Now that the media assault and hysteria has died down concerning Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and his attempts to wake up the American people to the dangers of ‘Obamacare’, we take a look at the absurdity of procedure in the United States Senate. This is courtesy of an interview on Rush Limbaugh’s radio show shortly after Cruz ended his marathon session. He points out how the members manage to convince their constituents of one thing when they’re actually doing another. Of course, with the ‘walking dead’, Harry Reid, running the show, it’s a wonder anything is accomplished at all!
“There’s no need for conversations..”
“The central issue, I think, is the long-standing problem we have had with Washington not listening to the American people.. with Democrats and Republicans. It’s a lot of folks who’ve been in office way too long, who stopped listening to their constituents — and, as a result, we see lots of theater, lots of empty symbolic votes and very little willingness to actually stand up and fight on behalf of the American people…”
Here’s a portion of his conversation with Limbaugh….
CRUZ: And, listen, what I tried to spend much of the filibuster all but begging the media to do… In fact, I explicitly said, “Listen. All right, you guys can’t resist writing something about the process, something about that silliness. But let me just ask you: 50% of what you write, discuss the substance of how Obamacare is the number one job killer in the country, how millions of Americans are suffering, how it’s forcing people into part-time work, how it’s threatening millions of Americans’ health insurance.
“Just write a little about the substance,” and the strategy on the other side is really twofold. Number one: Confuse the voters. Confuse the voters with procedural obfuscation, with complexity, so that they don’t understand what’s going on. And number two: Make it all about personalities. And, listen, others can engage in that game, Rush. I have no intention of defending myself or of reciprocating. It’s not about anybody. It’s not about us. It is about listening to the American people and stopping this disaster, this nightmare, this train wreck that is Obamacare.
…
CRUZ: Rush, I think you are absolutely right. And to be honest, look, I think what Mike and I are doing, I don’t view as a terribly big deal. We’re trying to actually stand for the principles that every Republican in the Senate says he or she believes in. We’re trying to actually listen to the American people, and we’re trying to tell the truth. Part of why — you know, people ask, why does Congress have, you know, 10, 12, 15% approval rating? It’s because for years Congress has ignored the will of the American people. And this process — I think it’s important for your listeners to understand how this process is gonna play out this next week, because much of what the Senate does is engage in show votes that are designed to look one way to the voters and, in fact, be like World Wrestling Federation, entirely fixed.
So what’s gonna happen next is on Friday or Saturday we’re gonna have a vote on what’s called cloture on the bill. That is the vote that matters. It takes 60 votes to grant cloture. What cloture is is cutting off debate, saying there should be no more debate. And the reason that matters is if Harry Reid gets 60 votes to cut off debate to get cloture on the bill, he will then file one amendment, he said only one amendment, that guts the House continuing resolution, and that fully funds Obamacare. And so any Republican in my view who votes for cloture, who votes with Harry Reid, who votes with the Democrats to cut off debate and give Harry Reid the ability to fund Obamacare fully on a 51-vote partisan vote of only Democrats, is voting to fund Obamacare.
Now, a number of Republicans are going to maintain that, no, no, no, no, no, their vote to cut off debate is in support of the House bill. And, Rush, that’s simply not the case. It’s a show vote. Now, if Harry Reid gets 60 votes, every Republican then will vote against his amendment to fund Obamacare, and so all 46 Republicans want to go home to their districts and say, “Gosh, I voted to defund Obamacare, and marvel of marvels, we lost,” which to be honest is the outcome that I think more than a few of them affirmatively desire. And part of what’s so problematic with Washington is how many Republicans want a show vote to pretend to their constituents they’re fighting for what they say they’re fighting for, rather than actually fighting for it and actually winning. “….
The frustration continues as we deal with a government that is willing to actually LISTEN to its citizens less and less and less.. In the meantime, those that actually have the GUTS to speak up are demeaned, derided, and dismissed. You saw a perfect example in Sen. Cruz’s efforts this week. It’s your choice, folks….
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