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Subscribe to RSSIn a widely expected move, independent Senator-elect Angus King of Maine announced Wednesday that he will join the Democratic Senate caucus, bringing the Democrats to a 55-senator majority in the new Congress, which convenes in January.
A former governor of Maine, King ran as an independent to fill the Senate seat being vacated by centrist Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe.
J. Scott Applewhite / AP
Sen.-elect Angus King, I-Maine, center, the former governor of Maine, arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Nov. 13,2012.
“The outcome of last week’s elections in some ways makes this decision relatively easy,” King told reporters at a Capitol Hill press conference. “In a situation where one party has a clear majority and effectiveness is an important criteria, affiliating with the majority makes the most sense. The majority has more committee slots to fill, has more control over what bills get considered and more control over the Senate’s schedule.”
King said he’d conferred with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, a Maine Democrat, before making his decision, but not with Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell. He did confer with Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., the Senate GOP conference vice chairman.
He said his conversations with Reid and with independent senators Joe Lieberman of Connecticut and Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who caucus with the Democrats, reassured him that “my independence would be respected and that no party-line commitment would be required or expected.”
King said he’d asked Reid for a spot on the Senate Finance Committee, its tax-writing panel, “but there were no promises made… He pointed out to me that it took Sen. Kerry 14 years to get on the Finance Committee so it might be somewhat unlikely for a first-year senator to achieve that.”
Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., joins Morning Joe to discuss if he believes Senate and House Republicans will be more willing to negotiate a deal to avoid the fiscal cliff than they were in 2011.
He said that “by associating myself with one side I am not in automatic opposition to the other.”
On the question of the Senate filibuster rule -- which allows the minority party to insist on 60 votes before a bill can move forward or a nomination come up for vote -- King said that although he represents a small state and the filibuster is “designed to protect the interests of small states,” that “its use in recent years has been excessive and I hope to talk with other senators who are more expert in this matter to find a solution that would limit its use as a tactic of delay and prohibiting action, but at the same time protect the interests of the states."
Since President Barack Obama was first elected, Republicans have used the filibuster to stymie some of his nominees and to make it impossible to enact tax increases proposed by the Democrats.
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Wow, look at the sinking ship that is the Republican Party. They are starting to smell! Can we get a clean up in isle House and Senate Republican chairs?
Yeah...It's Independence Day for Democrats...wow..
Yes, the Democrats can independently spend money they don't have.
Angus King, while not having a designated party affiliation, has the same platform as democrats. He sides with democrats on the majority of his positions (much like Olympia Snow)
The hits just keep coming! Wow! Let's not waste this opportunity folks. Let's keep our eyes on the prize and the goal of taking back the house in 2014.
GO GO Democrats!
The only things at stake are our freedom and our democracy. No pressure.
skip,
Freedom, and for the most part, Democracy is a fallacy!
America has more laws regulating human behavior than any country on Earth. How is that freedom?
American Politicians are self-absorbed Monarchs in their own minds and they treat their constituents as if they were peasants. Although people are free to vote, it doesn't change anything. How can you have a democracy if everything stays the same regardless of who wins elections?
The freedom that the United States is meant to represent is not freedom even when it interferes with the rights of others. Our legislative body needs to walk a very fine line to protect individual freedoms without removing protections for all. (And sometimes they fail, as they did when they created the DOMA) However, regulation is not the antithesis to freedom as long as it is passed with that balance in mind.
United we stand divided we fall... There is a reason we have TWO PARTIES. Most of you do NOT understand that here.
But let me explain it... if you want just the democratic party and get rid of the republicans then you MOVE TO CHINA as that is what they have. A one party system with the government telling you what to SAY and where to @!$%#, what to eat and where to live. You have a government that shoots it's own people because they want freedom and liberty. THAT IS A ONE PARTY SYSTEM
Oh and do not forget... less then 1/3rd of registered able voters voted... that means 220 million plus people have no interest in America at this time. Guess what category they fall in with around 50% of AMERICANS getting food stamps, wic, educational funding, hospital bills paid and more and more....
Democracy my ass...this is a republic you should be proud of as a whole...instead you are ashamed of your own country....cry about the wealthy and bitch about your neighbors being better off then you....
Democrats are PUSSIES when it comes to their MONEY, they are ANIMALS when it comes to your MONEY.
Good News Indeed!
From the article above:
After the two year nightmare this nation has endured due towards the Republican obstructionist, America will finally move FORWARD again under the fine leadership of the President.
Thank God for President Obama.
Salud
WOW, Just because they were the party that got appointed, is what he based his "Democratic" decision on? IE: HE HAS NO BALLS!!! Way to go king sh.t, do it just because someone else did, nice rubber backbone.
Uh huh, republicans never spend/waste a single dime of taxpayers money, by the way how exactly is/was the Iraq war funded? How many times did Reagan/Bush Jr raise the debt ceiling? Yeah... thought so.
Finally, a politician that will help get things done rather than grid -lock from the Do Nothings!
Haditwith, You are missing the same body part, plus a brain!
Right on, Angus! We pity the poor sour grape-gobbling TeaPubs above (but not very much)!
So much for being independent. I get it though, best to sit in the power seats than the out of the power seats.
"America has more laws regulating human behavior than any country on Earth."
TO: alan_static who wrote:
Well that's what happens when a Republican gets in the White House and crashes the entire United States Economy, creates the 2nd Great Depression, and lies us into 2 unfunded wars.
Now we have Democrats in office cleaning up that big freaking mess that Republicans made, and the very ones who made the stinking mess are same ones who are constantly complaining!
Well Ken, I understand Costa Rica is lovely this time of year. Why not take an extended visit?
Oh yeah- dems cleaning up the mess Repubs made- like having morons like Pelousy, Reid, Frank, Dodd, and Kennedy in for over 40 years EACH didn't have ANYTHING to do with it. Lets watch Calif., TOTALLY dem and up to their eyeballs in debt. Obama leg humpers are pathetic.
Mal, I get where you are coming from, no freedom, my Alabama home town won't let me walk my pet Pig on the sidewalk. Miss Piggy not happy.
Crystal - were you picked on in elementary school? Are you emotionally scarred? Is that why you have to resort to childish antics, like name calling? Maybe there are other underlying psychological issues as well. Who knows.
The good news is you don't have to worry. We've got your back, preexisting mental conditions like those you suffer from are covered....under ObamaCare.
After the millions that the GOP and affiliated PACs spent to smear Angus King, why on earth would he have considered caucusing with them?
I'm beginning to think that the DNC should pay people like "crystal" to continue posting. It certainly is doing much more harm to the Republicans than the Democrats.
C'mon, "crystal"...give us your run down on birth certificates and teleprompters....
*Cough* you realize Olympia was a moderate Republican and won her last election at 70%+ right? Susan Collins is just a hair more conservative then Olympia was through she's still very moderate.
We like somewhat sane politicians in Maine, people who negotiate and work for the betterment and in all cases seek to keep the f*ck out of partisan bickering. Everyone knew Angus was going to win, Cynthia was way to liberal and the Republican was well... not much better.
In any case, the reason people like Angus King, Olympia Snow and Susan Collins seem "liberal" is that the Republicans have shifted their entire party base to the extreme right. This in turn moved "the center" into an area that would of been considered moderate Republican. All part of the Republican purge.
For those of you talking about taking back the House of Representatives in 2014, lets not forget that 20 Democratic and 13 Republican seats are up for grabs in 2014 too. The seats include:
DEM: Mark Begich (AK), Mark Pryor (AR), Mark Udall (CO), Chris Coons (DE), Richard Durbin (IL), Tom Harkin (IA), Mary Landrieu (LA), John Kerry (MA), Carl Levin (MI), Al Franken (MN), Max Baucus (MT), Jean Shaheen (NH), Frank Lautenberg (NJ), Tom Udall (NM), Kay Hagan (NC), Jeff Merkley (OR), Jack Reed (RI), Tim Johnson (SD), Mark Warner (VA), and Jay Rockefeller (WV).
GOP: Jeff Sessions (AL), Saxby Chambliss (GA), Jim Risch (ID), Pat Roberts (KS), Mitch McConnell (KY), Susan Collins (ME), Thad Cochran (MS), Mike Johanns (NE), Jim Inhofe (OK), Lindsay Graham (SC), Lamar Alexander (TN), John Cornyn (TX), and Mike Enzi (WY).
(Bold type face denotes the incumbents who have announced their candidacy for re-election.)
If you mean freedom to go hunting and shoot someone in the face because your an idiot with a gun like Dick Cheney, then I vote for less freedom. Too many idiots out there who their parents never raised them to know the difference between right and wrong. These people need the government to set boundary's for them so they don't F it up for the rest of us that where raised right. If you didn't get the hint, that means you REPUBLICAN NUTS.
Angus King is not now nor has he ever been an Independent. He is a closet Democrat that never wanted to get dirty in the primaries so he ran as an independent. But he is a big government, big spender, and anyone that thinks otherwise need only wait to see him in action. King believes in profiting from government service just like all the rest of them, so don't be fooled by why he claimed to be heading to Washington. Anyone that couldn't see this coming or felt he might side with Republicans, is a fool.
Yep, result of a "back room deal".....give me a position on the Finance Committee and I will jump ship.
Congratulations Maine voters.
Republicans have no problem with "regulation" as long is it is of peoples' lives. Do unnecessary vaginal probes of women exercising their right to choose. DOMA. They just want to give CORPORATIONS free rein to run roughshod over the rest of us!
Do you have evidence to support that statement or is it merely another of your dishonest fantasies?Never mind; we both know it's a lie, don't we, Ido?
No big surprise there. Snowe just as well have caucused with the Democrats.
I disagree. Although Senator Snowe occasionally crosses over on social issues her voting record is solidly right wing.
An "Independent" siding with the Dems....... hmmmm...... explain "Independent" to me again?
Yeah, Steve, Independents are democrats in people clothing. Not that it matters, politicians will never be PEOPLE!
sure would be nice to live in a world that is so clearly black-and-white as you guys. "if you're not this, then you're that."
Snowe had a soul - the last of her kind, sadly!
James. Olympia Snow voted about 60% with the Republicans. The one thing she did side with the republicans was the ACA and even then they were concerned she would cross the aisle.
DB, she also voted against the Blunt-Rubio Amendment, made McConnell furious, right after that she decided to retire. She was an asset to the American people and will be sorely missed
Snow said she was retiring because of the divisions that now existed in the Congress. Gee, where did they come from? Walking out of meetings after reaching a tentative agreement. Signing agreements not to work with this president when republicans took office. Hypocrisy at its worst! Saying that "Everything is on the Table" and then saying no new taxes for those who make $5,000 or more a week.
The truth, tends to be liberal. Or as Stephen Colbert says "Reality has a well known liberal bias".
How about people ask a Mainer about Snow, King and what we think of the current idiots running congress.
Olympia was mostly loved by the people of Maine, never lost an election in the past 30+ years. She always voted in the best interests of Maine which is predominately small business's, farming and fishing. Maine is a state with a low average income but also a low cost of living, though we have high state taxes. She was pro-abortion (woman's rights), pro-homosexual marriage (we just made it legal), pro-environment which are all liberal positions. She was also a fiscal conservative and voted on business matters as a conservative would. So you have a socially liberal, fiscally conservative moderate Republican who got so tired of the bickering and being labeled a RINO that she retired.
Thankfully Angus King has mostly the same positions, socially liberal and fiscally conservative. Mind you this is the old definition of conservative which means being centered around economic growth. The current "conservatives" are not fiscally conservative at all and would better be described as corporatists. Those who look to promote the interests of large corporations.
Not a member of the right wing lunatic fringe. Howzat?
It won't mean a thing unless the Senate decides to free itself from its self-imposed shackles. As long as Mitch McConnell can carry out his primary mission, which is to obstruct anything and everything that President Obama tries to accomplish, without regard to the needs of the country, we're still in trouble.
EarlyOut..
I would like to ask a question to you.
What is the difference between what Mitch and the Republicans are doing ( using the Filibuster to try and stop things ) and Harry Reid not bringing ANY of the bills past in the House up for debate/vote in the Senate?
Personally I see Harry Reid as being the object of obstruction. He flat out ignores what the house passed, and the republican group is using legal procedure to stop the bills.
Now to Comments:
You like to blame one side of the isle, while completely forgetting or ignoring that your side of the isle is just as guilty.
The Filibuster is a much needed legislative piece of work. It is there to prevent the majority from running over the minority. Im sorry if you think that trying to stop some of Obama's Destructive policies is being obstructive. I personally see it as doing what they were sent to the Senate to do.
Having a super majority ( like the Dems had Obama's 1st term is NOT good for this country. It does not matter if you agree with the other side or not. Unless you are playing partisan hack, having a 1 party rule is never a good thing.
Politics is like divorce. Both parties are almost always at fault. You can usually tell who the bigger offender actually is by figuring out who is pointing fingers the most.
Um..."jeremy"...Just how long did the Democrats have a super-majority in the Senate??
Would you rather have a Senate that is held hostage by a minority leader that will filibuster everything that might make the President look good? I agree that the majority should not be able to run over the minority, but the minority should not have the right to stop everything dead in it's tracks.
As Senator King said. It is important to protect the rights of smaller states, but it is also important to see that the filibuster is not abused.
Democrats had a super majority for 23 days. First was a 10 day session, followed by a break then another 13 day session, then the illness of Sen Kennedy.
That is the truth about the "Democratic Supermajority".
The American people sent one clear message, and that was that we expect our public servants to fix it. I'm hoping this adds to that voice.
Fix what? The roads in DC?
Let's hope this causes even less compromise. Fiscal cliff here we come!
Yep, those hard working Taxpayers are screwed up by the Spendaholics/Taxaholics yet again.
Alan, The republicans were returned as a safety valve. If they give too much, they are going to be blamed. If they don't give enough, they are going to be blamed.
Well good for her.
So what! His decision doesn't change anything...
Meh.
An Independent is basically someone who votes their conscience, and not the party line (because they don't have one). It would be nice if more people cut their puppet strings and voted how they and their constituents felt, and not because the Party Whip told them to vote.
Ain't gonna happen! Politicians care about themselves NOT their constituents!
He has to caucus with one side or another to be in a committee. That's they way it works
Angus King was always going to go with the Democrats. He was brutally beaten up by the right wing billionaires. Republicans used every weapon they had to crush this man and the GOP has the weapons. I'm sure that had a lot to do with his decision.
@Vilia
Lots of out of state money was used in attack ads on King by the Republicans. The problem is they treated Maine like any other Tea-party type election and figured they could incite a bunch of uneducated white trash (Maine as a state is rather poor) to vote Republican. Boy did they learn the hard way, word of mouth and reputation are several times more effective then TV ads. Especially when Maine's had a history of level headed congressional representatives, the typical tea party line kinda goes against most of the thinking of the citizens in the state.
I really hope he can help make things work better, and his position as an Independent lets him succeed better than Snowe's status as a moderate Republican. Moderate Republicans are being driven out or forced to toe the party line where maybe an Independent can act a bit more as a bridge.
You can always hope! But, I don't think it's gonna make much difference. I'm sure he's just another selfish politician.
He might be a little better......it's an incredibly low bar.
Yeah, James the bar is just laying on the ground!
Moderate Republicans are being pushed out, just like Blue Dog Dems are being pushed out.
Being entrenched in your party is not a republican only thing. All you have to do is look at the head Dem in office. Obama. We won, you can come along for the ride but you have to sit at the back of the bus.
anyone remember that speech?
the Dems want it their way, the Republicans want it their way, and compromise is a word that neither party will use.
Most moderate repbulicans don't get returned at some point. Scott Brown anyone?
I'm just along for the ride, one day I just wont wake up breathing and thats all she wrote baby.
An "Independent" than Caucus with either Party, Dem or Rep is an oxymoron indeed. Per the article, he Caucus with the Dems because they have the majority in the Senate. So then, if he was elected to the House as an "Independent", he would have Caucus with the Republicans because they are the majority there. What a hypocrite for King to use the "Independent" Label.
Politician=Hypocrite Regardless of Party Affiliation!
Not as much as a Dem who calls oneself a Dem or a Rep who call oneself a Rep, but for an "Independent" to call oneself a Dem, Rep, Liberatarian, Green, Constitutional Party, Socialists Worker Party, Justice Party etc is far more hypocritical.
Yeah, that's one type of hypocrisy.
I was leaning more toward the fact that Politicians DO NOT represent the people they claim to represent. Politicians represent themselves!
For all of you who are complaining about an Independent caucusing with the Democrats, you should know that he has to caucus with one or the other party. If he didn't, he wouldn't receive any committee assignments since those are allocated by the party caucuses. There is no Independent caucus. In this case, Senator King chose correctly. In addition to the obvious fact that his political positions are more in line with the Democrats, Senator King knows that the Democratic Caucus is much more tolerant and respectful of a range of opinions and positions than is the Republican Caucus.
Terry, there is NO requirement for an "Independent" or 3rd Party affliation to Caucus with the either of the two major parties. Plus, read the article, he stated that he caucus with the Dems because they are the "majority" not for "more tolerant and respectful of a range of opinions and positions". If he was elected to the House instead of the Senate, he would have Caucus with the Reps simply because they happen to be the majority. This so called "Independent" is just a power grabber to the Party that happens to be in the majority.
Terry, independents still get assigned to committees, but will not receive the more important and particularly powerful committee assignments.
Yup, just like Lieberman. He ran as indepentent, caucus with Dems, vote Repub. Go figure.
Joe is why the Dems did not have a supermajority.
It seems that this guy knows where his bread is buttered....... But maybe the GOP needs to change the way bussines is done... Who will they run in 2016. Romney again and make the same mistake...????m Maybe the whole congress and the President should listen to the will of the people, You know a government by the people, for the people and of the people, rather than the big pockets!!!!!
I agree with the statement >, "where the bread is buttered", as the Dems sure like to waste the Taxpayer's Bread and butter it with further spending waste. Another 4 years of OVER $1 Trillion annual Budget Deficits are ready to greet us at the expense of the hard working Taxpayers. Bring your parachute as that Fiscal Cliff is getting ever steeper.
The democrats didn't spend it... It was during the Bush years and President Obama had it added to the deficit where it belongs instead of hiding it...look it up..
4 years from now after ANOTHER 4 years of PLUS $1 Trillion Annual Budget Deficits, you will STILL blame Bush. You would blame Bush for that very cold end of December at Valley Forge in 1776 if G W Bush was around back then. You have to accept the fact that Obama added more to the National Debt than the 1st 41 Presidents COMBINED and added more to the National Debt in 3 years than ALL 8 years of G W Bush
Kurt... you're a lying idiot that just went on ignore!
Sorry Ninja that you find it easier to ignore the facts than accept the truth of Obama added more to the National Debt than the 1st 41 Presidents COMBINED and added more to the National Debt in 3 years than ALL 8 years of G W Bush. Sad indeed of your constant state of ignoring the facts.
""4 years from now after ANOTHER 4 years of PLUS $1 Trillion Annual Budget Deficits, you will STILL blame Bush.
You Republicans have a very short memory. From 1976 to 1992 you whined and cried, moan and groaned and complained and complained more and bitched, carried on and on and blamed President Carter of everything wrong in the entire universe. Then from 1992 to 2008 you whined and cried, moan and groaned and complained and complained more and bitched, carried on and on and blamed President Clinton for everything that was wrong in the entire universe. So – using the standard you set – the left has another 28 years to blame Bush for everything just to pull even with you.
Ninja, the current deficit is 1.3 - 5 trillion. the total war spending from 2001 forward is 1.3 trillion. This means we have a deficit equal to 11 years of spending. You cannot attribute the deficit solely to the war spending.
Charlie, they STILL blame everything wrong on Clinton and Carter. And everything good that happened in their terms, they crdit to republican congresses.
It's mindboggling, really.
Really, get real, Reagan didn't to the blame game on Carter, he was too busy by his 3rd year in office with the OVER 5% growth rates and UNDER 6% unemployment rates. Something Obama can only dream of but never will achieve. There were some in Congress that did blame Clinton soon after Bush took office. Of course, nothing like the constant blame of Bush 4 years removed especially considering the fact that under OBAMA, will NEVER went below 7.8% unemployment which is what Bush left to Obama. Obama is the 1st President since Unemployment Records are kept to NEVER have gone below at ANY point in his Presidency an unemployment rate lower than he was left with.
Isn't it cute how the self-proclaimed "deficit hawks" suddenly say nothing about the deficit when waxing nostalgic over their little St. Reagan?
Suddenly, the conversation turns to unemployment.....
I'm so happy that the majority of the American public is seeing through the garbage.
Kurtscomments
Why don't you review the spending, budgeting, and appropriation. Where it is initiated, how it travels throught Congress. I will give you a hint; it starts in the House (where Republicians control).
News flash, Senator. Your independence will not be respected by your new friends. Their arrogance won't let them. I know you know that. Once you start believing your own BS, the independence is gone.
Well hopefully the Tea Party is happy, they cost their agenda a semi reliable vote and gave it to the dems.
To be fair to the voters in ME, there should be an election for the Senate all over again next month. To run as an "Independent", then AFTER elected as an "Independent", caucus with one of the two major parties in Congress is a breech of Contract of Voter Registration on the Voting Ballot. The only fair and reasonable thing to do to bring justice is a ME Senate election again with King labeled as a Democrat.
Them folks in Maine knew the guy was a Democrat! I am certain of it!
That is an assumption Malcontented, it is a breech of Contract to put "Independent" on your Voter Ballot then caucus with ANY Party after the election. The voters of ME deserve a revote with King registered/labeled as a Democrat.
I get your point, Kurt, I'm just sayin'.....
Like so many independents before him, Mr. King has chosen to do the most for his constituents by caucasing with a party, so that he can be more involved in committees, decision making, and writing legislation than if he just walked the halls of congress on his own. It's a two party system - if he doesn't pick a caucas to work with, he significantly reduces his ability to work for the people of his state. If Mr. King did not do this, then his constituents should have a real problem with him not doing the best job for them that he can. His only concern from the story, was to make it clear he would not be pushed into party line votes.
Complaining because he chose to caucas with the Dems or Reps is partisan nonsense.
That in not really relevant. Senator King is standing with Democrats who are fighting for the middle class. Democrats are fighting to make sure republicans don't get away with kowtowing to the one percent and only to the one percent to the detriment of the rest of the population.
Kurt,
Though I live in neighboring NH, I am familiar with Angus King. Mr. King has been a political figure in Maine for decades. The voters of Maine are very, very familiar with Mr. King and his political stance. I am sure they knew EXACTLY who they were voting for and what they were going to get. They don't need another election. Period. What a crazy idea.
It is going to be interesting to see how the voters resolve this one.
Why can't he say the Democrats have promised him the world to side with them. lies aren't necessary!!!
I'm sure Buffet and Soros will take care of him!
Brenda and Pigotry,we all see how well the Democrats run things,just look at Califorication.Moonbeam is as good a leader as nobama.Looks to me that all the states run by the Democrates have to get bail-outs from the states run by the Republicans.
I think California does pretty well. They spend more than they take in and depend on the federal government to make up the difference. What could be more American than that?
California pays far more in Federal Taxes than they get back in Federal funds. You can pretend that "evil California" is somehow stealing $$$ from the "Red States" and you would be wrong on every count. Texas, California, New York, Delaware, New Jersey and others contribute far more than they receive. It is states with a lower population, less industry, and generally poorer economy that are subsidized by the tax bases in places like; Delaware, New Hampshire, Minnesota, Illinois, Texas, California, New York, Delaware, and New Jersey.
There are many sources out on the web. Here's just one of them.
http://visualeconomics.creditloan.com/united-states-federal-tax-dollars/
I am not pretending California doesn't have some serious fiscal problems. I live in Northern CA and we DO have some serious challenges. But being obstructionist doesn't SOLVE anything. We need to work together for the benefit of ALL American citizens. We are far stronger TOGETHER than we are broken into factions like this RED STATE/BLUE STATE bullsh_t.
So basically he is giving the finger to the voters that supported him as an Independent.
Totally agree!
Of course he is. Don't all politicians give it to their constituents?
The voters in Maine elected an Independent, not a Democrat, not a Republican. If this guy (or any other Independent) decides to change his mind and align himself, then he should be recalled. The Dem he beat should be pissed at his party for taking this Monday morning Quarterback in.
It was clear that he would caucus with the Democrats like Bernie Sanders in Vermont does. He is a former Governor of Maine and the voters knew what they would get.
Uphill battle for the Democratic candidate, but a win-win for the Democratic Party either way.
The democrats are in a position to give him a better deal, so this works out for him. Whether it works for the country is beside the point. Politics as usual.
I'm tryin' to tell ya.....
here's a message for you from the apparent minority (read conservative) = block! obstruct! deny! fillibuster! stop the mindless tax and spend policy run amok - put our nations fiscal house in order first and foremost, then lets talk about bene's from a position of fiscal strength instead of mountains of unpaid debt..
Look nitwits, Senator King HAD to caucus with one or the other party. There is no Independent Caucus. If he refused to caucus with either party, he would have no committee assignments since those are allocated by the party caucuses. I am sure the people of Maine didn't intend for him to spend the next six years doing nothing. I cannot imagine that there was a single person who voted for him who did not expect him to caucus with the Democrats.
Indeed!!
A. I'm SURE the Dems will give him the BEST committee apointments.
B. If he's a Dem then and the Maine voters knew it then WHY didn't he run as a Dem.
He's the Junior Senator, so It's not likely he'll get the BEST assignments. But he'll probably get on the committees that matter to Maine voters.
Mainers knew what they were getting with King. As a moderate Republican, Olympia Snowe already sided with the Democrats pretty regularly. She retired because the Republican party was too obstructionist, so It was a no-brainer that Maine would not elect another Republican to that seat.
Terry states "Senator King HAD to caucus with one or the other party", this is 100% false. There is NO requirement for an "Independent" or a 3rd Party Member to caucus with either the Dems or Reps. This is a pure power grab by King, he would have caucus with the Reps with voted into the House simply because they happen to be in the majority in the House.
kurt,
a) youre an idiot who needs to stop getting his "facts" from Faux news.
b)if sen king wants to do the most/best for the people of maine he has to be on a committee or two or three... the only way to get on the committees is to caucus with one party or the other. seats are assigned to the 2 parties based on how many elected members they have, so in the senate the democrats have the most and thus the most seats on the committees to allocate thus giving him the best shot at getting on the committees that can do the most good to the people of Maine .
now stfu about this since you have no f'ing clue how congress works.
Genenut is a shining example of the "tolerant" left.
So Geneut, as soon as you are able to prove that there IS a Law after all for a requirement for an "Independent" or a 3rd Party Member to caucus with either the Dems or Reps, then you can label me what you want. It is so much easier for you to label people as "idiots" who state that facts than to actually accept the facts was stated.
the rules for appointment to committees in the senate is detailed in the senate rules which dicatate and detail how ANYTHING is done in the senate, from roll call to private sessions to voting.
But obviously looking that up is beyond your feeble reading skills.
I can see Kurt and Danno you are SHINING examples of republicants ... and IDIOTS.
Give up on "kurt", Genenut. Regardless of how Independents have handled themselves for decades, this will be seen by the one-dimensional teabaggers as a new and personal attack.
Having read many posts on here and by watching how the congressional Republicans have handled themselves over the past two years, I can not see how anyone with any sense of morality or work ethic would want to be seen with a Republican, let alone caucus with them.
Senator King has proven that his priority is to work in the Senate to improve the lives of the people he was chosen to represent. He had no other choice than to caucus with the Democrats.
Why is this a news story? Anyone with half a brain knew that King would caucus with the Democrats during the campaign.
Because it's a loss of a Moderate Republican seat and a pickup for Dems since he will caucus with them. Republican extremism is costing them seats and elections.
I love the phrase "Republican extremism." What specifically is extreme about the republican platform?
The Republican Party Platform specifically calls for abortion to be made illegal (even in cases of rape or incest...). Since the Law of The Land for forty years (Supreme Court, Roe v Wade) has been the complete opposite - I would call the Republican platform extreme (and, extremely dumb!).
Haters cant win. The hate neuron just interferes with rational thinking. The worst thing is...they believe they are thinking rational.
The Right will change......or F A D E away.
"Haters cant win", this is proven false with both Chavez and Obama being "elected", Haters win by voter fraud.
Haters always win! Haters are on both sides. If nothing else, liberals hate Republicans. Conservatives hate everything, except money. And I'm sure their are more than a few bigots in each Party! So, in some shape, form or fashion, haters always win!