Few people are happy with the current Congress. Actually, few people are happy with any Congress. In the 1990's there were tales of Democratic and Republican corruption, and in the 00's it's just more of the same. Americans grow more and more disgusted every day, with the President's approval rating hovering barely above 30%, and Congress's is even lower by most estimates. (A Fox/OpinionDynamics poll taken June 13/14 gives Congress a dismal 29% approval rating.) Indictments for crimes by congresspersons and their intimate associates abound, and while Democrats are counting on the fact that this time most of the culprits are Republicans–Safavian, Cunningham, Abramoff–the majority of us don't really give a fig what party they belong to. We are sick of political corruption in its entirety. Sick of the infighting, the corruption, the no-bid contracts, the cronyism and nepotism, the name-calling and the usurpation of the Good Offices of this land for moral turpitude and pork barrell spending. Most of all, we're tired of being sold a bill of goods as if we're so stupid that we actually believe these fools.
The Radical Right routinely ignores provable facts that may upset their agenda or their base, and the Radical Left has completely lost touch with their base and latches onto any issue that has a remote chance of getting them those 3 votes in Hell's Chance, MT. Those of us left in the middle of either party are left to fend for ourselves without anyone screaming for our interests–you know, the ones most of the country can agree on? While the Republicans push for a constitutional amendement to bay gay marriage–which is a completely non-conservative idea–the Democrats are chasing Plamegate, which FrontPageMag calls "The Left's Moby Dick."
Face it, we're being governed by the moral equivalent of used car salesmen. It's high time we start kicking more than the tires.
Like today's textbook example in idiocy. Enter Rep. Diane Watson, D-CA. In a short post at TheHuffingtonPost this morning, Rep. Watson objects to the removal of William Jefferson from the Ways And Means Committee, calling it unprecedented. Indeed, it is unprecedented–and Thank God that there was some bipartisan cooperation to remove Jefferson from such an important committee. The WAMC is responsible for writing tax legislation, Social Security and Medicare legislation, among others. Now, technically, Rep Watson is correct in wanting due process for all members of Congress, but anyone with eyes can see that this guy's a crook. The FBI found bundles of cash in his freezer, bound in saran wrap, and caught him taking bribes on tape. After calling for Tom Delay to step down before he was indicted, it would be the height of hypocrisy to not hold this man to the at least the same standard. Yes, integrity of due process is important, but I'm willing to let a videotaped bribery count as his waiver of "due process," at least insofar as his removal from a committee. Face it, Diane, he won't be removed from office without due process, nor will he face jail time without a trial. If the rules need to be changed to allow for the removal of crooks from committees when there's taped evidence, then so be it.
And as I alluded to, Americans are not so stupid that we actually buy Watson's argument. Some of the commenters–regular readers of the liberal HuffPo, gave it to Watson with both barrells:
The public has a right to better, and the blame belongs on him – and his enablers. While you are not entirely without a point, you need to greatly increase yuour condemnation of Jefferson and decrease your demands for delayed accountability in the face of commen sense and standards of decency.
The democrats should give him what he deserves and protect their integrity.
Only by doing so can they continue to give the public the contrast needed.
The public turned to the republicans on promises of integrity. The republicans have failed to live up to the promise. Now the democrats should not throw away the chance to do the right thing.
Your post is exactly the wrong message and raises the question whether YOU belong in any leadership in the democratic party at a time the nation needs an alternative to republicans desperately.
I couldn't have said it better myself.
