Feb 20 2007
Americans Weary Of Hyped Congressional Results
Americans booted the Reps from Congress because they were not doing much of anything, yet crowing about how great they were at everything. The stalemate of progress was laid at the feet of Rep leadership – rightfully so – which was stuck in partisanship deadlock or wedded to extreme views outside the mainstream. While the Democrats were a worthy minority, compromise is not evil and can show results. Noteworthy in the last Congress was the Gang of 14 who paved the way for a wave of conservative judicial appointments which truly changed the face of our court system for the better. This is one of many examples of progress which the partisans incessently complained about – despite the clear positive results. Needless to say America got tired of the duplicity of what were the results and the prevailing commentary or PR messages.
It seems the Democrats are bent on repeating this mistake with a series of empty resolutions and overblown propaganda that is not fooling anyone at all:
House Democratic Caucus Chairman Rahm Emanuel’s release was titled, “Emanuel Statement on Bipartisan Approval of Iraq Resolution,” while House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer’s was headlined an only slightly different, “Bipartisan Majority in U.S. House Votes Against the President’s Plan to Escalate the War in Iraq.”
On the House floor, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, staying true to her party’s talking points, also referred to the resolution as “bipartisan.”
In fact, support for the Iraq resolution was bipartisan only in the technical sense that the vote on the resolution was not completely along party lines.
…
Clearly, the vote on the resolution was very much partisan, though with a handful of defections. We can argue over what would constitute a truly bipartisan vote, but 92% of Republicans voting against something and 99% of Democrats voting for it surely doesn’t come close to passing the threshold. By insisting, whether in a press release, in statements on the floor or in interviews after the fact, that the vote was bipartisan, Democratic leaders look silly.
Yeah, they look silly. They also look like cheap imitations of the Congress which was just booted from power. All this usless crowing over useless legislation that demands we lose a war quickly, before we accidentally succeed. While the Reps were a big disappointment, the Dems are going to be, rightfully, seen as simply charlatans if they come back to Americans with these empty results after being given power. Because everyone knew the reason Reps were stymied was the opposition stopped progress, supposedly to get a balanced result. If they do not demonstrate the ability to compromise and show balanced results, they will be booted as well.
Just business as usual, AJ…something like this:
I see that McCain is not the only one making an A$$ of himself in South Carolina with is rant against Rummy:
Hillary Clinton has negotiated herself an endorsement of Darrell Jackson and one other influential black leader named Ford in SC. Claiming that “every candidate” has been bidding for State Senator Jackson’s “services”, Jackson denies that he was swayed for that reason only. At a stunning sum of $10,000 a month, he will join the Clinton campaign against Obama and Edwards (who he endorsed in 2004).
Are candidates allowed to PAY for endorsements with campaign funds? If this isn’t illegal, it should be, especially since this didn’t come out until after the endorsement was made public.
Just business as usual for the Clintons who have to BUY all their votes. You probably won’t hear the other candidates in this complain too loudly either…what are they going to say? She outbid me?
Sigh.
What are the chanced of Jack Murtha’s “Slow Bleed” resolution to pass?
Novak thinks Murtha has every right to get it passed. Of course, Novak wonders how many Democrats will stand by Murtha.
Murtha’s plan would represent the dynamism Strata refers to, even if
he would deny it. Iraq was why the Dems were voted in; they betrayed their base before the war (80% were opposed to the war);
if they betray it again, the need for a third part becomes obvious.
Of course Strata’s previous references to third parties , if I’m not mistaken, have all been negative. An attitude characteristic
of Americans, considering his above bi-partisian dissatisfaction,
which can be called both anomie, ennui and fear of REAL
dynamic change which the Perot movement temporarily
represented.
Interresting comment regarding 3rd parties Lasso. Who would be the “true anti-war candidate” that a 3rd party could coalesce around? In a quick scan around the field, I really do not see one. They all have highly nuianced positions that you need to perform to many mental gymnastics over to understand.
Would Obama be the closest?
I could support Ron Paul, R/Texas a longstanding member of
Congress with a libertarian streak or Dennis Kucinich, D/Ohio,
because of his Iraq stance alone, as avoiding wholesale slaughter in the Mideast is currently the most important issue. I would hope Ralph
Nader or Kucinich would run third party “Left” if feasible and that
a populist Right ticket also emerge off the ideology of the Reform Party movement . Ballot access laws need drastic modification,
however.
How about another business as usual?
Testifying in Congress on the Climate Action Partnership
As for Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich, Thomas Jefferson’s history with the Barbary Pirates is another reason I cannot vote for either of them.
Because everyone knew the reason Reps were stymied was the opposition stopped progress, supposedly to get a balanced result.
Not to get a balanced result but to impede progress of any kind. The dems could not and would not let the reps succeed at anything. And that is one reason why the reps were tossed. The reps bent over backwards to be fair and reasonable to sneaky and unreasonable people. A lot of us got tired of it and stayed home on election day. I will hasten to say I did not stay home but went out and voted. But the ones who did stay home or voted democrat are now having buyer’s remorse. It is one thing to be civil to your opponents and another to let them trample all over you.
Lurker
The Barbary Pirates were not jihadists nor were they acting at the
behest of a Moslem, or any other, nation.
Lasso
Again you have the adept capacity to capture nothingness.
A strange trait admired by few and manged well by none.
But lead on we will watch your progress..no matter how slight it is.