Pelosi and Reid: "Come on Maliki! Get out of the Capitol and do something!"

The United State’s Congress stopped worrying about foreign fighters, aggressive governments toppling the republic and civil war 142 years ago*, so why is it so hard for them to get legislation passed when democrats have the majority and no one is shooting at them?

   

Of the 6 legislative initiatives for the first 100 hours of the 110^th US Congress, only 1 reached the President’s desk (minimum wage).  That means that their own benchmark report card has them batting 1 for 6 (technically there are 8 distinct pieces of legislation that address 6 initiatives that were supposed to be passed in 6 days).  The electorate has rated the Congress with a 24% approval rating (Gallup).  The President (whose approval rating is at 29% - Gallup) vetoed the first Iraq surrender bill (HR1591). Congress hasn’t passed its own Big Oil bill**.  As Mr. Taranto has pointed out on numerous occasions, corruption is still a problem.  Promised bi-partisanship went out the window in the first 100 seconds.  The US Congress is working overtime on defeating our military in Iraq.  In the approximately 2300 hours*** since the 110^th Congress convened, they have passed a total of three pieces of legislation.  I’d call that unsatisfactory performance.

     

* Calculated based on the American Revolution in 1775-1783, the “Burning of Washington” in 1814 and the end of the unpleasantness in the American Civil War from 1861-1865.

** HR 6 passed the house but the Senate removed Title I of the bill, effectively re-instating $32 billion dollars in tax relief for Oil Companies.  Now it’s stuck in committee.  Remember “school house rock?” Committee is where “Bill” goes to die. 

*** Based on 85 hour work week associated with the 100 hours of those first 6 days.

From a report Prepared by the Offices of Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH), Republican Whip Roy Blunt (R-MO), Conference Chairman Adam Putnam (R-FL), and Chief Deputy Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA):

Democrats: 0 for 6 in '07 (Good articles from WASHPOST, WASHTIMES, LATIMES, ETC)

From The Harvard Salient

Madame Speaker's 100-hour Failure

From Wiki

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/100-Hour_Plan

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/110th_United_States_Congress