Louie Gohmert's Complaint About Immigration Reform Bill: No one Read Every Word

     Of all the phony GOP arguments we're always hearing, this is always one of my favorite thanks to its total meaninglessness.

      "Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, said the notion that overwhelming Senate action should compel the House to act ignores the American system of checks and balances. "Imprudence at one end, the Founders were hoping, would be countermanded by prudence at the other," Gohmert said. "And it goes both ways. Sometimes we've been imprudent and the Senate has helped rein us in."

     "It's unclear how many Republican senators will ultimately vote for the Gang of Eight proposal. The border-security amendment sponsored by GOP Sens. Bob Corker of Tennessee and John Hoeven of North Dakota attracted 15 Republican votes on Wednesday, and collected 69 votes total. And some aides think the tally for final passage of the bill could surpass 70."

     "But at the end of the day, House Republicans say, there is no "magic number" of Senate votes that will pressure them into passing comprehensive immigration reform."

     "When we have 70 senators who have read every word of the bill,” Gohmert said, “then I'll be more persuaded.”

      http://www.nationaljournal.com/congress/senate-supermajority-on-immigration-means-nothing-in-the-house-20130627

      Can the Congressman name me the bill that has been read word for word? How many bills has he read every word of? This is Congress after all, where the final draft of a bill is usually very lengthy-no one human usually does read it or even write it. It's written through conferences and deliberation by different Congress critters' staffs. Did Reagan read the 'tax reform' bills of 1982 and 1986 word for word?

      Meanwhile House conservatives are increasingly convinced that Boehner won't break the Hastert Rule. However, he always promises he won't break it and he has done in the past when necessary. I continue to think he will do just that. 

      Whether he will or he won't you can't tell by the fact that he says he won't-he had said the same thing about the fiscal cliff. If he were planning to put it up for a vote would he be broadcasting that intention at this stage of the game?

       I get what's going on in the House. You have a lot of Tea Party Reps who care only about holding onto their seats and holding off a primary challenge. Is this Boehner's main concern? I think you have to say that the amount of support from the GOP establishment is impressive. Karl Rove:

      "The Karl Rove-backed conservative activist group Crossroads GPS issued a statement Thursday lauding the Senate's passage of the bipartisan immigration legislation as "an important first step toward meaningful immigration reform."

    “Today's vote is an important first step toward meaningful immigration reform, but it must not be the last," the statement read. "Since Senate Democrats blocked crucial improvements to the bill, it will be up to the House to ensure the final bill takes a more balanced approach to reform.  We remain hopeful that Congress will pass bipartisan reform that strengthens America's immigration system and puts our security and economy first.”

      http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/crossroads-gps-we-remain-hopeful-that-congress-will

      Like the way he faults Democrats for blocking 'crucial improvements' to the bill but not the fact that only 14 of 45 Republicans voted for this legislation that he celebrates passing. He had an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal today that gives conservatives a much needed math lesson-that if 2 million whites vote in 2016 the GOP wouldn't get all 2 million but more like the 59% Romney got in 2012. 

      http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323873904578569480696746650.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_LEADTop

      McCain clearly can do the math and gets that if this fails it's on the GOP:

       Moments after immigration reform passed the Senate Thursday by a whopping 68-32 vote, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) gently nudged his House colleagues to do what it takes to ensure the success of a comprehensive overhaul.

      “We will be doing whatever we can to convince our colleagues in a respectful manner,” he told a handful of reporters just off the Senate floor. “None of our colleagues on the other side of the Capitol like to be talked down to or given tutorials. They have their own views and we respect them. And we need to have a respectful dialogue.”

      "The Arizona Republican is a critical figure in the reform effort — a member of the bipartisan “Gang of Eight” senators that struck the deal that formed the foundation of the legislation. Much has been made about the GOP’s death spiral with Hispanic voters, the country’s fastest-growing demographic, which resoundingly voted for Barack Obama twice."

     "TPM asked McCain if Republicans can recover in 2016 if the overhaul falters and if the party nominates a pro-immigration candidate. He took a deep breath and shook his head."

      “No,” he said.

      
       http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2013/06/mccain-republicans-immigration-reform.php?ref=fpb

       My guess is Boehner gets this too.