IDHA: More ‘gotcha’ from the GOP: Carey stretches truth in effort to ambush Walz

As we had hoped in this morning's post, IDHA's DJ Danielson walks his readers through the latest whopper from MN GOP headquarters in St. Paul in More ‘gotcha’ from the GOP: Carey stretches truth in effort to ambush Walz.

Danielson writes:

. . .the underlying bill was the energy bill, not one dealing with the Alternative Minimum Tax. Carey seems to think the House should have allowed this amendment to be considered, regardless of the subject’s relevance to the bill.

You see, the subject of the song was “I’m Just a Bill,” not “How a Motion to Recommit Gets Put to a Vote” or “How an Amendment Gets Through the Rules Committee” (though I am sure both would provide for excellent educational fodder for our nation’s children). As far as I am aware, since the Schoolhouse Rock video was produced, the main vehicle for which legislation is passed is still a bill. And yes, amendments to these bills can and do come up for discussion.

Almost always though the amendment offered is germane to the bill at hand. Not so in this case: the Republicans wanted to make an amendment to the energy bill essentially wiping it out and replacing it with Alternative Minimum Tax language. Walz and the majority then voted for the rule prohibiting such an amendment.

Yes, how dare that elitist liberal majority use its power in such as way as stopping non-germane amendments. Personally, I am not a very big fan of closed rules such as the one used for the energy bill, but the obstructionist tactics (such as this proposed amendment) the GOP has employed time and time again make their use necessary.

This isn’t the first time the GOP has used press releases about a “gotcha” vote to try and make Walz appear in poor light: Randy Demmer used loaded rhetoric, eerily similar to that used by Carey, in October to describe a Walz vote on a motion to recommit.

Remember when the GOP grandstanded on SCHIP during debate on the agriculture appropriations bill? Same thing all over again. This is classic “gotcha” from the GOP, but lucky for you, we’re here with the truth about what happened. . . .

Meanwhile, read our post today to what the editorial board of the Waseca County News wrote about Walz. And no, no one on the board is a relative as far as we know, though our maternal grandmother's family still lives in that neck of the woods.

Why do we suspect that we'll hear a few more whimpers from Carey's press release in Minnesota righty blogosphere, but not much else? The Rochester Post Bulletin has already praised the Energy Bill as landmark legislation, after all.