Here’s a funny quote from Senate Republican Whip Jon Kyl yesterday on whether the process so far has been bipartisan:
The majority leader said that Republicans have had a seat at the table. I am on one of the two major committees, the Finance Committee. I think one amendment was adopted. It was an amendment offered by a Republican and a Democrat on the committee. There were well over 100 amendments that Republicans offered that were all shot down, defeated, largely on party line votes. I say to my distinguished friend from Nevada that maybe we have a seat at the table but it is a little like the kids table at Thanksgiving dinner where you are told to mind your manners and keep the noise down. That is the way Republicans feel about our role at the table in fashioning this legislation.
More importantly, Sen. Kyl responded to Leader Reid’s comments about something v. nothing:
I do, with all deference, disagree with his comment that the motivation of Republicans is to do nothing. Of course, he frequently says doing nothing is not an option. Nobody is arguing about doing nothing. Republicans have presented some very good ideas to do something, to do a lot of somethings. Our ideas have been rejected. Let’s don’t get into false debate about doing something or nothing and the only alternative is the bill that is on the Senate floor. There are alternatives, and I will discuss one group of alternatives we have presented in a moment.