John Kerry says GOP ‘ideological rigidity and stupidity’ hurting Congress, country

[Mass]

http://www.boston.com/Boston/politicalintelligence/2012/03/john-kerry-says-gop-ideological-rigidity-and-stupidity-hurting-congress-country/FUeg8Irvx42FbPh8j8WEoO/index.html

Senator John Kerry today blasted what he branded Republican “ideological rigidity and stupidity” for driving moderates like Olympia Snowe out of Congress and damaging the United States’s image abroad.

The Massachusetts Democrat, speaking in Boston to a blend of Democratic and Republican business leaders at a breakfast meeting of the nonpartisan New England Council, said inflexibility by Republicans in the House and Senate has blocked investment in the country’s infrastructure and education and energy systems while China and other competitors fill the void.

“We’re sending a message of indecision, of gridlock, of weakness, of an inability to seize this global moment,” said Kerry.

Saying the GOP is singularly committed to limiting Barack Obama to being a one-term president, Kerry said critics who are for parliamentary rules changes are missing the real problem.

“It’s not the rules; it’s the people. It’s an attitude,” said Kerry.

...

“Because of an ideological rigidity and stupidity in Washington, we’re having an impossible time doing the most simple things in order to build our nation to be competitive, to do what every citizen in America wants us to do, which is to create jobs, and put people to work, and be strong,” he said.

[cindyperry2010]

1. I am in the

innate stupidity and hubris category they think they can get away with this crap

[socialindependocrat]

2. It's the rules and the people....

The people have figured out ways to use the rules to stop most forward motion.

They are taking something the Dems want and holding it hostage so they can get what they want.

IMHO, one of the things that needs to be started/enforced is that each proposal needs to be argued on it's own merits. Riders on bills that have nothing to do with the original item being argued needs to be stricken for the proposal like I'll give you birth control if you give us an oil pipeline. That's just stupid. Argue one then argue the other, separately.

[YvonneCa]

3. Senator Kerry is right. But I made the mistake of reading the...

...comments and nearly became sick. How does one deal with such ugliness on a regular basis and stay as committed to fixing the country as JK is? It amazes me.

[MBS]

5. " " " " " n/t

[karynnj]

7. They really are ugly - and their remarks predictable

It is very important to have people actually saying that the Republicans have moved to the extreme. Senator McConnell, not even a member of the most extreme part of the Republican caucus, is not Senator Dole or Senator Frist.

The STRONGEST argument against Brown is that he will vote for McConnell as Majority Leader. (here, they also need to make that issue in terms of the policies that Brown/Republicans will support. Today there is an article where Brown is linked to the "moderate" Christie who was stomping for him. Democrats need to make the case that MA, under Patrick is recovering far better than NJ under Christie. So, if the states are laboratories - the Republican policies failed. I wrote this analysis and put it in the MA forum - http://www.democraticunderground.com/1057138 )

It is not really a comparable metric to compare Kerry's % voting with the Democrats as a measure of partisanship. The Democrats want to pass things and they control the Senate. The bills they put up are not the bills that Bernie Sanders (or Kerry) would write if they didn't need 60 votes. In addition, Kerry's personal opinion, the Democratic party and MA are most often all in agreement. Brown does not have that luxury because MA and the Republican party are usually at odds. If he voted as straight Republican as Kerry did Democrat, his chance of reelection would be zero.

[YvonneCa]

9. I agree completely, but folks like...

...the commenters on that thread aren't intelligent enough to discern that difference.JHMO. Wish I could think differently...

[CobaltBlue]

4. ...

Democratic Party should have more rigidity - minus stupidity - for better policy.

They know it. They don't intend to do it.

[ladym55]

6. John Kerry has been sounding this alarm for more than a year now

Too bad no one is listening. It's very frustrating. We desperately need to reinvest in this country. Our infrastructure is crumbling, our education system is obscenely underfunded and neglected, and we aren't innovating. Somehow the Republicans think this is okay as long as their lobbyists feed them expensive wine and put them up at five-star resorts. (Hello, Representative Paul Ryan and Speaker Boehner!)

Here in Ohio we made national news when a small village decided to unincorporate ... no money to govern. Sadly some Ohio residents shrug their shoulders and say we'll just have to live without police. They're too expensive! And after a tornado wiped out a small Ohio town, Governor Kasich turned down federal aid! Send in the National Guard units, but make the muncipalities pay for them! But not to worry! Our local news reported on a small boy collecting small change to help the tornado victims.

That ideological rigidity is damaging us as a nation on every level.

[ObamaKerryDem]

8. Best synopsis of the current GOP Congress I've heard yet!