Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

You are here: MacNN Forums > Community > MacNN Lounge > Political/War Lounge > Palin: VP "in charge" of the Senate

Palin: VP "in charge" of the Senate
Thread Tools
Mrjinglesusa
Professional Poster
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Why do you care?
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Oct 22, 2008, 08:21 PM
 
[T]hey’re [a Vice-President] in charge of the U.S. Senate so if they want to they can really get in there with the senators and make a lot of good policy changes that will make life better for Brandon and his family and his classroom
Really Sarah? I thought they just cast votes in case of ties and the position is more ceremonial than anything else.

Article I Section 3: The Vice President of the United States shall be President of the Senate, but shall have no vote, unless they be equally divided
Someone needs to tell her that she will not be able to "get in there with the senators" and "make a lot of good policy changes". How hard would it be to tell a third grader: the VP takes over for the President in the case of death or if he can't carry out his duties, supports the President's agenda, and votes to break tie votes in the Senate?

     
Big Mac
Clinically Insane
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Los Angeles
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Oct 22, 2008, 08:25 PM
 
The Constitution states that one of the only official roles of the Vice President is to preside over the Senate. That speaks to the VP being in charge, although it's true that the VP only votes to break ties.

"The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground." TJ
     
Mrjinglesusa  (op)
Professional Poster
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Why do you care?
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Oct 22, 2008, 08:32 PM
 
Originally Posted by Big Mac View Post
The Constitution states that one of the only official roles of the Vice President is to preside over the Senate. That speaks to the VP being in charge, although it's true that the VP only votes to break ties.
Donald Ritchie, a historian in the Senate Historical Office told CNN that Palin's comment was an "overstatement" of what her role would be.

The vice president is the ceremonial officer of the Senate and has certain ceremonial functions including swearing in new senators and can vote to break a tie. It’s a relatively limited role. It's evolved into a neutral presiding officer of the Senate.

It's not comparable to the Speaker of the House who is certainly in charge of the House. The slogan that political scientists use is that the House is ruled by the chair and the Senate is ruled by the floor…the senators are in charge of the Senate.
One would think she would know that being President Pro Tempore of the Senate does not mean that she is "in charge" or that she can "really get in there with the senators and make a lot of good policy changes". Her words.
     
placebo1969
Grizzled Veteran
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Washington (the state) USA
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Oct 22, 2008, 08:39 PM
 
You want nuance to a 3rd grader? Man, the left is really reaching.
     
Chuckit
Clinically Insane
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: San Diego, CA, USA
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Oct 22, 2008, 08:49 PM
 
Originally Posted by Big Mac View Post
The Constitution states that one of the only official roles of the Vice President is to preside over the Senate. That speaks to the VP being in charge, although it's true that the VP only votes to break ties.
I'm not sure if being a president with essentially no authority actually counts as being "in charge." It's a bit like getting a World's Best Dad mug and bragging that you're America's foremost child-rearing expert.
Chuck
___
"Instead of either 'multi-talented' or 'multitalented' use 'bisexual'."
     
Wiskedjak
Posting Junkie
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Calgary
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Oct 22, 2008, 08:50 PM
 
Originally Posted by Big Mac View Post
The Constitution states that one of the only official roles of the Vice President is to preside over the Senate. That speaks to the VP being in charge, although it's true that the VP only votes to break ties.
I can understand how one who doesn't fully understand the intricacies of the American political system. I can even appreciate that many Americans probably don't understand the system to that level of detail. But, I would expect that someone applying for the job to know exactly what the job entails and the difference between "presiding" and "being in charge".
     
Mrjinglesusa  (op)
Professional Poster
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Why do you care?
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Oct 22, 2008, 08:51 PM
 
Originally Posted by placebo1969 View Post
You want nuance to a 3rd grader? Man, the left is really reaching.
No, that's why I said in my OP:

How hard would it be to tell a third grader: the VP takes over for the President in the case of death or if he can't carry out his duties, supports the President's agenda, and votes to break tie votes in the Senate?
How is that "nuance"? A third grader would understand that completely. Now, this third grader has the idea that the VP runs the senate ("they are in charge of the U.S. Senate") and actually has a say in what they do ("make a lot of good policy changes").

They (the right) will play this off as her trying to dumb it down for a third grader but I honestly wonder whether she knows that she's not in charge and can't use her position in the Senate to make policy changes?
     
design219
Professional Poster
Join Date: Oct 2004
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Oct 22, 2008, 09:21 PM
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l40nr...php?f=4&t=1024

Listen to her. She actually thinks the VP works in the Senate "to make good policy changes."
__________________________________________________

My stupid iPhone game: Nesen Probe, it's rather old, annoying and pointless, but it's free.
Was free. Now it's gone. Never to be seen again.
Off to join its brother and sister apps that could not
keep up with the ever updating iOS. RIP Nesen Probe.
     
Wiskedjak
Posting Junkie
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Calgary
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Oct 22, 2008, 10:48 PM
 
Originally Posted by design219 View Post
Listen to her. She actually thinks the VP works in the Senate "to make good policy changes."
Could be a spoiler and she's getting confused between the *current* powers of the VP and those which they intend to *grab* for the VP.
     
Rumor
Moderator
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: on the verge of insanity
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Oct 22, 2008, 10:51 PM
 
Sounds like she still doesn't know what a VP does.
I like my water with hops, malt, hops, yeast, and hops.
     
Wiskedjak
Posting Junkie
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Calgary
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Oct 22, 2008, 11:39 PM
 
Originally Posted by Rumor View Post
Sounds like she still doesn't know what a VP does.
Well, it's not like she's really had a chance to study up on the subject. She's too busy campaigning to be the next VP.
     
subego
Clinically Insane
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Chicago, Bang! Bang!
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Oct 28, 2008, 06:00 PM
 
Originally Posted by Chuckit View Post
I'm not sure if being a president with essentially no authority actually counts as being "in charge." It's a bit like getting a World's Best Dad mug and bragging that you're America's foremost child-rearing expert.

She's assistant to the Regional Manager.
     
Timo
Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: New York City
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Oct 28, 2008, 08:12 PM
 
^heh
     
   
Thread Tools
 
Forum Links
Forum Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Top
Privacy Policy
All times are GMT -4. The time now is 02:35 PM.
All contents of these forums © 1995-2017 MacNN. All rights reserved.
Branding + Design: www.gesamtbild.com
vBulletin v.3.8.8 © 2000-2017, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.,