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The Huffington Post reports:
Freshman Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) declared that as long as the debt ceiling negotiations are held behind closed doors, he will block all unanimous consent calls, effectively putting a stop on Senate business Tuesday in a one-man filibuster.
Johnson criticized the move to “decide the fate of America’s … financial future” in private.
“Unless we receive some assurance from the Democrat leadership that we will actually start addressing our budget out in the open, in the bright light of day — I will begin to object,” Johnson said on the Senate floor. “I will begin to withhold my consent.”
When there was a request to relinquish a quorum call, Johnson objected, bringing several senators, including Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and aides of Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) over to discuss procedural moves.
“Unless we receive some assurance from the Democrat leadership that we will actually start addressing our budget out in the open, in the bright light of day — I will begin to object,” Johnson said on the Senate floor.”
‘in the bright light of day’ … this same Johnson?
“Legal experts say that whether Sen. Ron Johnson’s (R-WI) $10 million parting gift from his company potentially violates campaign laws depends on when it was negotiated. But asked by TPM to directly address the timing, Johnson repeatedly ducked the question.”
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/06/ron-johnson-ducks-tpm-questions-on-his-10-million-payday-its-a-private-company.php?ref=fpb
another Republican beacon of virtue shines brightly in the darkness
Nice! Some of us like wearing our @ssholes on our sleeve.
O.K., let them conduct their negociations out in the open. As, then, should future discussions, on any other topic. But for some reason I doubt that Johnson’s motive is to ensure “open government.” Just more procedural hocus-pocus to gum things up and thwart Obama, and, by extension, the rest of us.
We were better off with Russ Feingold
A freshman senator who doesn’t even need to campaign for another 5 years is doing exactly that – pandering to zealots when he doesn’t even need them. Maybe he thinks this will distract the press from that 10 million dollar campaign ‘buyback’ he did- I’m sure it’s going to have the opposite effect. It shows you the irrationality of some these wingnuts – they’d push the country off a cliff as long as that ‘Kenyan Socialist’ doesn’t get re-elected.
Ron Johnson wants sunlight? Tell him to go first and explain the $10 million he received from his company in “deferred compensation.” Tell him to release the written agreement.
“Legal experts say that whether Sen. Ron Johnson’s (R-WI) $10 million parting gift from his company potentially violates campaign laws depends on when it was negotiated. But asked by TPM to directly address the timing, Johnson repeatedly ducked the question.
Johnson’s collected $10 million in deferred compensation from his former company, Pacur, a figure that Wisconsin papers have noted lines up conveniently with the $9 million he spent on his Senate campaign in 2010 against incumbent Democrat Russ Feingold. The freshman lawmaker has offered few details on how or when the company worked out the $10 million number, but legal experts told TPM that if the package was negotiated after his Senate run it could potentially count as an illegal corporate donation to his campaign.
Asked by TPM before a Senate vote on Tuesday to clarify whether he worked out the agreement before or after his 2010 campaign, Johnson did not give a direct answer.
“It’s a private company,” he said. “We fully complied, fully disclosed [and] followed the law, complied with the spirit and letter of the law, and again it’s a private company. Those financial matters end up being more complex.”
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/06/ron-johnson-ducks-tpm-questions-on-his-10-million-payday-its-a-private-company.php?ref=fpb
Senator Johnson’s Ode to Transparency
If someone stood up in a crowd
And raised his voice up way out loud
And waved his arm
And shook his leg
You’d notice him
If someone in a movie show
Yelled “fired in the second row,
This whole place is a powder keg!”
You’d notice him
And even without clucking like a hen
Everyone gets noticed, now and then,
Unless, of course, that personage should be
Invisible, inconsequential me!
Cellophane
Mister cellophane
Should have been my name !!!!
Mister cellophane
’cause you can look right through me
Walk right by me
And never know I’m there!
I tell ya
Cellophane
Mister cellophane
Should have been my name
Mister cellophane
’cause you can look right through me walk right by me
And never know I’m there. . .