Okay Maybe It's Not All Boring

Mickey for the Non-Union Equivalent of California 2010:

Fred Barnes raises the possibility of a "mad duck" Congress, in which Democrats lose their majorities and their soon-to-be-ex Congressmen reconvene in December to pass all the most controversial parts of the Democratic agenda

Oh, no! Those monsters! What diabolical parts of their agenda will they seek to pass? Mickey suggests the immigration bill -- quelle surprise! -- and ... a value added tax. Huh?

Apparently, the idea of a VAT has become yet another of the right wing noise machine's terror-and-outrage objects, after Paul Volcker (an actual golem created to haunt Larry Summers) idly suggested a VAT was "not as toxic" as it used to be and a handful of Democrats didn't rule out a VAT at some point in the future. The Senate then passed a resolution against the VAT 85-13, which puts its chances for immediate passage somewhere on the level of the Amended Springfield/Pervert Bill. [But Obama said it was "on the table"!!! -- ed. Yes, presumably somewhere between the butter, the napkin holder, and the nuclear strike on Iran].

Honestly, I'm just surprised that Mickey didn't add the revival of the fairness doctrine, the banning of salt, the outlawing of hunting, and the general confiscation of all firearms to his list.

Anyway, nothing ever happens during a lame duck session -- remember 2006, when they sneakily passed every single item on the Republican agenda? -- but nothing's too scary for Mickey when Democrats are in power! They'll use every trick in the book to advance their horrible agenda of sensible financial and environmental regulation!

Alert reader J. suggests "an all-out filibuster" would stop a mad-duck legislating binge. Not if the legislation can be put in the form of "reconciliation" bills--and I would think a VAT would qualify because of its obvious budgetary impact. ...

Except that reconciliation can only be used once a year, has already been used this year, and the new Congressional term begins on January 3rd, 2011 -- information which I acquired at this incredibly obscure research database.

BUT ZOMG WHAT ABOUT THE FIRST TWO DAYS OF 2011??? WHO WILL PROTECT US THEN???

A Democratic-gadfly persona, that's who! Kaus 2010!