Monday, December 10, 2007

Why Are Children Driving The Car?

I'm sorry, I thought the adults were supposed to be in charge. First it's no backing down on Iraq funding, then it's tie it to domestic spending. And so, here's the real surprise, per NYT :


WASHINGTON, Dec. 8 — The White House budget director warned on Saturday that President Bush was prepared to veto a $500 billion spending package being assembled in Congress if Democrats pushed for too much additional money for domestic programs.

Jim Nussle, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, accused Democrats of trying to tie money for combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan to what the president considers excessive spending for federal agencies and home-state projects.

“Instead of trying to leverage troop-funding for more pork-barrel spending, Congress ought to pass responsible appropriations bills and the funding for the troops our commanders say they need to build on their battlefield success,” Mr. Nussle said.

And yes, the Democrats have something to say about it:

“America expects this president to lead — that means working in a bipartisan way with Congress to responsibly address our country’s priorities rather than issuing veto threats without even knowing what he is threatening to veto,” said a joint statement from Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California and Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the majority leader.

No, actually we kind of expected this President to act just exactly like he did to begin with and our mistake was thinking that somebody with two live brain cells that spoke to each other was in charge in Congress. You see, Nancy and Harry, we didn't look at how he has acted over the last 7 years and start thinking he'd do something different with either one of your ideas. In fact, any other 4 year old could have told you children that stamping his feet and throwing himself on the floor was exactly what he'd do, and that there also wouldn't be any adults around to spank him for it.

If you propose to play power politics you'd best make up your minds to do so. You'd best make up your minds to make BushCo pay for its ways by taking the risk of saying no and then building a frame that fits the actions of the Child in Chief. But the problem is that the 65% of America doesn't count, you're afraid to the dead-end kids that comprise his 28% or maybe offending the little 7% that can't make up it's mind whether he's just incompetent or stupid or both but just mislead by the criminally negligent.

What expert in political maneuvering told you that things would work out differently? Or, told you that this mess would be easier to frame to a public that is beginning to see you as toothless lying hypocrites? You've got people out knocking themselves out to build you a useful Party and this is what you've got to offer? How do you propose to do anything about anything after you offend the entire activist side of the Party and disappoint most of the rest of the people who gave you your narrow majority? Why exactly should we give you one minute of our time and effort, what is it that you expect us to offer to voters?

You didn't need to pick either one of these fights if you didn't mean to go ahead and fight. There's an old saying, "Don't take a knife to a gunfight," and you didn't even show up with a limp rag. When it comes to taking principles to the Floor, you guys are packing water in a sieve.

I've about reached the point where if one of your PACs backs a candidate it's an automatic disqualification, the only ones that seem to have any sense are the one's whose votes you discount in search of Republicans'. Your empty threats and empty promises have become simple noise, I'd rather listen to static on a mis-tuned radio.

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