Harry Reid: House Being Run As A 'Dictatorship' Of The Speaker

Senate majority leader pessimistic about a year-end fiscal cliff deal

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says it's likely the US will go over the fiscal cliff - the most pessimistic prognosis to date as the year-end deadline approaches. The Nevada Democrat said on the Senate floor there doesn't appear to be enough time to get a deal before the New Year to stave off taxes hikes and major spending cuts.

House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) is demanding a majority of his own majority party to approve anything, Reid charged.

"The American people, I don't think understand, the House of Representatives is not being represented by the House of Representatives," Reid said. It is being run as a "dictatorship" of the speaker.

And as the clock ticks toward Jan. 1, the blame game on Capitol Hill is ratcheting up. Tweeted Rory Cooper (@rorycooper), communications director for House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA): "1. House passes bills. 2. Harry Reid doesn't like bills. 3. Harry Reid goes on Senate floor and complains. 4. End scene."

But @NerdyWonka, a self-described Democrat and political junkie, approved of the majority leader's comments. "Sen. Reid on the senate floor says Boehner seems to care more about his speakership than cutting a fiscal cliff deal for the American people."

Politix reporting.

Who is to blame for the fiscal cliff impasse?

[DogLady_1]

What? I can't choose "ALL OF THE ABOVE"???

[Granny_Grey]

Agreed. Why can't All of the Above be a choice?

[Neo_NtheMatrix]

Interesting...since it is not the fault of everyone. There should be an option for all the Democrats in Washington. That entire city needs a good flushing.

[justapirate]

@Neo_NtheMatrix It ain't one-sided. That's the first thing that needs admitted to.

[Neo_NtheMatrix]

Who is responsible? Obviously obama and the congressional Democrats who refuse to come to the table with a reasonable offer. It's time we teach liberals a lesson and go over the cliff. If we reach the debt ceiling, shut the government down then. A truly free people don't need a government no way.

[martydotcom]

What exactly is the lesson your teaching liberals as opposed to we the people.
We can't pay interest on the most secure investment in the world US Treasury Bills?
That should really decrease the value of everything we all own. Market crash World Wide depression? What other lesson do you have in mind?

[David944]

@martydotcom People will learn what it cost to support this bloated federal government and the entitlements we have come to expect.

[martydotcom]

@David944 You must enjoy living in a vacuum & possess no assets. Read a little, educate yourself on exactly what the impact of defaulting on our debt and going over the cliff would mean to the average citizen. I guess If you have nothing, you have nothing to lose and could care less about what this means to those who own a home, have an IRA, Savings, receive Medicare SS or Medicaid, etc..
Why would you care if your asset value dropped 30 or 40 percent? You'll show them how YOU sucked it up silly boy

[NormalFlora]

Oh, great idea (sarcasm alert). Yeah, it wasn't enough damage to the Nation's financial credibility when the teabigots caused the credit downgrade. Now you want to compound that damage by telling the world once again that we're too greedy to pay our bills.

[Tralee]

@NormalFlora Pardon me for setting you straight NormalFlora, but if we go over the cliff, we will definitely be able to pay our bills, everyone will be paying taxes for a change and the whiny left, which finally acknowledged that the Bush tax cuts benefited the middle class the most, will have to ante up for a change and help run the government. If all pay the Clinton era taxes and Big-Spender-In-Chief Obama committed to spending like Clinton (roughly 1/3 of what Obama is spending a year) we could pay off the deficit in a very short time. And, no matter the DNC talking points that you all so love to repeat, the fiscal cliff was directly attributable to Obama's making a deal that could pass the House and when he got reamed out by Pelosi, he came back and asked for DOUBLE the agreed to amount. Not the R's after all, but the greedy D's doubling down on the amount they wanted. So, Obama and the Dems. are solidly to blame for this mess, but then, what else is new. The Dems. have a new look, but they are still the Party of Tax and Spend.

[Jeff_Woehrle]

House Republicans proposed raising taxes on higher income earners. Obumble said even lower incomes had to be raised. If we recall, Obumble famously said that 'millionaires should pay more. He now considers $250,000 to be a millionaire.

Fault: Obumble.

[tomincali]

well when you run out of other peoples money things change. the way things are going anyone with a job will be said to be rich.

it seems all in office have a plan,bring in more people,reward those here who have no right to be here and bring us down to third world levels so all are equal. spreading the wealth and all.

[martydotcom]

@tomincali When Corporations and millionaires have bought our government, paind for congress to cut their taxes to the point that GE paid zero don't you find something wrong?
Do you want the following to occur? Combining debt issues with cliff: Start with the treasury being unable to pay interest (coupons) on US treasury bills. What was the MOST secure safe investment in the world has become far less secure. Investors go into panic and a world wide sell off occurs.(As Fox advertisers say buy Gold) dollar is devalued as is every asset we own, IRAs Stocks Bonds Home values every single asset loses value Bank loans underwater cause bank failures no bailouts no money in other banks to insure FDIC.. Next SS checks stop going out, forget about your tax refunds due, MD's refusing to see Medicare and Medicaid patients, Defense Industry has to have massive cut backs, precipitating the destruction of economies of states like VA and CA to default.
Tax increase for al levels of income l pulls massive spending power out of circulation cutting demand as a result more layoffs occur. Payment to current unemployed halted and new unemployed result in massive demands on safety net programs. This will cause the government to take on more debt. Tax revenues fall due decreased spending and income causing government to take on more debt.
This is just off the top of my head = there are many more implications EMS.
It's appears that Boehner and McConnell and their merry band of Tea Party intransigents have a good time in store for all of us. It's time for DC to get to work for we the people not our party's principals

[jessejaymes]

@tomincali Spreading the wealth is a not a third world proposition. The richest man in the world is Mexican. He's not spreading any wealth around. Third world is the ultra rich and the ultra poor and that is exactly where the USA is being taken. BY BOTH PARTIES.

[tomincali]

@martydotcom well they should stop all things like this and go from there.

http://www.chicagonow.com/chicago-political-c...

this right here should be the starting points for making cuts. we should never waste one cent of tax payers money on anyone who is not supposed to be here,then we should not be importing poverty.

[martydotcom]

@tomincali life in a vacuum with little comprehension of the impact of what you wish for must be nice, only of you have nothing to lose . You must enjoy self inflicted pain like Aiken and Mourdock typical tea party attitude

[FFX_VA]

When I read the story I thought it was about the Senate! Guess it covers both houses of congress. Obama's use of Godfather Movie quotes to state his position isn't helping things move along either. Yes, dictatorships all around.

[PoliticalSpice]

Yea, except one important detail: the constitution requires spending bills originate in the house. (article I sec 7). Bohner does not want to do this. He could have brought his proposal to the full house for a vote, but choose not to because he feared enough dem and reasonable repubs would pass it, instead he closed the session because he could not get manority rebublican support. Plain and simple. The dems in the house never got to vote on bohners proposal, the proposal never made it onto the house floor, he allowed the tea party to kill it.

[FollowTheMoney]

@PoliticalSpice Term limits and an end to congressional pensions would put an end to this non-sense.

[PoliticalSpice]

@FollowTheMoney the constitution has term limits, it calls them elections...

[FollowTheMoney]

@PoliticalSpice Elections don't take the profit out of politics. Term limits does.

[PoliticalSpice]

@FollowTheMoney profit is easy enough to curb, and term limits for federal elected officials other then the executive, are unconstitutional.

[justapirate]

What about "All of the Above"?

It's like a buncha kids arguing on the playground. Ain't no sense to it but they gotta argue.

[PNWest]

Boehner could end the impasse today by bringing up the Senate bill that passed last summer. http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57480222/... This bill would pass the house and Obama would sign it.

[Realthinker]

No. By law, spending bills and the budget must originate in the HOUSE. Therefore, this could be ended today if dictator Reid were to pass the spending bill the House has already passed. That would be legal. But the Senate hasn't passed a legal budget in nearly four years. By whose edict? Reid's. Whatever the Democrats accuse the Republicans of doing is what the Democrats themselves are doing. The Democrats are holding out for a huge tax hike that will harm average people. Big mistake.

[Republican5001]

@Realthinker here here and couldn't agree more. Most people don't know that all spending/budget bills must originate in the house before they go before the senate and subsequently written into law by the president.

I do believe the dictatorship under Reid's tenure has been far worse than any others. Will be interesting to see what happens after the first of the year.

[AceLuby]

@Realthinker You do realize that the 'fiscal cliff' originated in the GOP controlled house, right? If the choice is between the GOP passed cliff or the GOP passed bill that shifts the defense cuts to social programs and kicking the rest down the road... I vote go over the cliff.

[PNWest]

@AceLuby Boehner is afraid to bring up the senate bill from last summer. He knows it would pass and it is perfectly legal for him to do so. He and the the rest of the GOP put party above country.

[Realthinker]

@AceLuby You do realize it is the House that continues to work on this while the Democrats stall for the right to tax small businesses into oblivian? THE DEMOCRATS ARE DOING NOTHING BUT POINTING FINGERS, LIKE KIDS.

[ConserveUSA]

Harry Reid needs to correct his statement: "The United States of America Being Run As A 'Dictatorship' of the President."

[DARSB]

As a constitutional matter, spending bills must originate in the GOP-controlled House of Representatives. Apparently Speaker Boehner is unable to control his membership in the House.

[PNWest]

Boehner won't vote on tax cuts for 98% of us. Here is what he's brought up for votes and blocked over the last 2 years:

House Bills passed:
46 Bills on Abortion
113 Bills on Religion
73 Bills on Family Relationships
36 Bills on Marriage
72 Bills on Firearms
604 Bills on Taxation
437 Bills on Govt Investigations

Bills attempted and failed to be passed even by the GOP:
33 attempts to Defund Obamacare.....Failed
15 attempts to Cut Funding for Planned Parenthood......Failed
3 Attempts to Cut Funding for VA Hospitals.......Failed.

GOP blocked bills:
Blocked bill to aid Small Business
Blocked Unemployment extension
Blocked Bank Reform Bills
Blocked Campaign Finance Reform and open Contributions Law
Blocked MULTIPLE Jobs Bills
Blocked Infrastructure Bill
Blocked Ending Tax Breaks for companies that Outsource Jobs
Blocked Wall Street Reform
Blocked Energy Legislation
Blocked Mine Safety Bill
Blocked Oil Spill Liability Cap increase
Blocked Bill to lower Oil Company Tax Breaks
Blocked Bill to impose charging American Oil Companies on Oil achieved in the Gulf

Number of TRUE Jobs Bills even allowed to come to a vote in the House....NONE.

[cwi530]

@PNWest Do ya think there's any chance Harry will let the senate pass a budget?

Or is a budget too restrictive.

[DARSB]

@cwi530 The Senate can only pass a budget if the House gives it one - one that has at least an even chance of surviving the markups and conference meetings and etc etc. The House hasn't been able to do much except make bold gestures lately, and that is definitely bad news for the nation. As separate but coequal branches of government Congress and the Executive have to work as designed by the Framers if we are to see progress toward solutions to our many problems.

[cwi530]

@DARSB Harry showed us what he thought of the budget process when in Feb. he said that the senate would not pass a budget this year. What kind of gesture is that?

The House has passed a budget. It’s time the senate does the same.

[DARSB]

@cwi530 I agree, Sen Reid is a wild card. But as a Senator, he can safely chide the GOP House's failure to pass Plan B, the Speaker's last attempt at a public deal. If Rep Boehner can't get some traction with the fifty or so congresspersons who embarrassed him over the plan B vote he is facing a torturous conclusion to the cliff crisis.

[Sharpshooter]

Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.....

Oh wait, I don't think the PC police will allow the use of the word "black"

How about "Talk about the pot calling the kettle soot covered."

[Cheenoguy]

If you want to get technical the origin of that phrase is racist. It referred to a black person calling another black person the n-word. At least that is the understanding I have of the phrase. Not trying to play police or anything just thought it interesting your whining sarcasm about political correctness while using that phrase.

[woodtick57]

@Cheenoguy

I was not aware that was the origin of that phrase...

[Realthinker]

It's an axiom: Whatever the Democrats accuse the Republicans of doing is what the Democrats themselves are doing. Watch them. It never fails.

[Sharpshooter]

@Cheenoguy My Sarcasm wasn't at all "whining" just a commentary on people who seek opportunities to cry racist at every opportunity.

[PoliticalSpice]

@Sharpshooter kind of like you're doung right now?

[MarkJM]

Politix, you should add another option here. How about "All of the above"? You have the idiots in CONgress blaming each other instead of drawing up real bipartisan solutions and a President who is showing no leadership whatsoever. All are to blame here; 0bama, CONgressional DEMS, and CONgressional GOP...

[jessejaymes]

I'm going with the obvious as well. EVERYONE. Until each party voters decide to throw their own out and RE-ELECT NOBODY this is not going to change.

[Bobolinsky]

Wouldn't a dictator have been able to get his dictatees to vote as he instructs on Plan B?

But who cares what Reid says? He hasn't been able to pass a budget since 2009.

But on the topic of John Boehner...

Paul Ryan for Speaker!

[KyleMFb]

Obama is the president so blame him if you want but the real reason is republicain obstruction they've lost 2 elections that they cheated to try and win they failed so they feel butt hurt so there going to take it out on everyone else and watch all the presidents success go down the drain and then fight him again every step of the way while hes tirying to build back up the economy from reckless republicans that have crashed it twice

[AceLuby]

We're going over the cliff, so we might as well be prepared for it. Congress made this bed a year ago, it's time to lie in it. The only reason the cliff exists is because they couldn't work together before, kicking the can down the road... yet again... is not the answer.

Eat your peas!

[seedtick]

Who believes ole "Duh whadda we do next" Harry?

[Tralee]

It's a combination of democrats and the president. They are playing their usual games. The House DID pass a fix, leave the rates as they are for everyone, time for the Pres. and the Senate to work out a counter offer that is reasonable. Other than that, poor Harry is sounding more and more demented by the day. Nancy sounds like she lives on some alternative universe and Harry's starting to sound like he's joined her there. I actually laughed out loud when I heard his comments. Harry needs a good strong does of reality.

[cat2009]

Could Harry possibly be Beibers dad

[IMAQT]

If we go over the cliff do we eventually get to a balanced budget?
If we go over the cliff do we lower the national debt to reasonable levels?
If the answer is yes to either question I'm all in.

[Tolpuddle]

I was going to reply to some of the comments until I noticed there were so many far right comments it would have been akin to trying to have a conversation with a potato.

[mimi57]

Yep...it's even worse trying to have a conversation with a Lib, potatoes are so much more useful !!! lol

[Tolpuddle]

@mimi57 I myself have never met a half baked lib. ;-)

[mimi57]

@Tolpuddle Really?! They are ALL half baked.(:

[Tolpuddle]

@mimi57 Really? Good thing I'm a moderate then.: D

[mimi57]

@Tolpuddle Okay, potatoes aside...what were your comments... ( :