Lame Duck Session?

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[boodog]

Remember the end of November? The White House was in the middle of a post-election funk. President Obama had just returned from a 10-day trip to Asia where he failed to strike a trade deal with South Korea and a two-day trip to Portugal where he won acclaim, not echoed back home, for his plans in Afghanistan and on missile defense.

He came back looking at a lame duck session in Congress, with a major fight over soon-to-expire tax cuts looming and the resurgent GOP-controlled House on the horizon in the new year.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20026411-503544.html

In  spite of opposition at every turn: a not-so-perfect tax bill, repeal of DADT, START treaty, ad 911 bill. Not so lame. Nice going, Mr President.

[Sister Artemis]

As Steve Benen noted,

MAYBE GIBBS WAS RIGHT AFTER ALL....Almost exactly three weeks ago, there was a slightly awkward exchange in the White House briefing room. Press Secretary Robert Gibbs was sounding optimistic about the agenda for the lame-duck session, and ABC's Jake Tapper expressed his skepticism.
    <snip>

Indeed, it's not quite finished yet, but has anyone ever seen such a prolific lame-duck session? Let's see, there's the tax deal, DADT repeal, New START, the most sweeping food-safety bill in 70 years, the Zadroga 9/11 health bill, the defense authorization bill, more than a few judicial nominee confirmations, and probably some other stuff I'm forgetting.

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_12/027213.php

Pretty amazing. 

[judi]

GOOD WORK LAME DUCK!!!!

We are proud of you and everthing you got done!!!!!

sure wish you would revisit Dream Act though....

[Alex]

Is it just my imagination or did the Congress just get more accomplished in the past 2 weeks than they have in the previous 7 months?

[boodog]

Is it just my imagination or did the Congress just get more accomplished in the past 2 weeks than they have in the previous 7 months?

Funny how the closer we get to the holiday vacation, the less fun a filibuster sounds 

[Gramiam]

It is rather fun to see the Republicans cave for a change.

[falina]

The Republicans ran out of time and were caught in a spotlight. I worry about the next 2 years, although if the Senate tightens up the filibuster it can force the House to modify bills, at least to some extent.

I'm also worried about the 2 wars.

[pacos_gal]

It is not going to be pretty or nice for the next two years and some on the right are down right thrilled to death that the GOP will be moving to the right in the upcoming legislature.
This is one of the sites that can't wait to move further right. From the CNN right wing writer Erickson.

Code:

http://www.redstate.com/erick/2010/12/22/lindsey-graham-gives-away-the-game/

 

As I’ve said for a while, with many people disagreeing, the 2010 election was about moving the Senate GOP right, not moving the Senate to the GOP. This past week makes my case for me.

The Senate GOP is decidedly mushy on many fronts and unwilling for really tough fights except in odd circumstances. The Senate GOP understands that Mike Lee, Rand Paul, Ron Johnson, Pat Toomey, and Marco Rubio are headed to the Senate as reinforcements for Jim DeMint. They are deeply worried because of it.

This is the type of thing we have to look forward to.

[boodog]

GOOD WORK LAME DUCK!!!!

We are proud of you and everthing you got done!!!!!

sure wish you would revisit Dream Act though....

Yes, that was a big disappointment; I hope this issue is revived and fought for again and again till it's passed.

[Kilia]

Is it just my imagination or did the Congress just get more accomplished in the past 2 weeks than they have in the previous 7 months?

Really...

[falina]

Also, the House had passed more than 400 bills the Senate ignored while the Rs whined. Some may be about  naming post offices, but what real reforms, benefits, causes have been lost due to R tantrums? A cloud in the blue sky of the lame duck, imo.

[Jaime from Wasilla]

Is it just my imagination or did the Congress just get more accomplished in the past 2 weeks than they have in the previous 7 months?

Heard on NPR this morning from a congressional historian who said that this was the most productive lame duck session since we started having serious lame duck sessions in the 1940's.

[futurexpat?]

Yes, they got a lot done, and it was nice to see. There was a lot of OUTSIDE pressure put on them, too, which made a big difference, I think. It's nice to see democracy working the way it's more or less supposed to work.