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John Gault Seaman Recruit
Joined: 23 Aug 2004 Posts: 35
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Posted: Fri Sep 17, 2004 3:43 pm Post subject: Congress likely to need lame-duck session (MSNBC) |
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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6021075/
Gee, not too much bias in that headline!!!!
Quote: | Lame-duck sessions occur when Congress returns after an election to take care of unfinished business. The lame ducks, originally an English term referring to bankrupt businessmen, are lawmakers who are retiring or have had their wings clipped by an election defeat and are hardly in the mood for another stint on Capitol Hill. |
_________________ The spread of evil is the symptom of a vacuum. Whenever evil wins, it is only by default: by the moral failure of those who evade the fact that there can be no compromise on basic principles. _ Ayn Rand |
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JCJR Lt.Jg.
Joined: 24 Aug 2004 Posts: 114
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Posted: Fri Sep 17, 2004 4:04 pm Post subject: |
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They usually try to avoid weighty issues in lame duck sessions, because the defeated participating congresscritters would make 'serious' legislation subject to criticism of being 'morally invalid' though not legally invalid.
It can be argued that controversial lame duck legislation does not reflect the current intentions of the voters. Sufficiently controversial legislation might be repealed 3 months later by a new congress, so why bother?
Also, some out-going defeated politicians might develop an "I'll kill us both" attitude.
Out-going defeated politicians could make bizarre votes "out of spite". After defeat, they are no longer accountable to the voters. They don't have much to lose (GRIN). |
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