Nutter's Washington

Congressional Dithering: It is all about the election

The number of legislative days left before the pre-election Congressional adjournment continues to diminish and Congress shows no signs of undertaking any major undertakings before the election. While the House of Representatives has focused attention on choosing new Leadership after the Primary defeat of Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA), the Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid continues to avoid consideration of substantive measures, trying to move legislation without allowing Republican amendments.

This past week, House Republicans chose Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) as Majority Leader taking Congressman Cantor’s place as the floor leader and then replaced McCarthy, who previously had served as Majority Whip, with Congressman Steve Scalise (R-LA). Scalise has deep ties to the Republican Study Committee – representing the large number of conservatives in the Republican Caucus. 

In addition to the internal rumblings in Congress, the Administration is consumed with a number of adverse major world events such as Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, the Bergdahl swap and Russian adventures. In addition, the investigations of the IRS and its disclosures of  “computer crashes” and the EPA issuing green house gas restrictions has push relations with Congress into a nadir.

Election Year Politics

Election year politics dominate Capitol Hill. The political parties and their leadership are lining up for the fall congressional elections. Aspiring national figures, political consultants, pundits, financiers, special interest groups and the media getting behind candidates, speculating about winners and losers, join them.

Most of the attention is focused on control of the Senate where there are thought to be six “tossup” races where incumbents are in danger of defeat: Pryor (D- AR), Udall (D-Co). McConnell (R-KY), Landrieu (D-LA), Hagan (D-NC), and Begich (AK).  In addition, there are contested races for open seats in Michigan (D), Iowa (D) and Georgia (R). Since Republicans are heavily favored to pick up two Democrat seats in South Dakota and West Virginia plus a possible pickup in Montana, getting to the magic number of six pickups is tantalizing close for Republicans. 

Uniting both Houses of Congress will have an enormous impact. Like the pent up frustration exhibited by Congressional Democrats in 2009, Republican control likely means a flurry of activity trying to undo a number of programs, attempts to curb regulatory expansion and an exercise of fiscal restraint. Even so it is also unlikely such activity will have much effect with Mr. Obama still in office, the legislative activity will be aimed at setting the stage for the 2016 Presidential election and as a venue for conservative activists to vent their views.

For the Administration, the installation of a Republican Congress means whatever influence possessed will further diminish and will diminish rapidly. That does not lessen the importance of the Presidency but it means a very tough last two years in office with little opportunity to achieve legislative successes.

 

 

Computer Crashes loses Lois Lerner E-Mails: Come on, Rose Mary Woods is gone.

 

There is little doubt to me portions of the Internal Revenue Service targeted and harassed political groups opposed to the re-election of Mr. Obama. It was an orchestrated campaign, violating a number of laws. It was intentional, malicious and wrong. A toothless Congress- that is being thwarted and hindered at every level of the Executive branch- is investigating the conduct. In what would have been an independent investigation in past times, has become an insult to all of us.  

We deserve better than the tactics from these Nixon-like thugs.  But, wait, now the situation has become comical as well as insulting.  I always wonder how gullible and stupid the government thinks we all are?

After months of stonewalling, delays and unresponsiveness the IRS’s latest claim, for the period of January 2009 to April 2011, is that all e-mails between Lois Lerner — the IRS official at the center of the scandal — and anyone outside the IRS were wiped out by a “computer crash.” Ms. Learner has invoked her Fifth Amendment right not to provide any information and to testify before Congress.

It is laughable and sad. Even though the government has proved its incompetence in so many occasions, like the failed the health care exchanges, it is beyond credibility to say the emails were lost. I mean some picture put on the Internet can never be deleted. How can this be? I do not think they deleted or lost my tax return.  

This fabrication reminds me of the “18-and-a-half-minute gap” from a Watergate break-in conversation involving President Nixon. It was implausibly claimed Rose Mary Woods, Nixon’s longtime secretary, had accidentally erased  a portion of the tape. Her demonstration of contorting herself to show how it could have been done is still a classic. I am surprised she could walk after she was stretched out in a maneuver that not even Gumby could do.

In any event, it is clear that the Administration will do whatever it take to make sure the truth is never revealed. We shall never know if the political operation of the President was involved. With the past conduct in mind and now this, it is hard to believe anything said. Run out the clock, ignore it, and move on to the next scandal.

As I said, just who are these people who hide things and how stupid do they think we are?

 

 

Conversation with a Democrat Friend

I was walking out of my building yesterday evening with a good friend who happens to be a staunch Democrat. He was lamenting about all the controversy about the American soldier for five terrorist trade by the Obama Administration. A trade which, perhaps with good intention to get a soldier home, clearly violated the law and has important international consequences such as negotiating with terrorists among other things.

We quickly slipped over in our conversation to the release of the carbon emission rules the day before by the EPA. My friend believes the proposed regulations were a gross overstep and designed to be a continuation of other business sector restrictions under the Clean Air Act which as he put it was not designed nor intended for this purpose.  While a believer in climate change, he understands that the Administration does not care of the consequences.

Finally, he told me he could not keep all the scandals, mismanagement, political missteps and incompetence of the Administration straight. He asked, wasn’t there something last week?  I said, “yes, it was the Veteran’s Administration.” We laughed.   He said, “think about it, I voted for the guy twice”

 How quickly we forget or maybe it is too much to remember? Interesting. 

War on Coal: Much More Than That

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a proposed new rule yesterday pursuant to section 111(d) of the Clean Air Act) that seeks to change the way electricity is generated and to push its cost up so alternative, renewable and more expensive forms of energy can be used. It intends to impose a state-by-state carbon dioxide (CO2) emission reduction goal for existing fossil fueled electric generating facilities. Depending on what piece you are reading, it is all in the name of preventing the climate from its inexorable change, a health initiative or a giant jobs creator.

Under the proposed rule, EPA would require states to meet CO2 emission “goals” or targets starting in 2020 on a statewide basis. States could allow their power plants to use a number of measures to meet those goals, including energy efficiency, plant retirements, and renewable energy. EPA projects power sector emission reductions of 30 percent from 2005 levels by the 2030.

The action is very controversial with the sides clearly drawn. The cry of a “war on coal” is in the air. Indeed, one of the purposes of the dictat is to reduce the use of coal. However, this is a much larger issue, a more insidious issue. It is about government growth, influencing or controlling the means of production. I have no doubt the sincerity of some of those who believe reduction of carbon dioxide, a pollutant that living organisms also produce, is the solution to ensure the civilization survives. I simply do not know.

The Government is proceeding using a little used provision of the Clean Air Act that was never intended to be used for this purpose. The action will be challenged in Court for years but like most things, in the end, the government will prevail. As in most government action, there will be winners and losers. However, on thing is clear, the results will be higher, artificially induced cost of the use of electricity.

Those that oppose this proposed rule, its adverse impact are powerless to mitigate its consequence much less stop it. That is the price of an arrogant system that goes on not caring of the consequences of its actions. With nations like China and India and charcoal burning for all kinds of things in third world countries, this unilateral action is ineffective except for making costs go up here and eventually making producing businesses to seek other venues. A real legacy, indeed.

Politically, the opposition will roar. States that depend on coal fired generated electricity will howl. This included both Republicans and Democrats. Again, the Administration does not care. They are immune to criticism. After the Rule becomes final in a year or more, it opponents will use a procedure called the Congressional Review Act to repeal the regulation. The law allows CRA resolutions to pass with only 51 votes, and it cannot be kept from being considered, even under the no-amendment tyrants in the Senate leadership. Even if it did pass, there is no doubt the President would veto it.

Trying to repeal the measure by other means or measure would also elicit a veto. Therefore, like it or not, Congress is impotent to counteract the regulatory juggernaut.