The memo - Boehner sent his Republican colleagues at recess is interesting. The part I particularly like is where he keeps referring to "our majority," as though it's some kind of owned thing. He also seems to wonder "if such an entitlement mentality did creep in," on the Republicans, no owning it, but surely image must be repaired. He does compliment his caucus on their "restraint and discipline" over the last few weeks - maybe he was watching a different channel, I didn't get that one.
It seems he's got ideas, "we'll offer our own ideas to address the challenges facing the American people, articulating a positive vision of lean government that offers solutions and reform. Good policy equals good politics," and I'm wondering if there's a whole new bunch coming in, I thought it was the same sad cadre minus a few.
Now I can scoff at his chest puffing and party of Lincoln nonsense (Abe would puke), but there's no laughing at the strategy layout. The Democrats have made promises, some of them as simple as cleaning up the ethics, and others more complicated, and the voters are going to hold them to it, and the Republicans are going to make sure the voters know if they don't. There is stuff that the voters will forgive, but I'm afraid even the scent of the Democrats not cleaning up the rules and ethics isn't one. I have no idea what the Democrats are going to do about the budget mess and something has to be done. I doubt any real policies in that arena can be accomplished without serious pain, and we all know how fond politicians are of causing pain, besides George II would veto any tax harm to his plutocratic buddies. So, stick it down the President's throat and make him veto it.
The other side's not going to play patty-cake, the gloves are off, Boehner's not kidding, they think they own Congress and have just had a little blip in their dominance. If the Democrats think that the public good is going to enter into that fight, they'd be well served by looking back across the last six years. Set the agenda and take the fight to them. This outfit has played the block bully for six years and if government freezes solid for the next two years, it can't be any worse than what they've done and make sure they get the blame.
5 comments:
Something is wrong with the link (like an extra http) and the edited link is to a June 13, 2006 memo with content that doesn't match up with your comments.
For the record, there are 13 Freshman Republicans in the House (including Buccanan from FL-13), but of course we all understand just how influential freshman members of the minority party are going to be (probably especially with their own leadership).
I agree that ethics is the one issue (of many important ones) that could ensure a Republican majority in 2008. Somewhere I picked up the idea that in Isreal the minority party runs the ethics committee. What a great strategy for holding a majority. Majority party members play nice because they know the minority party will be after even a hint of anything fishy (since it's the only power they actually have). Therefor the occasional bad apples are dealt with and we avoid the "culture of coruption" that seems to effect both parties if left in power for too many years.
Fixed it, thanks. I have no idea what happened there. I think I hate Blogger Beta.
"Most Americans don't care who controls Congress. What they care about is having a government that is limited, honest, accountable, and responsive to their concerns."
I lost a longer comment on this, so you get the short version.
The quote is correct if you replace limited with effective. Case in point FEMA and Katrina. Heard much discussion of simply abolishing the agency and mission?
I don't think I hate Blogger Beta, I know it. The damn verification is now disabled, hopefully that'll cure that. I've been losing well considered arguments on other sites and I'm losing patience.
Considering the debt I'm no longer sure what we're going to be able to fund. Effective is a good word, but it certainly isn't a Republican word.
Whatever happens regarding the budget and Iraq, the Dems are going to get blamed. BushCo is not going to get us out, not willingly. So that leaves the "leftwing cowardly atheistic commie bastards" lost another war scenario or stay and bleed. The nation has allowed things like the war, illegal immigration, the debt continue on and on until no solution is anything like good, there is simply the choosing of who loses most and how badly.
Even with rational choices I have no optimism for the condition of this country for the next ten years, with dithering and "feel good" garbage we may start the end of the US as a major country. Glad I could make you smile...
From Fed News-Online, December 14, 2006 "110th Likely to Issue Year Long CR" (http://www.fednews-online.com/view_publication.aspx?publicationId=9839)
"The last time Congress individually passed each of the appropriations bills and they were signed into law on time was 1994."
What was it that also happened in 1994? Oh yea, the Republican Party was elected to control Congress. Not once in all 12 years they had control did they fufill one of the most basic pieces of fiscal responsibility.
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