All Posts Tagged With: "Washington"

We’ve got just about 155 days left to go in the absolute worst administration in American history. It goes without saying that the principals in the Bush administration are running amok. But then again, they’ve been doing that unhindered for just about eight years. It’s just that they’re doing more of it now, and they’re doing it more brazenly. What the hell. They have nothing to lose. The only losers are the American people.

Aside from the principals in this hideous administration, there are many others who have let this country and its inhabitants down. I say with six months left, it’s time for them to take their lumps. These are in no particular order, except that I’ve saved the best for last. Here goes:

Nancy Pelosi (D-CA; Speaker of the House)
I’m a cynic, but I’m not entirely beyond being idealistic. When the Dems took control in 2006 and Pelosi became the first-ever woman Speaker of the House, the hair on my arms stood up. Why wouldn’t I be excited? I’m a woman and it was a historic moment. That ill-placed euphoria didn’t last very long. Almost from the second she took office she took impeachment off the table. That was enough to slap me back into the real world. If she had done everything else right (she hasn’t), Pelosi’s tenure at this position would still have been a total failure because of her refusal to do her job. Why? Because she took an oath of office to uphold the Constitution and to serve the American people. Someone should remind Mrs. Pelosi that it is not her table to undress. She works for us.

She appeared on The View to promote her book Know Your Power: A Message to Our Daughters. I was disgusted that she was even promoting a book with that title. You have to do more than know it when you’re given a position of responsibility. You have to wield it. Then she made the most boneheaded comment I’ve ever heard when she said she’d be glad to impeach President Bush if someone could point out what law he’s broken. How can someone even be Speaker of the House without knowing the Constitution and the rule of law? You only need one impeachable offense. Just one. All she has to do is read Dennis Kucinich’s singular Article of Impeachment. If that doesn’t do it, consider that our president went on national television and admitted to approving torture. That enough? Of course, she could probably find a few more if she read the other thirty-four articles filed.

At the very least, President Bush and his minions have done things that warrant investigation. And that’s what an impeachment is. So, let Bush face the music and beat the rap. Others have done it before him. Some have won and some have lost. Instead we had this sham of a non-impeachment meeting and very few people have fallen for it, judging from the harassment Nancy Pelosi is getting on her book tour. In the alternative media, it’s being called her “Why haven’t you impeached him yet?” tour. In fact, let’s impeach Madam Speaker as well for failure to uphold her oath of office. It is her duty to see that impeachment is advanced. No president is above the law.

Harry Reid (D-NV; Senate Majority Leader)
While his job has been harder than Pelosi’s because of his slim majority, he still suffers from leadership impotence.

Barack Obama (D-IL; 2008 Presidential Candidate)
For the progressives in the Democratic party, his move to the center immediately after sewing up the Democratic nomination is a disappointment. His support of lifting the offshore drilling ban is a disappointment because he knows that isn’t going to have one iota of positive effect on our energy problems. He’s just trolling for votes. For those of us who believe in a strong separation between church and state, his continuing to campaign from the pulpit is a bone of contention.

Congress
We’re talking about a 9% approval rating. Does anything more need to be said? Yes, of course it does. The Republicans have broken the Congressional record for filibusters. In 2007, they exercised the filibuster 128 times. Their 2008 record is pretty abysmal also. Now, when do we start calling this obstructionist? What term would conservatives used in place of obstructionist? I’d like to hear it. When does this kind of self-serving behavior become harmful to the American people? And the Democrats do not get off unscathed. This is the most impotent bunch of lawmakers ever. I don’t know what side of the rainbow Nancy Pelosi is working, but she thinks the Congress has done just fine. There’s a disconnect here because the voters don’t think the Congress has done just fine. That’s usually when people lose their jobs.

John Kerry (D-MA)
Here’s a politician in my own backyard whom I have supported through the years. While I will continue to support him for re-election, he has been a disappointment on at least one front. For a Senator who chose not to run in 2008 so that he could dedicate himself to ending the war in Iraq, he has been conspicuously quiet. We Democrats expected him to come front and center and take a leadership position on this issue. He hasn’t done anything remotely resembling that.

Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK)
Senator Coburn is special in that he has held up dozens of pieces of bi-partisan-supported legislation, many of which originated with the Republicans and had already passed the House of Representatives. That any one man could have that much power is patently absurd. When Senate leader Harry Reid combined these bills into one omnibus package in an effort to bring them to a vote, the Republicans did what you’d expect – they filibustered their own legislation.

Michael Mukasey
Mukasey has confirmed plans to loosen post-Watergate restrictions on the FBI’s national security and criminal investigations. According to Mukasey, these new rules “expressly authorize the FBI to engage in intelligence collection inside the United States.” He says it’s necessary to improve the FBI’s ability to detect terrorists. From everything I’ve read about the period just before the 9-11 terrorist attacks, there was a huge intelligence gap, but it had nothing to do with lack of information. They had plenty of information, the intelligence agencies and the administration simply didn’t bother to process it. So, tell me again why we should settle for a further erosion of our civil rights?

Once again, President Bush has chosen an Attorney General with no real regard for the law. Even thought the courts have ruled that Harriet Miers and Josh Bolton are not covered by Executive Privilege and must comply with Congress’ requests, Mukasey has chosen to ignore it. He also refuses to act on Karl Rove’s repeated contempt of Congress. This pattern is not new. Attorney General John Mitchell ran the same kind of interference for the Nixon administration. That’s how we ended up with a special prosecutor. It’s time for another.

Karl Rove, Josh Bolton, Harrier Miers
These aren’t patriots or just folks ‘doing their jobs.’ These are Bush-Cheney operatives who have something to hide and are obstructing justice. They are being instructed to break the law by the president of the United States, and the Attorney General of the United States is allowing them to continue to obstruct justice. It’s revolting that it is allowed to continue, and it’s frightening that the American people are so silent on this topic.

John McCain (R-AZ; 2008 Presidential Candidate)
This is the presidential candidate who outwardly shoots down lobbyists and other special interests, yet has a campaign staff full high rolling lobbyists and fund raisers (some of whom worked for the Bushwhacker, a prolific fund raiser during his run for the presidency). This position is strictly for the benefit of the asleep-at-the-switch portion of the American public. Those who are not asleep know better. He has flip-flopped on numerous issues, including Roe v. Wade, the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy, and torture. He frequently doesn’t know what he’s talking about and appears confused, like when he refers to Czechoslovakia (which hasn’t existed since 1993), can’t distinguish between Shia and Sunni, and insists that the so-called ‘troop surge’ brought about the Anbar Awakening. Even though Cindy, his lovely wife, stated that “we won’t go negative,” that’s exactly what McCain’s advertising has done. Why? Because he has brought Karl Rove in to advise his campaign. Can’t you tell? Suddenly the advertising looks all too familiar. If this is the best we can offer our country and McCain is enthroned, we are in real trouble come January 20, 2009, because his policies are barely distinguishable from the failed policies of our current imperial president.

George Bush-Dick Cheney
Some people blame George Bush for the state we’re in while some say Dick Cheney’s running the country. I view them as a two-headed monster; they’ve made this mess as a team. From the 935 lies that led us into Iraq, to the energy deals Cheney made behind closed doors, to the obstruction of the 9-11 investigation, this has been what can only be described as a disgraceful and embarrassing administration. This administration operates in secrecy and has slowly turned itself into a dictatorship. What little transparency there is, is carefully orchestrated by George Bush and Dick Cheney. We only know what they want us to know.

There should be absolutely no doubt that George Bush lied in order to justify our invasion of Iraq. Contrary to accepted opinion, there was no ‘blanket’ authorization for the use of force against Iraq. Authorization stipulated two things: That Iraq possessed WMD and that there was a direct link between Saddam Hussein and the the 9-11 terrorist attacks. We now know beyond any doubt that there were no WMD, no matter how you try to spin it. As for a direct link between Saddam Hussein and the events of 9-11, President Bush himself admitted his lie. In January 2003 in a joint press conference with Tony Blair, he told a London reporter that he could not make the claim that Iraq was involved in 9-11. He reiterated this again in September 2003 on Meet the Press. Here’s what he said when he was asked by Tim Russert about Saddam’s involvement:

“No, we’ve had no evidence that Saddam Hussein was involved with September 11th.”

Mistakes? Hardly. Bad intelligence? Only on his part. Lies? No question. Impeachable offense? Absolutely. Someone ring up the Speaker and point this out to her.

While only vetoing 10 bills in his two terms, President Bush has given himself the authority to disobey more than 750 laws by issuing signing statements. You don’t need to issue vetoes (not quiet with negative consequences) when you can quietly declare yourself immune from the laws. You have to ask yourself why we even go through the legislative process. It’s a sham. To Bush supporters who minimize it’s impact and choose to ignore the danger associated with this behavior, I say: This is not okay. This is not a principle our country was built upon. In fact, it’s the exact opposite. It may not be a problem if you share Bush’s vision, but I can assure you that his vision is not everyone’s vision. This country belongs to each and every one of us and we pass laws for a good reason. Now, we are not saying that other presidents have not used signing statements. They all have, some more than others. However, not to the degree and in the manner of George Bush. This president has redefined democracy, and it’s a disaster.

The education president barely has command of the English language, and ‘no child left behind’ has turned into ‘every child left behind.’ This miraculous vision has never been fully funded by the federal government, leaving communities struggling to fulfill it’s directives and leaving students up a creek. It is an ill-conceived, horribly planned program not budgeted in real-world terms. Because of this, many states have opted out of the program.

My mother used to say that people will get away with what you let them get away with. She was absolutely right. The same holds true in Washington as it does in everyday life. That George Bush has brazenly broken the law and weakened the Constitution is hardly arguable. That he has committed impeachable offenses is no longer in question. However, he had plenty of enablers on both sides of the aisle and still does, and that is the biggest shame in all of this.

Naturally, some things are little noticed by those of us, who as only occasional visitors to D.C. are still impressed with the history, the meaning, the majesty as well as the incumbents who we back home in our individual states and districts, have elected to advance the quest of American Democracy.

With pride we expect each to be dedicated to the people’s work and to collegiately debate weighty issues for our benefit in the many halls of our capitol.

We can be shocked then to learn about the new phenom, dubbed the “LC Phenom” by aides who talk too much.

A few of us outsiders did begin to notice furtive glances between members of Congress and the Senate as they passed each other. It is so subtle, with a raise of a brow here, the dusting of a shoulder there, the forced cough or puff of air, in various combinations not yet totally deciphered . But concentrated study has recently begun by the undercover contractors recently back from Georgia who will turn key the operations of the newly formed but not yet permanently named 501(c)3 org whose nominal purpose is to to study the difference between the words “blow” and “suck”, since so many politicians use each in back roon situations and negotiations.

But the real undercover purpose is to figure out the new, quiet, mostly only visual pig latin like code used amongst our elected lovers of pork and other pleasures. So far we have had to rely on under the table foreign donations, but we have pledges from several legislators on each side of the aisle to plug us into the very next pork place, Repubs and Dems alike thinking that we will use the money only to out the other side during this election cycle.

So far, only this much is known, or at least highly suspected. A certain combination, the raised right eye brow, followed by a twist of the head up, pursed lips lightly blowing air out while moving the head slightly around to the back probably solicits the “LC” question mark of “do you have a love child?” Slightly different combinations, starting with the left eye brow, with lips tightened to suck air in, probably turns the “LC” question into “do you Larry Craig?”.

It seems most of our leaders have begun to expect that most of them are doing something that should not prudently  be denied in front of a camera, and an effort is underway without the MSM or the MLM knowing anything about it, to get a reliable survey of which activity is practiced by whom and how many legislators are involved. We believe over ninety percent are suspected by the talkative insiders of “something”.

What the ultimate or even the near term purpose of this self survey is, remains unclear, although there is growing speculation it may be related to a new amendment to be attached to an irrelevant bill, essentially authorizing such ongoing activities as a paid benefit to help lawmakers manage the stress of their jobs and perhaps even making it a crime for anyone to expose it. The new benefit will not be taxed in keeping with the Republican pledges not to raise taxes. Democrats are expected to go along with that if they get to extend the benefit to family and “friends”. We just hope our funding gets in with the first possible pork roast because we need new furniture.

Unfortunately, the truth about the LC Chronicles, is really still blowing in the wind or elsewhere, but you can be assured that as we find more credible evidence, we will leak it to the National Enquirer, chosen because our very investigation of the LC Phenom could get us kicked out as a New York Times blog contributor, which we conduct under a name you would never suspect. Fox news has no clue either.

But anyone who bothered to read to the end or simply jumped here first, of course knows the LC Phenom refers to the initials for naughty behavior by someone in each dominant political party.

John McCain is a hell raising maverick who regularly urges contrarians to perform anatomically impossible physical acts. He is the McCain who has built up massive popularity among American voters with his populist opposition to swindlers, liars and thieves, whether in business, Congress, labor or the defense community says Dick Morris.com. (T)his week, the old John McCain began to re-emerge. Articulating what tens of millions of Americans feel, he blamed the “greedy” of Wall Street for causing the current economic problems. The Washington Post devoted several thousands of words Sunday to raise the issue of McCain’s temper dredging up incidents as far back as when he was a 16-year old high school student.

“Does he get angry? Yes,” said fellow curmudgeon Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman, a Connecticut independent who supports McCain’s presidential bid. “But it’s never been enough to blur his judgment. . . . If anything, his passion and occasional bursts of anger have made him more effective.” “…Harry S. Truman once threatened bodily harm in a letter to a reviewer who wrote disparagingly about the musical talents of his daughter. Richard M. Nixon ranted, and so did Bill Clinton (fly into purple rages),” says the Post article.

“Temper can sometimes be a political instrument,” said James A. Thurber, director of the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies at American University. “There are sometimes calculated displays of temper, which is what Lyndon Johnson used to persuade people. . . “

The argument is largely extant inside the beltway where arrogance and narcissism is in every dish – everywhere else in Americans tell each other what they really think and in no uncertain terms.Regardless of the Washington Post, “By flanking the Democrats on the front of economic and social populism, McCain can be himself and can win, “says Morris. Conversely Obama is making the social populist case against himself stronger with each passing day. His “gun-totting god nuts” analysis of small-town America and his elitist dismissal of religion, anti-immigration concerns and hunting as evidence of bitterness and the need for easy solutions was awful.

By the way 60% of the nation’s adults believe the federal tax on gasoline should be suspended until prices come under control. Only 24% opposed the proposal made by John McCain to axe the federal gas tax.