That was a good start.
Yet, despite the marked improvement, Republicans continued to block dozens of job creation, business and economic development, and consumer protection bills right through September of 2010, stalling the recovery.
You have every right to ask why. Did they want Obama to fail due to philosophical differences? Or was it because, as the ones who were most responsible for the biggest economic collapse since the Great Depression, they knew that economic recovery credited to the Democrats would spell political devastation for the Republican Party for years to come?
Why did they choose to spend their time doing everything they could to make the President fail, instead of spending their time trying to make America succeed?
Whose side are they really on?
Here is a partial listing of journalistic news reports from (primarily) mainstream news sources of Bills the Republicans Have Blocked – or attempted to block -- during the past 20 months. These are the actual article headlines. I’ve provided several media links to confirm and verify the accuracy of each article.
It’s an eye-opener.
John
Republican obstructionism . . . is based on the idea that the failure not just of President Obama but of American society itself is the G.O.P.’s quickest ticket back to power.
Bob Herbert New York Times 9/10/2010
UPDATE: October 2012
Bob Cesca releases article on Huffington Post reiterating, and expanding upon, much of the above.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bob-cesca/republicans-filibuster-ev_b_2018663.html
Republicans Block Bill to Aid Small Businesses
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/30/us/politics/30cong.html http://www.dailyfinance.com/story/senate-republicans-block-small-business-aid-bill/19572912/
Republicans Block Unemployment Benefits Extension
http://www.todaysthv.com/news/natInt/story.aspx?storyid=109570&catid=288
http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2010/07/gop_brown_vote.html
http://articles.latimes.com/2010/jun/25/nation/la-na-jobless-vote-20100625
Republicans Block Bank-Reform Bill
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/democrats-reach-deal-on-tough-derivative-law-2010-04-26
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE63Q5CR20100427
Republicans Block Campaign Disclosure Bill
http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2010/07/republicans_blo.html
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE66Q65I20100727
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38434903
Republicans Block Jobs Bill in Senate
http://boss.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/29/small-business-jobs-bill-stalls-in-senate/
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2012485381_congress30.html
GOP Blocks Transparency in Campaign Contributions
http://www.care2.com/causes/politics/blog/gop-blocks-transparency-in-campaign-contributions/
http://news.yahoo.com/s/mcclatchy/20100727/pl_mcclatchy/3578774
Republicans block bill ending tax breaks for US companies sending jobs offshore
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/28/AR2010092802768.html
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN2821013620100928
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20017896-503544.html
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gjFU-ZOgeJNcMKBh9YdqcUyzXUPQ?docId=CNG.df9e6a188a034ac23300ab0760b91861.ad1
Republicans Block Bill to Raise Oil Spill Liability Cap
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20005333-503544.html
http://articles.latimes.com/2010/may/14/nation/la-na-oil-spill-new-20100514
http://thenorthcoast.blogspot.com/2010/06/republicans-block-bill-to-raise-oil.html
Republicans Block Wall Street Reform Bill
http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/94485-gop-blocks-wall-st-bill
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8644952.stm
GOP blocks Senate campaign-finance bill – again
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/onpolitics/post/2010/09/senate-campaign-finance/1
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN2323068220100923
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Election-2010/From-the-Wires/2010/0924/Campaign-finance-Republicans-block-bill-to-identify-ad-sponsors
Republicans Block Small Business Lending Bill
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-07-29/senate-republicans-block-small-business-lending-bill-sought-by-democrats.html
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38469644/ns/business-small_business/
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100729/ap_on_bi_ge/us_small_business_lending
Republicans Block Repeal of Military's 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Policy
http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/09/21/republicans-block-dont-ask-dont-tell-repeal/
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5grHLcTA5VMaxM1KPtvrf3OTOfZuQD9ICK7K00
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/senate-vote-repeal-ban-gays-military/story?id=11685658
Senate Republicans Block Own Amendments on Health Care Bill
http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/scarce/how-senate-republicans-obstruct-health-care
Republicans Block Energy Legislation…Yet Again
http://blogs.alternet.org/speakeasy/2010/08/04/republicans-block-energy-legislation-yet-again/
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE66H1BS20100718
http://www.businessgreen.com/business-green/news/2267599/senate-blocks-energy-bill-yet
G.O.P. Blocks Debate on Financial Oversight Bill
http://dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/26/g-o-p-blocks-debate-on-financial-oversight-bill/
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/27/business/27regulate.html
http://worldjewishnews.blogspot.com/2010/04/gop-blocks-debate-on-financial.html
Republicans Kill Measure That Created 240,000 Jobs
http://blogs.alternet.org/speakeasy/2010/09/30/republicans-kill-measure-that-created-240000-jobs/
http://articles.sfgate.com/2010-09-30/business/24103870_1_jobs-program-summer-jobs-subsidized-employment
http://motherjones.com/mojo/2010/09/job-99ers-tanf-senate
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/09/30/if-we-re-serious-about-jobs-don-t-stop-job-creation
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/10/4/906979/-Republicans-kill-jobs
Senate Republicans block Dems' effort to pass mine safety bill
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/worker-safety/121457-senate-republicans-block-dems-effort-to-pass-mine-safety-bill
GOP Pledges to Block Immigration Reform
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2010/04/25/GOP-pledges-to-block-immigration-bill-push/UPI-56291272231701/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/01/AR2010070100388.html
Republicans Block Democrats’ Efforts to Hold BP Accountable
http://ynative77.wordpress.com/2010/05/18/republicans-block-democrats-efforts-to-hold-bp-accountable-gop-leaving-taxpayers-on-the-hook-for-bailing-out-bp-may-18-2010/
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20007511-503544.html
Senate Republicans Block Two Bills to Spur Renewable Energy Investment
http://www.grist.org/article/no-renewal-for-renewables/
House Republicans Block Medical Help for 9/11 Heroes
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20012217-503544.html
http://blog.aflcio.org/2010/07/30/house-republicans-block-medical-help-for-911-heroes/
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/30/nyregion/30zadroga.html
GOP blocks small business bill. Who will get the blame?
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/plum-line/2010/07/dems_will_get_blamed_for_gop_o.html?hpid=sec-politics
GOP Blocks Financial Reform As Millions Lose Homes
http://www.inthesetimes.com/working/entry/5875/gop_blocks_financial_reform_as_millions_lose_homes/
GOP Blocks Small Biz Bill
http://www.phillytrib.com/tribune/newsheadlines/14208-gop-blocks-small-biz-bill.html
http://wwj.cbslocal.com/2010/07/30/republicans-block-small-biz-lending-bill/
http://articles.cnn.com/2010-09-15/politics/obama.economic.relief_1_tax-cuts-small-business-gop-sens?_s=PM:POLITICS
Senate Republicans Kill Renewable Energy and Job Creation Bill
http://solveclimate.com/blog/20080610/senate-republicans-kill-renewable-energy-and-job-creation-bill-wheres-mccain
http://www.newsweek.com/blogs/the-gaggle/2010/09/15/who-killed-the-energy-and-climate-bill.html
Republicans Block US Senate Committees From Holding Hearings
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2010/03/24/GOP-blocks-Senate-committee-meetings/UPI-88161269468743/
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/mar/24/gop-blocks-senate-actions/
http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/markets/republicans-block-senate-committees-holding-hearings/
Senate Republicans Promise To Oppose Tax Cuts If Wealthy Aren't Included
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/13/mcconnell-every-senate-re_n_714739.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/13/senate-poised-for-highsta_n_714766.html
Senate Republicans Kill Job-Creating Tax Cuts
http://waysandmeans.house.gov/press/PRArticle.aspx?NewsID=11232
GOP Blocks 20 Judicial Nominees
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/Obama-getting-fewest-judges-confirmed-since-Nixon--102306839.html
http://blog.pfaw.org/content/gop-blocks-20-judicial-nominees-rebuffs-goodwin-liu-again
http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1202471710311
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/23/opinion/23thu2.html?th&emc=th
GOP Blocks Freeze on Credit Card Interest Rate Hikes
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/18/gop-blocks-freeze-on-cred_n_362787.html
How Many Jobs Can Republicans Kill This Week?
https://democrats.senate.gov/newsroom/record.cfm?id=326871&
Here’s one they’ve decided to support:
GOP has No Problem Extending Tax Cuts for the Rich
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/13/AR2010071305391.html
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE68B1SH20100913
Is there any question where their allegiances really lay?
