The ramifications of Jim Jeffords move to Independence

[reefhead]

I Have to write this paper on the subject in question and I dont know ****e about it.

If you have an opinion or just wanna give me a tip on where I can build my own, please do so

thanks so much

Joe


PS
Jim Jeffords is the Vermont Senator who changed his party affilition and in doing so changed the balance of power in our House of Representives

[Ninong]

Here's a tip: He did NOT change the balance of power in the House of Representatives.

Ninong ;)

[schrocat]

He single handedly destroyed one of the best "sangin' " groups in DC.
"Elvira" will never be sung with such conviction again.


The Supreme Court nomination swinging back to the Dems is a biggie also...

[Ninong]

I believe Trent Lott is singing a different tune nowadays.

Ninong

P.S. -- Another possible ramification of Jeffords' move to Independence is that it will be difficult representing the people of Vermont while living in Missouri. :eek3:

[reefhead]

Thanks all!!

Ninong, are you refering to the change in power of the senate as opposed to the house?---I assume you are

[Ninong]

Yep!

[reefhead]

Ninong,


what is your source for Jeffords moving to Missouri?

A Senator must have a primary home in the state for which he represents--is this not true?

[schrocat]

Dear God.

Reefhead spit the lure!
SPIT THE LURE!

He's reeling you in!!!

You can see the sides of the boat through the water...

He's grabbing the net!

[Ninong]

Originally posted by reefhead:

Ninong, what is your source for Jeffords moving to Missouri?

"The ramifications of Jim Jeffords' move to Independence."--Reefhead

[reefhead]

where did you here that.


is there a link perhaps?

[reefhead]

just found this, its good for a laugh


http://www.bushcartoon.com/trailer.html

[Ninong]

OK, here are some ramifications to consider:

• The Senate was previously split 50-50. For organizational purposes, Senators are expected to vote with their party. This would allow Vice-President Cheney to cast the tie-breaking vote, which means all of the committee chairmanships would be held by Republicans. Jeffords switched his affiliation from Republican to Independent and announced that on all organizational matters he would vote with the Democrats. This resulted in a vote of 51-49 for Tom Daschle, Democrat, to become the new Senate Majority Leader, which means that he appoints all of the committee chairmen.
  
• So now all of the committees in the Senate are chaired by Democrats, except for the Committee on the Environment and Public Works, which is chaired by an Independent, Jim Jeffords. That committee has 9 Democrats, 9 Republicans and 1 Independent. Among the Republicans is Lincoln Chaffee of Rhode Island, who may as well be a Democrat since he is more liberal than many Democrats. Among the Democrats on the committee are Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and Barbara Boxer of California. Boxer is probably the most liberal member of the Senate. This is the committee that will take up any plans by the administration to drill for oil in the national parks or monuments. In fact, it will take up all matters pertaining to the environment, such as pollution, hazardous waste, etc. Obviously the oil industry would have preferred a slightly different makeup with a Republican chairman.
  
• The Senate Majority Leader gets to set the agenda in the Senate. He determines the order in which bills will be taken to the floor for consideration. Bills that are appealing to the Democrats will be given the fast track and bills that aren't will be put on the back burner.
  
• The Judiciary Committee, which takes up all Federal Judge appointments, is now chaired by a liberal Democrat, Patrick Leahy, instead of the conservative Republican, Orin Hatch. This makes it less likely that the President will nominate anybody like Robert Bork. There is a good chance that George W. Bush's first nomination to the Supreme Court will be less conservative than Scalia, Thomas or Rehnquist. In fact, I'm sure the administration would like to see Rehnquist announce his retirement soon as it is unlikely that the balance of power in the Senate will shift back to the Republicans in the 2002 elections. Bush has a much better chance of getting a compromise out of the Democrats now, while his approval ratings are astronomical, than he will a year from now if the Democrats pick up a couple more seats in the Senate. And remember, it's not just appointments to the Supreme Court, but all appointments to the Federal bench that have to clear this committee. So there will be a lot of wheeling and dealing going on as long as the Democrats are in control of the Senate. If the Republicans think they have a chance of picking up a couple of seats in the 2002 elections, they will hold off on any controversial appointments until early 2003.
  
• Another point to consider is that whenever a bill passes both the House of Representatives and the Senate, but not in identical form, it goes to a conference committee made up of members of both the House and the Senate to work out a compromise bill. The members from the Senate are appointed by the Senate Majority Leader, a Democrat. This has important ramifications for bills like the Airline Security bill and the Economic Stimulus bill. The House versions of these bills won't make it through the conference committee without serious changes.

Ninong

[Ninong]

Originally posted by Reefhead:

Where did you hear that?

I heard it from you.


Ninong

[schrocat]

I still think a paper on how he Yoko Ono'd the Sangin' Senators would be much more interesting.

[schrocat]

A lot of John Ashcroft's uneccesary posturing and needless meddling (doctor assisted suicide reversals etc)...can be attributed to his anger over the break-up of the band.

Where would we be today had Jim not broken up the group?

What if?

Staggering...

[Ninong]

Yes, and if Ashcroft had not lost an election to a dead man, he wouldn't be AG right now.

Ninong

[reefhead]

thanks guys!