This page was last updated on December 21, 2010.
Towering failure; Editorial; Beaver County Times; December 21, 2010.
I can’t get over how often the Times uses a comedy show as a reference. This is at least the 12th time since October 2004 editorials afforded credibility to “The Daily Show,” or its spin-off “The Colbert Report.”
Here’s what I wrote when a Times editorial mentioned the 9/11 Emergency Responders Bill in August: “Surprise, the editorial omitted some things! First, Democrat leadership chose a procedure that required a two-thirds vote for passage instead of the usual majority. Why? Doing so meant potential Republican amendments didn’t have to be addressed. Second, the bill included tax increases on foreign companies operating in the U.S., and increased taxes hurt job generation, especially during a down economy. Third, the bill would have provided compensation to those who had already been compensated via lawsuits. Fourth, 9/11 responders not yet compensated can still take part in a $713 million court-supervised settlement.”
The editorial concludes with, “Sorry, but this is shamefully embarrassing. It shouldn’t have taken this long - and been so cheap.” The editorial bashes Republicans about this bill but fails to note Democrats have held the majority in both houses of Congress since January 2007 (including a short time with a filibuster-proof Senate) and have held the presidency since January 2009. It’s clear the Times would like us to forget the Democrats should have been able to pass this bill a long time ago without a single Republican vote. Why didn’t they and why did they wait until the waning days of a lame-duck Congress? Don’t hold your breath waiting for the Times to ask those questions of congressional Democrats and the President.
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