Congress Forgot to Flush

The Senate passed the new spending bill on a 56 to 40 vote. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) voted against the bill because of the Dodd-Frank provision that allows the banks (once again) to recklessly gamble with other people's money. Here's what Elizabeth Warren had said just before the vote.

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The spending bill also allowed much more of political spending to influence our democracy. And did I mention that the bill also puts pensions at risk? In all, 21 Democrats and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) voted against the measure, as did 18 Republicans. Obama is expected to sign off on the bill.

In an press interview, just prior to the vote, Obama said the bill was a "compromise". Many people think that, as bad as the bill is, it could have been much worse with a new GOP controlled Congress next year.

So it all comes down to voters who are either naive, apathetic, misinformed, ignorant and/or racist who have consistently voted against their own best interests — and by doing so, have ruined the country for everyone else.

Next on the GOP wish list (that Obama will also pass): The Keystone pipeline and two really bad trade agreements --- talks concerning the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TTP), a trade agreement linking the economies of the U.S., Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam and eight other Pacific Rim countries --- and an even bigger trade deal with the European Union, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).

We can forget about a higher federal minimum wage, or strengthening Social Security, or any adequate infrastructure spending. This country his headed for the toilet — right along with American workers. Now all the politicians in Congress (and the very rich on Wall Street) have to do is just remember to flush.

* Editor's Note: There's one thing I noticed is that major media (like CNN and MSNBC) is playing down the bad parts of this bill, and marginalizing Elisabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders as "far left" --- and emphasizing that a good thing about the bill is that it funds government until September of next year and that this will provide more stability in the economy. The media is playing to what they perceive to be "the political middle" and is saying the liberals and the conservatives alike don't like the bill, but that this is what "governing" is supposed to be all about...compromise. (like compromising the American worker and the future of the country.)