Saturday, October 28, 2006

How Democrats Should Govern v. The GOP

This an administration, in both the Congress and the executive, that seeks to cut corners and avoid the actual, hard responsibilities of governing so they can spend time fundraising with their fatcat buddies at fancy $500 plate (or even $10,000) dinners.

The only thing that ever gets an sort of interest in a GOP Congress is blow jobs and gay sex. These perverts need to quite nosing around in bedrooms and focus on how our government is performing, because its doing a lousy job, from Katrina to Iraq to the administration of our health system. This is a government of the people, and it needs to be making sure its spending the peoples money wisely.

Bush runs massive deficets so he can give a break to his rich buddies, and talks about raising taxes (or even just not constantly lowering them) as the greatest evil that can be inflicted upon America. But he has raised spending more than any president in a generation. He just doesn't want his rich cronies to have to skip out on buying that second yacht, so he just won't pay for his spending binge and incompetently managed wars. He'd rather have our kids pay for that.
Bush denigrates work, says what's important is to have us "invest," become part of the "ownership society." He disagrees that work is always to be more valued over wealth. So he wants the owners to get rich. To Bush, wealth isn't created by innovation and gumption, but from wisely acquiring companies, sitting on the boards of companies, or owning sporting teams. Essentially, prosperity comes from playing with money, not getting a paycheck. And sometimes your investments really pan out, and you can double your wealth, but sometimes they bust. Then you have to go back to your mansion, think about the failed deal for a bit, and then take some other millions you have and buy part of another company. It's not small business ownership he understands, but corparate posturing. He doesn't understand the concerns and needs of the middle class, and it shows.

He's not working for the vast majority of Americans. He'll cynically frame every little thing in America in the most partisan way to try and pick fights with the opposing party (and his oppenents frankly aren't politically clever enough to rebut it), and to portray them as either gay, cowards or some sort of Tax Monster. But he doesn't want to talk about the issues. And neither does the Congress. They want to stay in power so they can keep giving their buddies federal tax breaks and federal contracts. Then their buddies take 'em out to fancy meals and travel junkets, employ their family and staffers, and let their Congress what a swell guy he is for seeing things his way. And thats the MO of the governing party right now.

Their only pitch is the divisive political angle, and that's the only thing they try to work on when they are in session. They haven't actually dealt with any real problems. They don't hold hearings on Iraq, how the medicare implementation is working, reconstruction efforts in New Orleans, the endemic corruption stalking and felling so many members of Congress, or hold debates on the proper role of American Power in the world to promote Peace and Prosperity. But the moment their is sex talk, be it Clinton's or even Foley's, the Congress will hold hearings. They will pontificate on Terri Shiavo. Someone sees a breast, they'll rave on about it for 100s of hours. To them, the war is something to applaud, not something to actually investigate to ensure it's not all going to hell. Because they only thing they really see is their next campaign ad for the next election, and the next fancy party their big money sponsors will throw. They don't even work five days a week when they are around. They are do-nothing bums. Any new Congress, led by Democrats, should operate monday through Friday. Is that too goddamn much to ask of our elected leaders? That they actually show up to work?

They do not want to actually govern. They are just kicking everything down the road, figuring someone will eventually clean up their mess. And they shouldn't govern. And everyone running against them should be constantly pointing this out. They should be railing on the corrupt, flaccid, hear-no-evil , speak-no-evil, see-no-evil (about Republicans in office, at least) who govern only for the rich. The sad thing is that those in Congress proposed many rational and sensible laws and attempts to investigate the dysfunctions and failings of our government. But they were always shot down by the Republican party, and the hack agenda was implemented instead.

A very strong argument should not be on policy, but on competence. And that requires a democratic leadership to stand firmly for oversight, for investigation, for good governance, oversight, and, above all, hard work. They should be in DC no less than Monday morning to Friday afternoon. And if that means an individual representative or two doesn't get re-elected, that's too damn bad. It is far greater for the party to push an agenda of hard work, and a rising tide lifts all boats. Furthermore, once this oversight and investigating concludes on a particular area, Democrats should say they'll then hold some substantive debates, with many viewpoints offered. Some people with the best ideas and most interest will get together to hammer out a bill, then this bill will be debated. If it looks good, there will be a vote. No earmarks will be attached. The Congress should have constant votes on little or medium sized things (which will keep people at the Capitol working. The days of dirty tricks and backroom Committees should be finished.

I think the American people would be greatful, and would pay them respect for their hard work on election day.

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