GOP Senators: Democrats Playing Politics With Veterans' Benefits

by JASmius

....and?  Isn't there supposed to be a punchline in here somewhere?:

Senate Republicans on Thursday attacked Democrats for playing politics with a $21 billion bill that would have expanded benefits for veterans — leading them to block an effort by Majority Leader Harry Reid to move the legislation to a full floor vote.

Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky charged that the legislation "was not considered in committee, greatly expands spending without any realistic offset, and would vastly overwhelm the Veterans Administration healthcare system.

"It’s shameful that Senate Democrats would seek to score political points by rushing to the floor a bill the committee did not consider, and could have otherwise been handled in a bipartisan manner through regular order.

"Unfortunately, it’s become standard practice around here for the majority to pursue partisan legislation in a take-it-or-leave-it manner, so it’s unsurprising that nobody other than the majority leader and the committee chairman has been allowed the opportunity to amend this bill."

I repeat: And?  Oh, don't misunderstand me, I concur with what McConnell is saying.  But Democrats have been doing this sort of thing for what?  Eighty years?  It isn't exactly novel or original; a batbleep spending orgy sold as "Look how much we love American veterans!" rammed to the floor regardless of the rules with any and all spluttering Republican objections sold as "Look how much Pachyderms hate American veterans!"  Kinda redefines the term "vintage".  Drastically.  Downward.

Then again, I've never been all that partial to the term "playing politics".  It's like fish complaining about rain.  Governing IS politics, which IS governing.  Everything politicians do, down to and including loaf-pinching, is politics.  Denying Reid cloture on this VA appropriation could, and will, be dismissed as the GOP "playing politics with veterans' benefits".  It's a meaningless phrase.

How about something like this instead?  "Harry Reid is a dick to rules.  And austerity.  And veterans.  And us.  So we're castrating him with this filibuster.  Nuke this, Pencilneck."

Hey, if you're gonna "play politics" before Dirty Harry can, why not at least make it fun?