Video: Sen. Snowe says Americans 'fed up' with Washington gridlock
(CNN) - Retiring Sen. Olympia Snowe said Americans are "fed up with the posturing in Washington."
A moderate Republican from Maine, Snowe shocked the political world in February when she announced that she would not seek a fourth term in the Senate because of its "debilitating partisanship, polarization and the overall dysfunction."
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"They have manufactured all the crisises that have developed in the last two years with regard to the economy and the debt ceiling and the fiscal crisis, deferring the tax cut expiration, the spending cuts," she said Monday. " All of that has been manufactured by Congress."
"It's because it was all positioning for the next election," Snowe continued, adding the inability of lawmakers to reach common ground was because of political interests instead of the best course for country.
Sen.-elect Angus King, an independent who won Olympia's seat, announced last week he would caucus with Democrats, giving the party a ten-vote advantage over Republicans in the upper chamber.
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Two words or the whole lot of 'em can go drown in the Chesapeake: FILIBUSTER REFORM.
NOW! NO EXCUSES. SHUT YOUR FILTHY EVER-YAPPING MOUTHS, REFORM THE BROKEN PROCEDURAL RULES AND GET TO FREEKIN WORK.
Please Ms. Snow, do not retire from your senatorship. You are the only moderate voice among the senate republicans who can work on both sides of the aisle. it would be a terrible loss for americans hoping to get the two sides work together.
yeah, it couldn't be too much fun being in the senate, lead by democrat harry do nothing reid, that won't let anything come up for a vote. his primary job is to protect the dear leader and not the country.
Well it is good to see that there is someone in DC knows what is going on and is sick of it. If she is sick of it how do you think how we feel. The best thing to do is wipe the slate clean and start all over again.
It makes me sick to my stomach how the media claims someone like Olympia Snowe, Susan Collins or former Sen. Scott Brown to be moderate. They vote in accordance with the region of the country they stay in. When it comes to social issues, they vote bipartisan. But let it be legislation that the party is in lockstep on, they fall in line and vote partisanly.
The tea potty lost the Senate twice now for the GOBP. Silence. They helped Mitt the twit lose by a landslide. Crickets from the unhinged GOBP. 2014 will be the year that the GOBP becomes the whig party. 2010 was a fluke.
They have manufactured all the crisises that have developed in the last two years with regard to the economy and the debt ceiling and the fiscal crisis, deferring the tax cut expiration, the spending cuts," she said Monday. " All of that has been manufactured by Congress."
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Sen. Snowe, I am so very sorry you waited this long to speak this clearly.
I have a lot of respect for you but speaking of doing what is in the best interest of the coutnry, the country woudl've benefitted from these types of candid and truthful statements many months ago.
Fortunately the U.S. voter figured THAT out by him/herself in time for the Presidential election.
Good luck to you Senator, and a heary and warm welcome to Sen-elect Angus King.
Finally the truth comes out. Did not work for the good of the country. Last two years the GOP has held up compromise because of the election. Tea Party has created ths problem. Grover Norquist's No Tax pledge (in which GOP members signed) has created this no compromise House of Representatives. They threw the country under the bus because they wanted Obama out of the White Hosue. Totally disgusting!
'Fiscal Cliff"...how did the coining of it come about..?..if Washington form the White House to Congress..Dems and Gop both parties alike were willing and able to solve 'The Fiscal Cliff' is should be already in place and not set on a Timer with the Clock fast running down.."Why".? lack of "Leadership" all around..and we are already hearing form the
Dem-side to allow 'the fiscal cliff" to happen, Thus they can start the blame-game without ever showing any Leadership...!
There is far too much polarization in Congress. Unfortunately, those who may be more moderate are also voting with the Republican minority when push comes to shove. Sen. Snowe and Sen. Collins often voted with their peers when you thought they would vote with the majority.
The Maine Republican candidate for the senate would not support Sen. Snowe for another term. He is far more conservative than either Sen. Showe or Senator Collins. Sen. Snowe did nto endorse him but Sen. Collins did. In the final analysis Sen. Collins is still that good Republican who will periodically vote with the moderates and liberals. Compared to Sen. McConnell, Sen. DeMint, and some other Republican senators she would be considered very moderate, almost liberal.
Correction Ms. Snowe – all the crises have been manufactured by the REPUBLICANS in Congress. Mostly to appeal to ignorant dimwits like Mr. 'Just sayin' above.
We are sick of Washington working for themselves at the price of American jobs. The House should give back 3 years of pay and benefits to the American coffers for not doing anything. They get richer and more secure off our hard earned dollars. We want the filibuster reform, tax reform, strengthen SS and Medicare. NOW!
".....All of that has been manufactured by Congress." Say no more.
Be clear! Republican filibusters, Tea Party pledges, and "personhood riders" are the reason for gridlock. Gridlock has been caused by Republicans holding America hostage so they can protect the rich and gain political favor from the extremist on the right-wing. It's that simple.
If the House and Senate were willing to cooperate more and be willing to understand that they are there to do the business of and for the American people, then there might be more movement. Many Americans aren't idelogues like many on the right (teapublicans anyone?) and left don't want to move anything but their own agenda which hurts the country.
Actually, no, we are not fed up with gridlock, especially if the alternative is the Obama/Democrats far left agenda. Without gridlock, we had Obamacare forced down our throats by the Democrats. If Democrats were still in control of the House, who knows what insanity Pelosi would have passed?
Senator, you may fed up with your party, you cannot give up on America, and all of us American.
Be an independent or a center democratic, or whatever, there are lots of work to be done to rescue middle class americans
We thank you for your service
gridlock bad??? democrats and obama want forward over the fiscal cliff. republicans want gridlock and fiscal sanity. gridlock is the best course of action right now. unless the country is feeling suicidal after 4 years of obama. its called a holding pattern. maybe snowe didn;t get the memo about the country being broke?
ray e(georgia) the boy you mentioned, was it your son or your dad you were talking about?
You took the words right out of my mouth Pander Bear......right on!
"They have manufactured all the crisises that have developed in the last two years with regard to the economy and the debt ceiling and the fiscal crisis, deferring the tax cut expiration, the spending cuts," she said Monday. " All of that has been manufactured by Congress."
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Smart lady. Hey, right wingers. Notice that she specifically says "in the last two years," not the last four. She's speaking about the Tea Party intransigence in the Republican controlled House.
We will never get that sophmoric ogre Reid to compromise on anything. As long as he is Senate majority leader and constantly throwing out over the top rhetoric, outright lies and all else to do absolutely nothing we are stuck. He makes the tea party look like wilting daisies. A matter a fact when was the last time you heard from the tea party except from the crazies on blogs and here where they are hated more than Israel for self-protection.
Unfortunately the Senate is full of bad apples. Very easy to count those good ones. On the other chamber, no one needs to ask!
Jess
Actually, no, we are not fed up with gridlock, especially if the alternative is the Obama/Democrats far left agenda. Without gridlock, we had Obamacare forced down our throats by the Democrats. If Democrats were still in control of the House, who knows what insanity Pelosi would have passed?
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Insanity? A Democratic House would have passed the Jobs Bill, to repair infrastructure like roads, railways and bridges. Yes, they would have finally gotten rid of some of most insane portions of the Bush Tax Cuts.
Insanity? The Republican House passed a bill re-affirming their belief in the phrase "In God We Trust" and they banned energy efficient light bulbs.
"idlock is the best course of action right now."
How's all zero of those economists who agree with you?