Looks like Reid has made his picks

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

if you hadnt noticed, bringing a 8mm camera to Vietnam to film your exploits is serving yourself, NOT you country.

That's absurd, does a soldier taking photos or videos with his phone only serve himself too?

you do know that Kerry reenacted incidents so that he could get them on tape, right?  his whole purpose in going to Vietnam was to promote his political aspirations.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

He wasn't mocking the soldiers, he was 'mocking' (in this case more like criticizing in all seriousness) the generals and the war. That is why we put him in the Senate, because we (rightly) opposed the way Vietnam was conceived, formulated, and executed enough to vote for George McGovern for President.

yet, he fellow servicemen had a different interpretation of Kerry's testimony before the Senate, didn't they?

[Meeker]

Only jmfcst could turn a thread about the federal budget into a discussion about John Kerry's war record.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

Only jmfcst could turn a thread about the federal budget into a discussion about John Kerry's war record.

actually, it's a thread about whom Reid picked.  and dont kid yourself into thinking that over half of Kerry's Vietnam compadres would sell him out over politics, because they thought he was a self-serving slime even before he testified in front of the Senate.

[Meeker]

Only jmfcst could turn a thread about the federal budget into a discussion about John Kerry's war record.

actually, it's a thread about whom Reid picked.  and dont kid yourself into thinking that over half of Kerry's Vietnam compadres would sell him out over politics, because they thought he was a self-serving slime even before he testified in front of the Senate.

You're right. John Kerry's war record is totally relevant to that. My mistake.

[J. J.]

Kerry First Purple Heart Doc Speaks Out:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Even if true, that qualifies for the award of the Purple Heart:

( Members killed or wounded in action by friendly fire. In accordance with 10 USC 1129 for award of the Purple Heart, the Secretary of the Army will treat a member of the Armed Forces described in (a), below, in the same manner
as a member who is killed or wounded in action as the result of an act of an enemy of the United States.

(a) A member described in this subsection is a member who is killed or wounded in action by weapon fire while
directly engaged in armed conflict, other than as the result of an act of an enemy of the United States, unless (in the
case of a wound) the wound is the result of willful misconduct of the member.

http://www.apd.army.mil/pdffiles/r600_8_22.pdf

Look, I think Kerry is a moron, but he earned that medal.  Give it a rest.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

Look, I think Kerry is a moron, but he earned that medal.  Give it a rest.

that's a "injury" my six year old would have taken care of herself without shedding a tear...I've bit my lip worse than that from eating an icecream cone.

[anvi]

Murray is the second-ranking Majority member of the Senate Budget Committee and has done lots of appropriations work.  Conrad must have said no or was passed over by Reid, so Murray was next in line from that committee.  I really don't know how much expertise she has in the area though; she has done a lot more work with Homeland Security, Veterans Affairs, HELP and HUD.  I have no idea what kind of a negotiator she is either. 

I would also never have chosen Kerry for this committee.  WTF?

I too hope Pelosi makes better picks. but I'm not counting on it.

[Ban my account ffs!]

Ugh... but I'm not surprised... it's Harry Reid.

I think Pelosi, seeing the worthless windbags nominated by Reid, will probably put at least one good guy (or gal) in there. 

Remember... Pelosi and Reid are both vying for the "ovaries of steel" title... it's just that Reid doesn't realize that balls that haven't dropped yet don't count.

[The Vorlon]

Kerry is sane.. More liberal than I like... But still sane I think Reid felt he needed a high profile uber liberal
Baucus is a good choice
Murray is more or less tied with Boxer for the dumbest senator title.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

I would have gone for a decent partisan mix--Bernie Sanders (liberal attack dog), John Kerry (respectable moderate-liberalish), and...let's say Claire McCaskill (somewhat conservative, but at least cares about what's best for the working people).

Better yet, just get rid of this godawful idea.

[King]

Only jmfcst could turn a thread about the federal budget into a discussion about John Kerry's war record.

I disagree.  J.J. could have as well, but took the high road.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

They should have made each party pick the others representatives.

[King]

They should have made each party pick the others representatives.

If the Republicans still had Lincoln Chaffee, or even a Gordon Smith, the Democrats might have agreed to it.  But outside of Maine, there are no Republicans the Democrats could pick to match likely picks like Joe Manchin and Mark Pryor.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

Kerry is sane.. More liberal than I like... But still sane I think Reid felt he needed a high profile uber liberal
Baucus is a good choice
Murray is more or less tied with Boxer for the dumbest senator title.

If you ever find yourself in the Senate, you will undoubtedly take this title. Of course you're far too dumb to ever be elected Senator, this just a hypothetical. Basically, you're stupid, I think you need to be told you're stupid, and hope that once you're told how stupid you are several hundred times, you will not only quit posting here, but lock yourself in a bunker and spend the rest of your life watching Babylon 5 on DVD so that no one ever has to suffer through hearing your reading your worthless and idiotic opinions ever again.

hey, why are you disrespecting The Big V?

[greenforest32]

Baucus will be the 7th vote. We're already screwed.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

Baucus?  Come on.  Even Tester would've been a better choice.

Another reason why Democrats need to pick a better leader than Reid.

[The Ex-Factor]

Went to Wikipedia to check up on Baucus and welp:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Not to mention his steady donation stream from AHIP. I don't think I'm alone in liberal defeatism this time around.

[Bacon King]

Went to Wikipedia to check up on Baucus and welp:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Not to mention his steady donation stream from AHIP. I don't think I'm alone in liberal defeatism this time around.

Consider the dates of those votes, and note that Baucus faced reelection in 2002 and 2008 (and won't be up again until 2014). He has a tendency to be more conservative when he's about to face the Montana electorate.

I think the left's fear regarding Baucus's selection is mostly unwarranted, especially considering his outspoken hostility towards the Ryan plan. 

[The Vorlon]

I suspect the fact Murray is 4 plus years away from her nest election, Baucus  is 2 plus, and Kerry is in a very safe seat played a role.

I wonder how tight a leash these three, and indeed the twelve, will be on?

It's too bad they have such a short time frame to work with.  It would have been nice if there at least was a possibility of something major, perhaps massive tax code simplification, large rate cuts, national sales tax, "chained CPI", index retirement age to life expectancy...... Given the time frame I suspect we are going to get a final product that will likely be a reworked version of the Biden talks.

For all of biden's tendencies to make colorful statements, the GOP actually more or less trusts him ("his word is good" ) and there was a lot of good, but as yet unused, work that the Biden talks got done

There is about 3.5 trillion in slowing down of the rate of debt growth left on the table, and with an up/down vote required, there is at least a shot a bigger package could pass....

We will see maybe the s and p downgrade will light a fire?




[/quote]

[Lief 🗽]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/republican-members-of-super-debt-panel-co-chair-named/2011/08/10/gIQAzRRf6I_story.html?wpisrc=al_politics

Republicans name Bush's former budget director to the panel. Joke party.

[NVGonzalez]

Man if Reid wanted a moderate he should at least gone for Landreu (sp?)

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

Man if Reid wanted a moderate he should at least gone for Tester

Fixed your spelling for you.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Bacaca?  Seriously?  Lol.

[opebo]

Kerry is sane.. More liberal than I like... But still sane I think Reid felt he needed a high profile uber liberal
Baucus is a good choice
Murray is more or less tied with Boxer for the dumbest senator title.

If you ever find yourself in the Senate, you will undoubtedly take this title. Of course you're far too dumb to ever be elected Senator, this just a hypothetical. Basically, you're stupid, I think you need to be told you're stupid, and hope that once you're told how stupid you are several hundred times, you will not only quit posting here, but lock yourself in a bunker and spend the rest of your life watching Babylon 5 on DVD so that no one ever has to suffer through hearing your reading your worthless and idiotic opinions ever again.

hey, why are you disrespecting The Big V?

Hahaha, come on you know bgwah just said - and admirably well - what we've all been thinking.  Huzzah, bgwah, you are my hero.