Wash. Post's Weisman again ignored GOP's "obstructionist" Date: Thu, 02 Aug 2007 15:53:03 -0400

Wash. Post's Weisman again ignored GOP's "obstructionist" strategy

http://mediamatters.org/items/200708020006

In an August 2 article discussing House passage of a bill to reauthorize and expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program, Washington Post reporter Jonathan Weisman wrote: "The legislation would launch the most significant growth in federal health care in a decade, and Democrats hope it will fortify their members as they head home soon for the summer recess amid voter perception that they have accomplished little since taking control of Congress." However, Weisman did not report the Republicans' role in blocking Democratic initiatives, which has occurred at an unprecedented rate, according to McClatchy Newspapers -- apparently as part of what Senate Minority Whip Trent Lott (R-MS) has reportedly described as an "obstructionist" strategy.

As Media Matters for America documented, in a July 30 article discussing a recent Washington Post/ABC News poll, Weisman similarly omitted Senate Republicans' role in obstructing Democratic legislation while reporting Republican attacks on a "do-nothing" Democratic Congress.

As Media Matters noted, a July 20 McClatchy article reported: "This year Senate Republicans are threatening filibusters to block more legislation than ever before." McClatchy continued: "Nearly 1 in 6 roll-call votes in the Senate this year have been cloture votes. If this pace of blocking legislation continues, this 110th Congress will be on track to roughly triple the previous record number of cloture votes." Further, an April 18 Roll Call article quoted (subscription required) Lott acknowledging that the GOP is employing an "obstructionist" strategy in the Senate: "The strategy of being obstructionist can work or fail. ... For [former Senate Democratic Leader Tom] Daschle (S.D.), it failed. For [then-Senate Minority Leader Harry] Reid [D-NV], it succeeded, and so far it's working for us."

From the August 2 edition of the The Washington Post:

The House yesterday approved legislation vastly expanding a federal health insurance program for the children of the working poor, shrugging off a fresh veto threat from President Bush and the fierce opposition of House Republicans.

The Senate, where the legislation has strong bipartisan support, is expected to follow suit as early as today, voting on a more modest version of the program and probably setting up a showdown between congressional supporters and the White House, which says the measures are far too expansive.

The legislation would launch the most significant growth in federal health care in a decade, and Democrats hope it will fortify their members as they head home soon for the summer recess amid voter perceptions that they have accomplished little since taking control of Congress.

"This is the children's hour," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) declared last night. "We are able to meet our moral obligation to our children."

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