It seems no matter what the Republicans do, it's always going to get framed as being good for them in the upcoming elections even when their actions are doing harm to actual Americans. Surprisingly, the usually hackish John King pointed out to Red State's Erick Erickson that there is quite a bit of meaningful legislation that the Republicans have been blocking. No matter though. In Erickson's book, it's all good for them in the upcoming mid-terms. I think unfortunately since so few people are actually paying attention to how they're governing and the media is allowing them to get away with it by not covering it properly, he's right that they won't pay a price for it.
Erickson also repeats their latest talking point about how "concerned" everyone is over the upcoming lame duck session. Media Matters has more on that.
Conservatives disappear GOP's Clinton impeachment to bash "corrupt" Democrat-led lame duck session:
Conservative media figures have repeatedly claimed or suggested that it would be unprecedented and "corrupt" for Democrats to address "controversial" issues during Congress' lame duck session following the 2010 elections. But in 1998, Republicans impeached President Clinton during such a post-election congressional session.
Go read the whole rest for a little trip down memory lane on what the Republicans did during their lame duck session.
KING: Now -- now, Erick, can we go back to the record? Do you think at all in the last two years, maybe once, maybe twice, maybe two or three, four dozen times, the Democrats have certainly punted a lot of big decisions, but the Republican -- have they ever put their election above the needs of their constituents?
ERICKSON: Well, you know, that's politics. I'm sorry, I'm still hung up on the fact you've been doing this for 25 years since before I was in high school, John.
Sorry, hung up on that one.
You know the issue here is listen to the list of things Harry Reid went through. The Great Cats and Canids Act, the Seal Act. I'm glad Tom Coburn was there objecting. Congress generally does nothing. That's actually a feature, not a bug. The founders wanted it very --
KING: But it's not all --
(CROSSTALK)
KING: Some of you -- you can list those bills and we could read them all and maybe we'd like some, maybe wouldn't like others. But it's not all inconsequential legislation.
ERICKSON: Right. Well, you know --
KING: The thing, there would be 90 votes -- there would be 90 votes probably to pass a food safety bill.
ERICKSON: Right.
KING: There would probably be 80 votes to pass reparations or payments to African-Americans and Native American farmers who for decades were essentially screwed by their government that gave different subsidies to white farmers and not others.
And these things are all held up because both parties think that it's all about the elections and not about the people.
ERICKSON: Oh, very much so. And that happens. The Republicans have done it. The Democrats have done it. Both sides attacked the other. But I think the last time I saw polling on the lame duck session it was Rasmussen and there was a great fear among the public about what else was going to happen in the lame duck session.
This gives the Republicans another thing to go out with in addition to the tax cuts. I think it'll probably benefit the Republicans in November.