House Republicans Win 7th Straight Motion-to-Recommit; Democrats Throw Tantrum and Want Rules Changed

NOTE: This post was originally published on 3/28. Update below...

The article is now behind a subscription wall, but I'll selectively quote from a Congressional Quarterly piece that describes the whiny Democrats in the House and the situation that they are in:

Now that Republicans have shown they can use new House rules against the new Democratic majority that wrote them, the Democrats want new rules.

Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer said Tuesday that during the upcoming two-week recess he will craft changes in the pay-as-you-go spending rules adopted in January (H Res 6) so that the GOP can no longer blindside the majority with broad and politically loaded motions to redraft legislation.

"We don't think that's appropriate," Hoyer said. "We don't think that serves the legislative process, and we're going to address that."

You see, the House Republicans, under the leadership of John Boehner, are actually getting things accomplished and Democrats are furious about that.

What makes the tactic successful is that Democrats promised to use pay-as-you-go rules...so Republicans are making sure that such provisions are included. There is nothing inappropriate about making sure that Democrats fulfill their campaign promises is there?

But here is the killer quote of the whole piece:

Hoyer sees it differently.

Some alteration is necessary, he said, or else, "We are going to be, on every bill, open to an amendment that is totally unrelated to the substance of the bill."

...like all that pork on the Iraq Supplemental???

UPDATE: Boehner statement received via email:

“Perhaps before they game the system by changing the rules to their liking, the Democrat leadership should ask its own Members why they are voting in droves for our proposals,” Boehner said. “And why are Democrats against Democracy?”

...and...

“Only Democrats would attempt to argue that the issue of whether or not a bill is paid for is irrelevant to the substance of the bill,” Boehner said.

Pretty much sums it up from my vantage point...

3/29 Update

Check out the Washington Post and Washington Times stories on this...

I find it interesting that Demcorats are willing to axe these rules seeing as the last time these rules were killed was when they were in control... Republicans gave the Democrats a tool to use when they were in the minority and they failed to do so... It just goes to show who really believes in principles...if the Democrats were really firm in their beliefs, they would vote with their consciences and not worry about ads...but they are only worried about winning the next election. Nevermind that anything gets done...