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Cross-posted from Smirking Chimp
Republicans are beginning to harvest the fruits of their obstruction.
The strategy is to set the stage for the election by obstructing everything that could help the economy get better, as well as anything that might make our lives better. They understand that they just will not be held accountable for their obstruction. Then they campaign against Democrats because things are not getting better.
The current example is the Veterans Administration "scandal." Republicans obstructed every bill to improve the situation for veterans. Then they drummed up a "scandal" based on things not getting better for veterans. Republicans are already running this ad telling Alaskans to vote against Senator Mark Begich because of problems at the VA.
Strategy Phase 1: Obstruct Everything
In February Senate Republicans filibustered a bill that would have increased the VA budget by $21 billion, improved veterans' health and dental care, authorized 27 new veterans' clinics and medical facilities, added to veteran education programs and repealed a provision of the Murray-Ryan budget deal that slashed military pensions.
Filibustered. Obstructed. Killed off.
Reuters in February posted "U.S. Senate Republicans block veterans' health bill on budget worry":
"U.S. Senate Republicans blocked legislation on Thursday that would have expanded federal healthcare and education programs for veterans, saying the $24 billion bill would bust the budget.
"Even though the legislation cleared a procedural vote on Tuesday by a 99-0 vote, the measure quickly got bogged down in partisan fighting.
"Supporters said the measure would have brought the most significant changes in decades to U.S. veterans' programs. For example, it called for 27 new medical facilities to help a healthcare system that is strained by veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. [...]
"Referring to recent budget deals that aim to bring down federal deficits, Republican Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama said: 'This bill would spend more than we agreed to spend. The ink is hardly dry and here we have another bill to raise that spending again.'"
Watch this video from Senator Bernie Sanders' office:
Every VA Bill Obstructed
Thom Hartmann, writing in his post "The Mitch McConnell VA Scandal," said:
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