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Tis the season and President Barack Obama‘s controversial grab bag of tax cuts, unemployment benefits and other goodies is turning into a typical “Christmas tree” legislation that packs a log of gifts for lawmakers in exchange for help.
But the question remains over whether even packing the bill with lard, and bringing in former President Bill Clinton as a closer can seal the deal as the the lame duck session winds down and Republicans lie in wait to turn the next Congress into even more of a zoo.
One way or another, a vote must come next week and right now, veteran lawmakers tell Capitol Hill Blue, the entire package is political chaos.
A filibustering Senator Bernie Sanders [pontificated before a nearly empty chamber, Clinton tried to call in favors from those weren’t sure they even owed anything and the bill bloated with ethanol subsidies for rural areas, commuter tax breaks for cities, wind and solar grants to appease environmentalists and just about anything else that could be used to try and buy votes.
Republicans, as a rule, are happy since Obama is giving them just about everything they want — especially the Bush-era tax cuts. Democrats remain in a dour mood, wondering if they can even keep an extension of jobless benefits.
Saunders ended his eight-and-a-half hour filibuster by saying “it’s been a long day.”
He should know. He helped make it it one.
