This Government Is Done

It is corrupt to the core.

Via Think Progress:

Right-Wing House Twists Arms, Thwarts Democracy To Pass Oil Industy Windfall

Emotions erupted on the floor of the House of Representatives this afternoon as the right-wing-led Congress held open yet another vote to twist arms and pass a bill that would line the pockets of energy company executives. The House leadership held the five-minute vote open for almost 50 minutes until they could convince three lawmakers — Reps. Wayne Gilcrest (R-MD), C.W. Bill Young (R-FL) and Jim Gerlach (R-PA) — to change their minds. The bill passed 212-210. As the vote concluded, opponents of the bill chanted in unity: “Shame, Shame, Shame!”

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The vote was held on the “Gasoline for America’s Security Act of 2005,” a provision sponsored by Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) to nominally “expedite the construction of new refining capacity.” But the bill is essentially a giveback to the oil industry — Rep. Edward Markey (D-MA) called it a “leave-no-oilman-behind bill.”

The antics of right-wingers on the House floor today mirrored their previous strong-arm tactics in passing CAFTA and prescription drug legislation – bills that, like today’s, favored large corporations. In July 2005, the House passed CAFTA with a slim two-vote margin after holding the vote open for an hour and 45 minutes. In November 2003, in the dead of night, the House leadership passed the Medicare prescription drug vote by five votes after holding the vote open for three hours.

The Center for American Progress released a report today detailing the profiteering of oil executives while American families struggle with higher gas prices.

The first commenter made a reference to Robin Hayes, a delegate who's arm has been twisted so hard it's made him cry...

In 2001, Hayes screwed his constituents by voting for legislation that would remove the ability to negotiate trade deals from Congress and put it in the hands of president Bush—legislation that threatened to exacerbate the unemployment and poverty in his district, and legislation that he promised to vote against before he let himself be bullied into changing his mind:

But Hayes may pay a high price for letting the president break him down. It was so tough Hayes had tears in his eyes when voting for Fast Track. His district has an unemployment rate of 13 percent and just days earlier, a textile plant had closed and put 300 more constituents out of work.

"He shouldn’t have been crying over the political ramifications for his career," said Billy Richardson, a Fayetteville lawyer and one of several Democrats considering challenging Hayes. "He should have been crying for the people of his district who have lost their jobs."

You realize what this all is, right folks? This is the Republicans realizing that their ship has sailed - they are FUCKED next election. They are ALL in danger of losing their power, so they are working extra hard to get in all the sweet little deals they can. They've been riding too high on the hog for too long. They are going for broke now.

It's going to get worse. Just watch.