Fierce advocate my ass
From todays White House Press Briefing:
Q Robert, on “don’t ask, don’t tell,” Senator Collins, Susan Collins, confirmed to our group on the Hill that she has spoken with the Vice President -- he has reached out to her -- and that he understands in some ways her frustrations. This is somebody who agrees with the administration in repealing “don’t ask, don’t tell,” but says that Senator Reid -- because there’s not an opportunity for open debate or for offering amendments, that she cannot go forward and support the legislation. Is there a sense of frustration from the administration that you have an ally here who feels that because of the process, she cannot support repealing “don’t ask, don’t tell?”
MR. GIBBS: Look, obviously we are -- we’re grateful for her support of repealing “don’t ask, don’t tell.” I obviously did not hear the conversation that the Vice President had. My sense is there is a tremendous frustration on the part of many involved that we hear all the time about the procedural hurdles that many Republicans want to throw into this process. That’s why it took three or four months for us to get a bill as seemingly non-controversial as small business tax cuts through the United States Senate.
It is obviously our hope that we can get the defense bill done. The President, obviously, as you know, supports the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” and obviously the bill also included the DREAM Act, which is supported by Democrats, Republicans, and many in this administration. We’ll continue to work on all of those fronts.
Q Is Senator Reid being helpful or hurtful in the process?
MR. GIBBS: I think Senator Reid has done an incredible job at leading the United States Senate, and is being helpful on making progress on what’s important to families.
Q Is there anybody from the administration who’s encouraging him to perhaps change this so that there would be open debate, or --
MR. GIBBS: Again, let’s understand what Mitch McConnell and others want. Open debate is a grab bag of -- a grab bag of ideas that are probably left for a different time. Again, this was the notion that somehow we weren’t having open debate on a small business bill, and a very simple and non-controversial bill took three or four months. That’s why we have nominees waiting 500, 600 days that passed committee unanimously because of slowdown tactics. [I think this is the worst part of it]... Again, we’ll continue to try to make all this happen.
what? The question was Harry Reid an impediment to this process? from JMG "All Republicans voted "no." Aside from Reid as noted above, the only two Democrats who voted "no" were Sen. Blache Lincoln and Sen. Mark Pryor, both of Arkansas." beccause Reid voted no to bring the measure back up 'at a future' time ....to be decided in a lame duck session of Congress which is going to happen starting Nov 2 and we'll be even MORE screwed after that.
Harry Reid was not an impediment to this process, Barack Obama was an impediment...certainly not a help to the legislative process on this one. Well "the Vice President made some calls" shit isn't going to cut it, it's not been able to cut it for this whole administration. I am 2 years into this administration shocked and awed at the glaring indifference of this President. I just watched a video with Bill Clinton kept on saying as advice as to what to say to disgruntled people in defense of democrats and he's all "give us two years, if by the end of those two years theres no improvement then kick us all out".(here is the vid go to about 4min30seconds)..well you know...I spent the last two years...and basically the last two years before that electing,volunteering for,donating to,rallying for this President. Only to find out two years in...that he didn't pick up the phone or go up to the Hill even to get this DADT repeal through? Did it rise to the level of Presidential action. Sure the hell didn't. We certainly see his priorities. I'm going to register the domain fierceadvocatemyass.com
Q Robert, on “don’t ask, don’t tell,” Senator Collins, Susan Collins, confirmed to our group on the Hill that she has spoken with the Vice President -- he has reached out to her -- and that he understands in some ways her frustrations. This is somebody who agrees with the administration in repealing “don’t ask, don’t tell,” but says that Senator Reid -- because there’s not an opportunity for open debate or for offering amendments, that she cannot go forward and support the legislation. Is there a sense of frustration from the administration that you have an ally here who feels that because of the process, she cannot support repealing “don’t ask, don’t tell?”
MR. GIBBS: Look, obviously we are -- we’re grateful for her support of repealing “don’t ask, don’t tell.” I obviously did not hear the conversation that the Vice President had. My sense is there is a tremendous frustration on the part of many involved that we hear all the time about the procedural hurdles that many Republicans want to throw into this process. That’s why it took three or four months for us to get a bill as seemingly non-controversial as small business tax cuts through the United States Senate.
It is obviously our hope that we can get the defense bill done. The President, obviously, as you know, supports the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” and obviously the bill also included the DREAM Act, which is supported by Democrats, Republicans, and many in this administration. We’ll continue to work on all of those fronts.
Q Is Senator Reid being helpful or hurtful in the process?
MR. GIBBS: I think Senator Reid has done an incredible job at leading the United States Senate, and is being helpful on making progress on what’s important to families.
Q Is there anybody from the administration who’s encouraging him to perhaps change this so that there would be open debate, or --
MR. GIBBS: Again, let’s understand what Mitch McConnell and others want. Open debate is a grab bag of -- a grab bag of ideas that are probably left for a different time. Again, this was the notion that somehow we weren’t having open debate on a small business bill, and a very simple and non-controversial bill took three or four months. That’s why we have nominees waiting 500, 600 days that passed committee unanimously because of slowdown tactics. [I think this is the worst part of it]... Again, we’ll continue to try to make all this happen.
what? The question was Harry Reid an impediment to this process? from JMG "All Republicans voted "no." Aside from Reid as noted above, the only two Democrats who voted "no" were Sen. Blache Lincoln and Sen. Mark Pryor, both of Arkansas." beccause Reid voted no to bring the measure back up 'at a future' time ....to be decided in a lame duck session of Congress which is going to happen starting Nov 2 and we'll be even MORE screwed after that.
Harry Reid was not an impediment to this process, Barack Obama was an impediment...certainly not a help to the legislative process on this one. Well "the Vice President made some calls" shit isn't going to cut it, it's not been able to cut it for this whole administration. I am 2 years into this administration shocked and awed at the glaring indifference of this President. I just watched a video with Bill Clinton kept on saying as advice as to what to say to disgruntled people in defense of democrats and he's all "give us two years, if by the end of those two years theres no improvement then kick us all out".(here is the vid go to about 4min30seconds)..well you know...I spent the last two years...and basically the last two years before that electing,volunteering for,donating to,rallying for this President. Only to find out two years in...that he didn't pick up the phone or go up to the Hill even to get this DADT repeal through? Did it rise to the level of Presidential action. Sure the hell didn't. We certainly see his priorities. I'm going to register the domain fierceadvocatemyass.com
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