first two choices.
ignorance is bliss!
Two words to end all the gridlock in Washington...
TERM LIMITS
This was supposed to be a citizen government. All we have now are people squabbling over their jobs.
I wholeheartedly agree. The Tea Party says that they want to limit government - let them start there. If these clowns aren't there long enough to sell out and line their pockets, maybe we'll get a new generation who actually do what they were elected to do.
American Parent---we already have term limits in place---They are called elections.
Apparently some folks are content to continue voting for the person in office.
Just take a look at how long some of these "elite" officials have been in office screwing up the country (info a bit old but you should get the picture):
The question which should be asked to ANY Congressional Representative running for office is:
And to think these "elite" Congressional Representatives write, and vote, on our TAX LAWS:
Maybe the DOJ and the IRS should investigate these folks PRIOR to them running for another term in office.
She is tired and frustrated with party politics. She wants the Congress to work together towards solving problems our country faces. However, too many of her peers are too busy following partisan political agendas instead of working for their electorate.
"It makes this seat one of the top Democratic targets in the country, from not being a Democratic target at all," said Sandy Maisel, director of the Goldfarb Center for Public Affairs at Colby College.
This sort of thinking is why Snowe is leaving. It shouldn't be about party affiliations; it should be about a working government. Currently, our Congress fails because its goals are about party lines, not the-good-of-the-American-people lines. The stance has to change if we are ever to be productive again.
The irony is that the very people we need to run the country properly are leaving office. The TRUE patriots are surrendering. The paid-for hacks are the ones left behind.
How sad ... Can you say Titanic?
Snowe is a RINO and sided with the Dimocrats every time there was an invite to the White House brunch.They even gave her a waiver for the state of Maine from Obamacare she sided with them so much.
stormerF, you stated what the problem is without meaning to. People like you want party-line voting no matter if that thinking is right or wrong. Don't look at the issues and the ramifications of the vote - just vote party. Ms. Snowe votes the way that is best for our country and its citizens - that is the way government is supposed to work.
I believe it was the republican hero - Norquist - that said recently, we (the gop/tp) don't need a president that thinks - just someone that can sign his name to the bills we pass. You certainly have the candidates for that.
ModerateIndy, that's just waaay too deep for people like stormerF to comprehend. Just accept it for what it is...
Snowe is frustrated with "gridlock" and she knows that it's her own party that is causing it.
She is showing more guts and leadership than any other Republican in the Senate in the past 3 years.
It's BOTH parties, and if you can't see that you're as blind as they are.
daryl, maybe you see democrats voting for GOP bills because they are better bills. Did you ever think about it that way? I bet not.
I agree Daryl. They all play politics, but the Republicans are willing to actually hurt Americans to get their way.
Sad when people with good intent have to give up and walk away.
Senator Snow was one of the finest people to have served in the Senate, Republican or Democrat. She was superior to most because she actually would think before she voted and was never intemidated by the left or right. I feel like she is like me and others, we all at some point could not remain with a party that borded the crazy train and took a hard right turn off the cliff.
Good Riddance Snowe JOB! Thanks for NOTHING!
American Parent you are right, term limits will solve this problem. it is govt for the people by the people not govt by the same people forever.
I honestly don't believe term limits is the solution. If a representative is not fulling our wishes we always have the option of not re-electing them. The problem is we need to stop listening the the hubris and start electing and supporting representatives who actual care about the country and its people, rather that these people who only care about party politics, and lining their pockets, and use these nonscence fear issues mixed with lies
While you make a very good point, Lori, the problem is that the vast majority of the country are so ill informed on what is happening in government that they just vote the way they have always voted - D or R - without taking any time to learn about the candidate.
Another issue is that districts are generally mapped out to benefit the current incumbant.
There are many on both sides who don't want term limits because "if you don't like what your rep is doing, vote them out". Unfortunatelly, the incumbents win the majority of the time.
You might be right IF the majority actually paid attention. However, most people's vote seems to be influenced by the last sound-byte that they heard on TV (which is why the candidates spend HUGE amounts of money on political ads, paid for by whichever special interest has them in their pocket). Most people care more about who's on American Idol than they do about the candidates they vote for.
The best thing we could do is make sure they aren't there long enough to sell out to the highest bidder.
Bookem & KN,
I know that you are both right.
It's just too depressing to think about it
The election process itself needs to be reformed. The role of money further enhanced by Citizens United (ironic name really since it had nothing to do with most American citizens and it was not about uniting anything) has made the election process nothing more than a platform for one party: the Party Of Money. This is not anything more than a more sophisticated version of the one-party system that the Soviet Union once had.
We the people should make them change by replacing them with some that will do something, anything to improve. With an aproval rating they now have, are they just starting to figure this out?
None. That's what. Same with the House. Just once I would like to see them put out a good honest, solid bill before I die. I won't be holding my breath. (I don't want to hasten my death.)
I'd rather have gridlock than have them spend more of our money.
NOTHING will get accomplished until ALL Democrats are voted out including Mr. Obama.
Right, "Truth"...That's EXACTLY the attitude that has created the mess Congress is in...that old "my way or the highway" BS. Grow up...you're not in Kindergarten anymore. Didn't you ever learn how Democracy works? They're supposed to work together...everybody give a little to gain a little.
Truth---Yeah, maybe we can get un-american taliban Rick Santorum who is against gays,seperation of church and state,abortion rights, contraception, higher education and common sense in general. Rick and his ilk really are crypto_fascists . They sound like Hitler and his cohorts in the 1930 s before they came to power.
I am so glad this guy only gets ONE VOTE.
This is wonderful news. Will be one less Republican pretender in the Senate. The lady claims to be a Republican but you would never believe it if one looked at her voting record.
Enjoy retirement Ms. Snowe.
It is natural to "blame both sides" for the failure of Congress because it appeals to our sense of fairness. But reality doesn't necessarily work that way.
In reality, there is only one party preventing Congress from doing the things that are necessary to help the economy and put people back to work.
And Sen. Snowe is leaving it.
beauty is in the eye of the beholder...
In your world, Harbinger, perception is reality. However, in the real world, reality is reality. Just because you think it is only one party preventing Congress from doing things, does not make it so.
Also, some things that are prevented are being done because that is what the representatives were elected by their constituencies to do. Just because you don't agree with those constituents doesn't mean that they are wrong.
Beauty is in the eye of future history. And, IMHO, Harbinger is right.
The conservatives have had their economic, foreign and social policies put in place and then solidified over the course of 30 years. I don't see any proof of measurable improvement along all of those fronts. If anything, I see plenty of evidence of degradation along all of those fronts when you look at the actual lives of most Americans and of the lives overseas that America touches.
I can literally write a book on the subject but I don't have the space or time here. This is what happens to people when they think they can create some sort of 1000-yr Reich (a common trait across conservatives in all cultures). It never ends well for everyone involved. THAT IS A FUNDAMENTAL TRUTH: times change but some people don't.
Great!, maybe they will all leave... she was a BIG part of the problem.
Changing the political balance in the senate would accomplish near so much as changing the ridiculous 60 vote rule. If elections can be decided on simple majorities then legislative actions should too.
A budget can be passed in the Senate with just 51 votes. Last budget vote, 1000+ days.
The problem is that EVERY vote should be able to get passed with 51 votes. Yes, you do have a valid point, but that doesn't change the fact that the whole system is @!$%#ed.
It's the US Constitution that makes the rules/laws. It protects the individuals rights, as designed. Want it changed? Elect legislators to rewrite part or all, then get 75% of States to ratify the change(s). I enjoy being protected from the "flavor of the month."
The constitution does not specify the 60 vote rule, rather it states the each legislative house will make its own rules. The last thing I'd like to see is any change to the constitution in the current toxic environment. The 60 vote rule originated in the senate and can be change by the senate any time they get the message that it was a stupid rule to impose in the first place.
Harry Reid=Senate Gridlock. Enough said.
You mean to tell me she actually wanted to accomplish something in congress? But that would require congress to actually think logically and in the interest of the people in this country. I can't wait for November to come, it's going to be a political bloodbath, and we'll get to see all of these incumbents lose their positions.
The members of the Senate and House are elected by the American people and paid for by special interest groups. As long as we continue to elect "my way or the highway" candidates to these offices, the process of government will be frustrated. Deliberation, cooperation and compromise are the hallmarks of effective government and should be encouraged not denigrated. The job of an office holder is to understand and represent the people who elected them to office not the platform of the party. Independent judgement on behalf of their constituents is essential to good governance. Olympia Snowe represented the people who elected her. She will be missed.
She's one of the decent Republicans. Maybe she should just switch parties.
It would make sense that she switch parties because her votes were more in line with democrats anyway.
But, what if she was pro-life, would she be accepted by democrats?
Reluctantly. Senator Casey (D-Pa.) and his late father (former Pa. Governor) are/were pro-life.
Snowe has done her job. She's fought for both sides for the good of all. Isn't that what it's supposed to be about? Hardliners from either side are wrong now, were wrong before and will be wrong in the future. The upside of becoming a senator or congressman is that you're guaranteed to become rich during your service. The money and a little power doesn't have to go to their heads, but it does. Only a handful become statesmen, the rest are just politicians. When they're gone we don't remember politicians but we do remember statesmen.
Come November the voters will get rid of this puppet regime that has a grid lock on the government.
Obump-his-gums will ba able to go back home to Chi-town, maybe his home-boy Emanuel will give him a nice government job.