Bill Clinton knew how to deal with Richard Shelby

[bluestateguy]

Pay attention President Obama:

http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19970319&slug=2529543

Soon after Clinton took office, he proposed a $16 billion plan to boost the nation's economy and asked members of his own party to give him at least three days of grace before criticizing any part of it. Shelby, then a Democrat, did not wait three hours.

"The taxman cometh," he said in a sound bite made for television.

If that weren't enough, several days later, Shelby met with Vice President Al Gore before television cameras. Asked by a reporter what he thought of the administration's budget priorities, Shelby didn't hesitate, even though Gore was at his side: "High on taxes, low on (spending) cuts."

The comment, a deliberate slight of Gore from a member of his own party, made the network news.

"I didn't like that," responded Clinton a few days later.

And he did something about it.

He took a $375 million program - and 90-plus jobs - from the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., and moved it to Johnson Space Center in Houston.

For good measure, when the University of Alabama's national champion football team came to the White House in March 1993, the White House gave Sen. Howell Heflin of Alabama 15 tickets for him to give to friends. It gave Shelby one ticket.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

1. Obama needs to learn from Clinton. nt

[DainBramaged]

2. De Camptown ladies sing dis song, Doo-dah! doo-dah!

Senator Shelby, you key for the Senatorial men's room has been revoked.


And don't forget this scumbag switched to Rethug in 1994, and was THE 911 report leaker, but of course nothing was done to him by his Rethuglican buddies.

[babylonsister]

3. Good advice. And Shelby used to be a Dem? I didn't know that. nt

[navarth]

4. me neither. good riddance to bad rubbish.

[DainBramaged]

12. Yup, couldn't WAIT to turncoat when the Thugs took over in 1994

[BR_Parkway]

6. Technically, he's more of an Opportunist than a principled partisan

if area went Blue, he'd be switching again, just to benefit himself

[hankthecrank]

5. k & r n/t

[unblock]

7. today's democratic leadership would give shelby a committee chair

[judasdisney]

8. Reid & Pelosi would've rewarded Shelby with a committee chair

[FLAprogressive]

11. so true.nt

[question everything]

9. Love it! (nt)

[Captain Hilts]

10. That's exactly what you do. Play rough. nt

[Libertyfirst]

13. play for "keeps" not "funnsies." n/y

[DeepModem Mom]

14. K&R

[CreekDog]

15. of course that's why Shelby became a Republican

certainly not based on any "principles". :eyes: