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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2009
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 DANA MILBANK 
27

GOP Boycotts Climate Bill, Dems Get Bored

Climate hearing boycott ends with whimper

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(Newser) – For a while yesterday, Democrats got to live the dream: a world without Republicans. The GOP made good on its promise to boycott the Senate environment committee’s hearing on its climate change bill, and Democrats had a good time lambasting them in absentia, calling them the party of “no” and comparing them to “a child staying out of school.” When Republican George Voinovich finally did show up, chairman Barbara Boxer cut him off after 12 minutes.

“I've got colleagues that just don't have time,” Boxer said. But without Republicans, the Dems “soon discovered a nefarious side effect of the boycott: boredom,” writes Dana Milbank. Boxer wouldn’t take amendments without Republicans, so even Democrats started leaving. Soon she was telling remaining senators to take their time, “because we don’t have anybody else here.” She kept insisting they’d wait for Republicans, until finally she was left waiting alone in the room. “We’re going to stand in recess,” she told the C-SPAN cameras.

Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chair Sen. Barbara Boxer, talks to committee member George Voinovich Tuesday, during the committee's markup on the climate change legislation.
Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chair Sen. Barbara Boxer, talks to committee member George Voinovich Tuesday, during the committee's markup on the climate change legislation.   (AP Photo/Harry Hamburg)
The Republican side, left, remains empty on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009, during the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee markup on the Climate Change legislation.
The Republican side, left, remains empty on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009, during the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee markup on the Climate Change legislation.   (AP Photo/Harry Hamburg)
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27 comments
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Unaffiliated
Nov 4, 09 11:19 AM CST
Where's the pic of her waiting alone? Reply
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+1
Yourself
Nov 4, 09 11:26 AM CST
Stay classy GOP.. Stay classy!!! way to ignore the real issues in the world for you pity little political games. Reply
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0
Yourself
Nov 4, 09 11:28 AM CST
come to think of it, there's a simple solution to this. if they don't want to show up, the make the decisions without them, and when they complain that they had no say, point it out to the press that they WILLINGLY didn't show up to the meetings. Show the pictures of empty seats. Move on already, move on without them if they think they're so much better then the very environment that our lifestyles is dependent on. Reply
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+2
IN RESPONSE:
northeast
Nov 4, 09 11:51 AM CST
And yet...the Democrats didn't do this. It's almost as if the Republicans aren't the only party looking to score meaningless political points.
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+2
IN RESPONSE:
foodchain11
Nov 4, 09 1:49 PM CST
Yourself; I see 2 problems with what I think is a great idea: Dems won't do it and the press won't report that the GOP didn't show up. MSM will just give = time to a rightie and a leftie
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