Well, I'm paraphrasing a bit there, but Harry Reid sounded like a real Democrat in his floor speech attacking the immoral piece of garbage otherwise known as the "Republican budget reconciliation bill":
Here's the pertinent passages (the whole thing is posted on his blog, "Give Em Hell Harry";)
http://giveemhellharry.com/...
"The budget and these reconciliation bills are based on the wrong values, harming vulnerable Americans to provide tax breaks for special interests and multi-millionaires.
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In essence, ...... a budget is a moral document. Unfortunately, the Republican budget is an immoral document. That's not my term..... That's the conclusion of some of our nation's leading religious leaders who, citing Scripture and the Bible, have urged all of us to oppose this budget reconciliation process. As Bishop Mark Hansen, the Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America put it, "This is not the time to cut...important programs while using the cuts to pay for tax breaks for those who don't need them."
.......the problems with their budget go well beyond its fiscal irresponsibility. This budget reflects the wrong values. It puts more burdens on those already struggling. And if that isn't bad enough, it takes the sacrifices it demands of the less fortunate to partially pay for another round of large tax breaks for special interests and multi-millionaires.
Let's look at what's in the bill before us.
The budget increases burdens on America's seniors, by increasing Medicare premiums.
It cuts health care - both Medicare and Medicaid - by a total of $27 billion.
It cuts support for farmers by $3 billion.
It cuts housing.
It allows drilling in an Alaskan wildlife refuge, at the behest of the oil and gas industry.
And if you take a look at what's happening in the House of Representatives, you can see what's likely to be coming down the pike.
Student loan cuts.
Food stamp cuts.
Cuts in child support enforcement.
Deeper and more painful cuts in health care.
And why? Why are we using expedited procedures for cuts that will harm millions of seniors and working Americans?
Is it to reduce the deficit? No.
Is it to pay for Katrina? No.
Is it to prepare for the Avian Flu? No.
It's to provide congressional Republicans fiscal cover today so they can turn around tomorrow to provide tax breaks to special interests and multi-millionaires.
Let me be more specific. The capital gains and dividend tax breaks in the Republican budget would provide 53 percent of its benefits to those with incomes greater than $1 million. Those lucky few will get an average tax break of about $35,000.
But what about those with incomes between, say, $50- and $200,000? Well, they'll get an average tax cut of $112.
And what about those with incomes less than $50,000?
$6 dollars for those earning less than $50,000.
And to partially pay for these tax breaks, many Republicans now want to cut Medicare. Cut Medicaid. Cut agriculture. Cut housing. Cut student loans. Cut child support enforcement. Cut services that Katrina survivors rely on. Cut benefits needed by our nation's most vulnerable Americans.
Mr. President, now you know why some of our nation's most respected religious leaders call this budget immoral. These choices do not reflect the best of America's values. This is not what most Americans would want."
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YOU TELL `EM, HARRY! That's how I like Democrats to sound: Like they actually care about Americans!! (Too bad most of the Americans that Harry cares about are too busy to read a newspaper. If they did, they'd find out how they're about to get shafted - once again - by the special-interest-controlled Republicans now running the country.)
My new way of supporting Harry is to write comments on his blog. The more it looks like Harry has lots of people reading his blog and supporting him, the more power he'll have. What if 100,000 people write in and say "Give em hell, Harry, I agree with you 100%"? That kind of response will help Harry whip the Wall Street Democrats like Schumer and Joementum into shape. It'll also give the Republicans some pause ("Holy Cow", I can hear them saying, "could it be that some Americans are actually paying attention to what we're doing??? Oh shit!).
There were 500+ responses to Harry's blog about shutting down the Senate. Given this site's readership, we could easily produce 1000 comments, just by us alone. All you have to do is write a sentence or two. Letters and e-mails to your Senators and your Rep are critical, too, but this is a nice easy way of flexing some "people power".
What say you, Kossacks?? Can you spare a line or two for Harry?
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P.S. One ray of light: In the comments section of Harry's blog, I found this comment by a disaffected Republican:
"I'm a moderate Republican, and my heart has ached for what has become of both parties over the last two and a half decades. Finally, someone in our loyal opposition party is showing real backbone! THANK YOU! It's refreshing, and essential to the security and health of our nation. Our system only works when there are two functional parties, and watching the DEMs roll over for the last 5 years has been as painful as it was disheartening. Mr. Reid, you have clearly stated what the Democratic Party MUST stand for if we are to turn things around from the shameless corruption and cronyism of the most ineffectual and damaging adminstration that I've witnessed in my lifetime. THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! But don't stop. Please, keep GIVING EM' HELL, HARRY! I'm so proud of your principled stand that I could bust! I WILL VOTE TO SUPPORT THE AGENDA THAT YOU HAVE OFFERED as a real and meaningful alternative to the foolish and criminal one currently being put forth by my own party!"