Lame duck sesion

Top 5 Lame Duck Losers For 2010

Brian Beutler | December 24, 2010, 8:27AM

Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ)

Until the next Congress starts, the media will have little to prattle on about besides the Democrats lame duck accomplishments. Already lost in the coverage are two key facts: 1.) The Dems' victories came at the expense of Republicans, many of whom really blew it these past few weeks; and 2.) The Democrats didn't win everything.

Here's our list of the lame duck's top five losers.

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Barack Obama

Top 5 Lame Duck Winners For 2010

Brian Beutler | December 24, 2010, 8:25AM

President Barack Obama

Republicans attacked it as a perversion of democracy, and used it as an excuse to continue to vote against Dem priorities. Democrats recognized it as their last chance to accomplish much of anything for the next two years. People in the media mistook it for a Barack Obama renaissance.

Certainly Democrats accomplished more than most people expected they would these last several weeks. But between the victories and the compromises and the defeats, it's hard to keep track of who came out on top.

Here's a list of the lame duck's big winners to help you sort it all out.

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START treaty

Gibbs Condemns DeMint's Plans To Force Reading Of START Treaty

David Taintor | December 15, 2010, 1:19PM

White House Press Sec. Robert Gibbs

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs today called Sen. Jim DeMint's (R-SC) plans to force a reading of the START Treaty a "new low in putting political stunts ahead of our national security" and "exactly the kind of Washington game-playing that the American people are sick of."

"Every minute that the START Treaty is being read on the Senate floor increases the time that we lack verification of Russia's nuclear arsenal," Gibbs said in a statement, adding that the bill has already been the subject of almost 20 Senate hearings.

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The Daily Show

Jon Stewart Ridicules Lame Duck And GOP's 'Audacity Of Nope' (VIDEO)

David Taintor | December 2, 2010, 11:05AM

Jon Stewart

Jon Stewart last night checked in with the 111th Congress, saying that the post-election lame duck session is a "legislative sweet spot."

"(It's) the three weeks out of every two years when people can actually do what's best for the country, because they're not preoccupied with getting reelected," Stewart said. "It's kind of like that five-minute window after you have an orgasm, when you're finally not thinking about sex and can actually get some work done."

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