Can I start the Steny Hoyer for speaker for the house campaign now? I admit that I've always thought that Pelosi is a politician interested in winning elections and not terribly fond of actually governing. Today's "Energy Bill" is just enough to throw me over the edge.
The American people have repeatedly said that they want an "all of the above" approach to energy policy. In poll after poll people are demanding that their government do something. Okay, don't drill spend money only on technology like Obama wants... it's stupid not to do both but I don't care anymore! Just do ANYTHING.
Nancy Pelosi today pushed though an energy bill that had not one second of committee hearing, not one amendment, and not a sniff of bipartisanship. It authorizes drilling between 50 and 100 miles off of the coasts of states that pass legislation allowing it. It fails to mention that the vast majority of the oil off the coast is within 50 miles. She mine as well have said that states were allowed to drill 2000 miles off the coast. Idiocy. Not just this, but it's so packed with random spending measures that not even the liberals in the senate are likely to support it.
In short, Pelosi shoved a bill though the house that is designed to fail in the senate. That's what she wants, failure. Why? So she can blame Republicans, lie about her bill being effective, and get Democrats reelected to continue to do nothing in a majority. It's not at all an overstatement to say that this has been the least productive congress in the last 20 years. It doesn't help that the president has dug his heals in, but it helps even less that the congress keeps passing bills for political gain rather than the public good. Throw the bums out right? I can't argue with that. Don't forget that some of those bums have a "D" next to their name too.
Steny Hoyer, to his credit, hasn't engaged in this silliness any more than he's compelled to to keep his majority leader position. He's declined interviews that would support the Speaker's position, and when he is asked questions he has answered with reasoned policy rather than partisan rhetoric. So I understand that the Democrat party is almost a lock to be the majority in the house again for at least 2 more years... but can we at least throw Pelosi out of the leadership? Often ANY plan is better than none at all.
Right now the Democrat leadership has calculated that if they drive the country as far into the ditch as possible by doing nothing it will promote their careers. They're right, bad news gets opposition parties elected but purposefully exasperating bad news by intentionally failing to lead so that it will get worse is beyond reprehensible.
This is an example of Democrats gone power hungry but I promise this behavior is not confined to a party. Careerist politicians leading parties of more careerist politicians is a recipe for disaster. This year, we have a nice election in which we can hopefully remember to throw *ALL* of the bums out, not just the ones with a particular letter by their name.
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4 comments:
Good job. Why don't the other political commentators tumble to this obvious truth? Aren't you being paid by one side of the other?
"Right now the Democrat leadership has calculated that if they drive the country as far into the ditch as possible by doing nothing it will promote their careers."
OK, let's have a little talk about language.
Republicans:
Proper Plural Noun: The Republican Party or The Republicans.
1st P Sing: I am a Republican
2nd P Sing: You are a Republican
3rd P Sing: He is a Republican
1st P Plural: We are Republicans
2nd P Plural: You are Republicans
3rd P Plural: They are Republicans
3rd P Plural Possessive: The Republicans' Leadership.
3rd P Plural: Republican Leaders OR The Republican Leadership or Republican Leaders in the -----.
Pay attention now:
Democrats:
Proper Plural Noun: The Democratic Party OR the Democrats. Derived from Democratic-Republicans, hence the use of an adjective as a proper noun.
1st P Sing: I am a Democrat
2nd P Sing: You are a Democrat
3rd P Sing: They are a Democrat
1st P Plural: We are Democrats
2nd P Plural: You are Democrats
3rd P Plural: They are Democrats
3rd P Plural Possessive: The Democrats' Leadership.
3rd P Plural: Democratic Leaders OR The Democratic Leadership OR Democratic Leaders in the -----.
Got it?
Got it.
The reason why I choose to use "Democrat" is not to be intentionally incorrect. It is, by the strictest sense, not grammatically correct, I know.
The reason is that the common term for our form of government is "democracy." It is perfectly reasonable to call George W Bush a "democratic" leader is it not? Isn't that a bit confusing?
Because we have a party called Democrat and a system called democracy and both are described as "(D)democratic" I've taken the liberty to, when referring to the party, say "Democrat," and when referring to the system, say "democratic" to communicate more clearly.
I understand that, in writing, I can make the same distinction by using a capitol letter "D" and a lower case "d" in front of the word "democratic." I am, however, aware that "democracy" has a possitive connotation in our society. Having one party be labeled "democratic" might imply that they are the champions of "democracy" and logically the other party are its opponents. This conflation was specifically intended by T. Jefferson when he named his party in 1792 so that he could take advantage of that misunderstanding politically. Thus, I also choose to use the term "Democrat" out of a sense of fairness.
Well, sure, but last I checked, to be a republican is to be
"an advocate of a republic (usually in opposition to a monarchy)"
or
"having the supreme power lying in the body of citizens entitled to vote for officers and representatives responsible to them or characteristic of such government; "the United States shall guarantee to every state in this union a republican form of government"- United States Constitution; "a very ..."
Yet somehow I am able to differentiate between the Republicans as a party and republicans, which could refer to both Republicans and Democrats and other members of other political parties. This, as you pointed out, is through the clever use of capitalization, much like white European's conquered other countries through the clever use of flags.
In my opinion, you use "Democrat Party" as a small slight against them, perhaps a joking implication that they aren't really Democratic.... or perhaps it's years of parental conditioning :)
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