Dems Scrap Money Bill

What do you call a bill designed to garner political contributions? A money bill. Let me set the stage a bit. Due to the wold wide boom in commodity prices, extraction industries like coal, oil, and mining are booming. What do good incumbent politicians do in a case like that? They propose a bill that would wreck those industries. And thus we have a carbon cap and trade bill.

WASHINGTON, DC, June 6, 2008 (ENS) – The U.S. Senate's much anticipated tangle with a landmark bill that would have required the nation to make deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions responsible for global warming came to an unceremonious end Friday, as proponents failed to muster enough votes to formally consider the legislation.

Four days of deliberations on the climate bill were marked more by partisan bickering than substantive debate, but supporters of aggressive U.S. action to combat global warming contend the tide is turning in their favor.

"This is a landmark day," said Senator Barbara Boxer, a California Democrat and cosponsor of the bill. "It's another milestone in the fight against global warming."

Friday's 48-36 vote fell a dozen votes short of the number needed to end debate and begin consideration of amendments to the bill.

Seven Republicans joined 39 Democrats and two Independents in voting to move forward with the bill. Four Democrats sided with 32 Republicans in opposition.

Convinced most Republicans had little interest in actually trying to move the bill forward, Democratic leaders opted to pull the legislation from the floor.

I guess the run up to the bill's consideration and four days of debate was enough to extract the maximum in contributions. And speaking of election year action, here is another money bill.

Senate Republicans killed legislation Wednesday aimed at removing limits on how long workers can wait before suing their employers for pay discrimination.

Democrats, speaking to key constituencies of women, minorities and swing voters this election year, said they weren't finished trying to pass the bill.

"Women of America: Put your lipstick on, square your shoulders, suit up" and get ready to fight, Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., said moments after the bill's opponents denied supporters the 60 votes needed to proceed to full debate and a vote on passage. "The revolution starts tonight."

Debate on the legislation, which was proposed in response to a Supreme Court decision last year, was steeped in election-year politics and shadowed by a White House veto threat.

The vote sparked dueling news conferences Wednesday in which leaders of both parties accused each other of playing politics with key voting blocs in a year when the presidency, every House seat and a third in the Senate are on the ballot.

That is a pretty good explanation of what went on but the real goodies are located a little further down in the news.

Besides trial lawyers, the bill could appeal to women and minority voters for whom pay equity will be a top issue on Election Day.

Get that? Trial lawyers. Some of the biggest givers to the Democrat Party. This bill is what I would refer to as a dangle. "Help us get elected and we will help you". As opposed to "give us money or we will punish you".

I have a prediction that is about as close to a sure thing as you can get. There will be more money bills in the run up to the election. However, this is nothing new. 'Twas ever thus:

"No man's life, liberty, or property is safe while the legislature is in session." - Mark Twain

The best defense? Divided government. All it will take is a few more Democrats elected to the Senate and we are in real trouble.