It looks like Senate Republicans filibustered the Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act for no other reason than to deny Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire a legislative accomplishment that she can run on in her bid for reelection. Former Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown, who is running against Sen. Shaheen, apparently lobbied Senate Republicans to spike the bill. And then New Hampshire Republicans used the stalled bill as a weapon against Shaheen.
“Senator Shaheen has called the Shaheen-Portman Energy Efficiency Bill her ‘defining’ legislation,” Jennifer Horn, chairman of the New Hampshire Republican State Committee, said in a statement Monday. “But after its defeat, Senator Shaheen doesn’t have a single legislative accomplishment to run on as she seeks re-election. It’s time to end Jeanne Shaheen’s failed tenure in the Senate and replace her with a responsible Republican who can get results for New Hampshire.”
This might have had merit if the bill was unpopular, but it actually had seven Republican co-sponsors, meaning that it should have easily overcome a filibuster. In the end, though, only three Republicans voted for cloture. It seems unlikely to me that the voters of New Hampshire will make their decision on whether or not to reelect Jeanne Shaheen based on the failure or success of a single bill. Yes, it would be nice for Shaheen to be able to point to a legislative accomplishment, but now she can point to the obstruction of a popular bill at the behest of her opponent.
It seems unlikely to me that the voters of New Hampshire will make their decision on whether or not to reelect Jeanne Shaheen based on the failure or success of a single bill.
Can someone tell me the last time an election was decided on this kind of bill? Do I wish it had passed? Sure. But an election isn’t going to be won or lost on this particular bill.
It’s pretty much impossible to prove why someone won or lost an election unless there is some kind of Macaca Moment involved.
True but what’s more likely, this or people voting on a $15/hr minimum wage?
Thus exposing the senators who blocked it as both obstructionist shoobs AND stooges for Mr. TrukNutz. Twofer.
For Repubs to believe that this overt and mindless obstruction is a winning strategy against Shaheen, they have to think that NH “independents” are the most God-awful stupid and uninformable imbeciles imaginable.
Or that the corporate media can make them so. One of the two, anyway…Lift those voters up, Repubs!
Senator Shaheen should run ads saying that, even from afar, Scott “CARPETBAGGER” Brown’s malignant influence is affecting NH, and the nation.
spelled with a q
I don’t know anything about this campaign, nor the one in Maine, but I sure hope as hell the Democratic ads are strongly linking the GOP candidate to the tea partiers who who are setting the GOP agenda in Washington.
Sure, Scott Brown talks a good line, but when he was in the Senate he voted with the GOP on X, Y, and Z. During the Bush years, Susan Collins voted for a series of GOP extremists for leadership positions and often was the deciding vote. They aren’t moderates, they just pretend to be during their campaigns.