...it's not dark yet, but it's gettin' there...
#1 The most ethical Congress in history.
#2 The draft.
and now
#3 Implementing every single one of the 9/11 Commission's recommendations.
From the Washington Post:
It was a solemn pledge, repeated by Democratic leaders and candidates over and over: If elected to the majority in Congress, Democrats would implement all of the recommendations of the bipartisan commission that examined the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.If you want my opinion, consolidation of oversight is not a good idea. I like redundancy. I was against the creation of an "Intelligence Czar," too. But the Democrats aren't backing away from this promise for policy reasons, it's more politics-as-usual, and juvenile back-scratching.But with control of Congress now secured, Democratic leaders have decided for now against implementing the one measure that would affect them most directly: a wholesale reorganization of Congress to improve oversight and funding of the nation's intelligence agencies. . . .
. . .
"I don't think that suggestion is going anywhere," said Rep. C.W. Bill Young (R-Fla.), the chairman of the Appropriations defense subcommittee and a close ally of the incoming subcommittee chairman, Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.). "That is not going to be their party position."
It may seem like a minor matter, but members of the commission say Congress's failure to change itself is anything but inconsequential. In 2004, the commission urged Congress to grant the House and Senate intelligence committees the power not only to oversee the nation's intelligence agencies but also to fund them and shape intelligence policy. The intelligence committees' gains would come at the expense of the armed services committees and the appropriations panels' defense subcommittees. Powerful lawmakers on those panels would have to give up prized legislative turf.
. . .
Now Democrats are balking, just as Republicans did before them.
The decision will almost certainly anger commission members, as well as families of victims of the Sept. 11 attacks, many of whom have pressed hard for implementation of the recommendations.
"The Democrats pledged to implement all the remaining 9/11 reforms, not some of them," said former representative Timothy J. Roemer (D-Ind.), who served on the commission.
Carie Lemack, whose mother was in one of the jets that hit the World Trade Center, echoed that sentiment: "It wasn't a Chinese takeout menu, the 41 recommendations. You have to do all of them."
On an unrealted note, why is it that I can get no information from the media about what crawled up Pelosi's butt to make her dislike Jane Harman and Steny Hoyer so much? I know it's personal, but I've looked far and wide and there doesn't seem to be any investigative reporter willing to investigate this question.
Pelosi's beef with Hoyer goes back to her Maryland days, when she was the receptionist and Hoyer was the chief gofer for Senator Brewster in the 60's. I know there must be some interesting anecdotes, which would explain the animosity she's held onto for decades. But the media is hush hush.
And what's the deal with Jane Harman? I know she's not considered dovish enough, but I do suspect there's a personal vendetta there too. Pelosi is well known for holding grudges (and to be fair, suddenly letting go of grudges too), but nobody wants to dig into this story.
If anybody has seen anything interesting, send me a link. I'm just interested in political gossip is all.
h/t Belmont Club
haha, this is just sweeet
I have to use this to torture my liberal brother. In return I give you:
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-harmanpelosi21nov21,1,7489875,full.story?coll=la-headlines-politics&ctrack=1&cset=true
Personally I think Pelosi is just trying to piss off the Congressional Black Caucus.
Posted by: Stew on Nov. 30, 2006Well Stew, that article was notable for saying absolutely nothing. How many times do I have to hear the standard Pelosi bio? And nobody wants to talk about the rift for fear that Pelosi might get mad? Does this sound like a nice lady or what? They cant even get people to say anything about her "on background." Pelosi must be worse than Torquemada, I'm telling you. There's more to this story than we'll ever know, kind of like the Paris Hilton/Nicole Ritchie fight.
Posted by: annika on Nov. 30, 2006Annika,
I think you are being disingenuous: The draft has no traction in either party and is a non-starter. TO elevate it to anything more is sour grapes. Furthermore you interest in the non-essentials of Pelosi's back story(s) is bordering on becoming an obsessional disorder. I, who know very little about her and am no real fan of the Dem's but recognize that they are less repugnant than the corrupt RW religo-fascist scum that have been ineptly trying to run this country, will wait and see as things develop rather than view all she has done and what she might do with your jaundiced eye.
Posted by: Strawman on Dec. 1, 2006"corrupt RW religo-fascist scum"
Hmmmm, last I checked there have been no Wacco's under Bush's watch. And no unarmed females are being shot by snipers for having unorthodox racist views, which, BTW, are protected under the 1st Amendment - that's the one you and yours CLAIM to care about but really don't. Children aren't being ripped from their homes by jack-booted thugs and sent away to communist terror states. And, unlike Clinton, I doubt you'll see well-known criminals and terrorist being pardoned by Bush. The Clinton admin much more than this one earned the title facsist. They had no problem simply killing Americans with whom they disagreed. Oh, and not that it's relevant to this particular discussion, but the "corrupt RW religo-fascist scum" have never sold military/technological secrets to China in return for campaign money. Just sayin'.....
They don't call her the "Wicked Witch of the West" for nuthin'.
She will only hold the disparite groups of the Demo coalition together with one skill - abject fear. She's pissing folks off already...
This wil surely be a "Do Nothing Congress".
Winner here?
George W. Bush. Stand back and watch his numbers rise as he slams the Congress for doing nuthin'.
Posted by: shelly on Dec. 1, 2006Blu,
WACO? I guess you feel that was the state supressing religious freedom?
True, Bush hasn't pardoned known criminals. He chooses to promote them to higher office or invite them to the WH to offer advice. What did we hear Abramoff saying this week about Ralph Reed? "god, he's just a bad version of us".
And is it not totalitarianism when the government attempts to rule what goes on inside a persons body? THe chinese legislate how many babies you may have and the RR would do the same should you conceive in error.
I think state troopers all wear jack boots, Blu. ANd the only people being ripped from their homes and sent to prisons in terror states are Islamic American citizens; without charges, without indictments, without that good ole freedom the terroists hate us so much for havin. What a farce.
And lets not forget the 50 rounds fired at this fellow in NY last week, did you know that two of the cops were participants in the WACO debacle?
And lastly, congrats to the Fidel and RAul on the 50 anniversity of the formation of the revolutionary army of Cuba. "Cuba si, Yankee No!"
And lastly, congrats to the Fidel and RAul on the 50 anniversity of the formation of the revolutionary army of Cuba. "Cuba si, Yankee No!"
Yeah, where was your paramour Fidel today? Answer: he's already taken the dirtnap. The commie shitbags are keeping it silent in a futile attempt to thwart the tsunami of capitalism that will rescue that dismal backwater.
VIVA LA CAPITALISM!
Posted by: Radical Redneck on Dec. 2, 2006Yep RR,
that dismal backwater that that has more doctors per capita than we do, has lower infant mortality and higher literacy than we do, a school system that doesn't have to battle religious half wits that want to teach creationism, allows women full control of their reproductive systems, has better baseball with out the 100's of millions and drugs to spur the players on, and best of all when ignorant trash like you,a man who uses a moniker that speaks volumes or maybe that should be un-volumes, goes into a library they don't torture him if he can't produce a photo ID. Sit at the table you dolt and try to lean how to read: thinking, and sex with bipeds will soon follow.
Straw always conveniently forgets that they will kill you in Cuba if you dare disagree with their lovely government. He "forgets" because like most hard lefties, he doesn't care. The dirty secret of the left is that they believe it's ok to kill a few reactionaries in order to perpetuate the higher ideal of socialism. And that's why this sick ideology is responsible for more deaths than any other in human history.
Then of course he throws out the lies and propoganda about having more doctors per capita, better literarcy....blah, blah, blah. Wow, did Fidel send you that data himself, Straw? Memo to Straw: It's not true. Don't you get it? IT'S A TOTALITARIAN REGIME THAT RULES BY TERROR. They lie each and every day in order to stay in power.
p.s. Hey, did you notice your boy Hugo is going to try and get rid of term limits? How long before he decides it would be better for "the poor" - the poor are always the pawns for the left-wing butchers - that he be President for life? "We don't need elections. The people have decided." You've devoted your life to a sick, illiberal, and totoally depraved worldview, Straw. The men you celebrate are the worst history has to offer.
p.p.s. Better baseball? LOL. True, they have some nice players. And their team that plays together consistently might be able to beat some MLB All-Stars that are thrown together. But, they aren't going to beat our best team. (Did you even play sports, Straw? Given your politics and your anger, I suspect you got your ass-kicked a lot growing up. I've noticed that the unhappy, the weak, the ugly, and the dumb are often liberals. Why is that?)
Posted by: blu on Dec. 2, 2006It looks like Straw is right. Judging from these pics, the Cubans have figured out a way to provide socialized healthcare without the long waiting lists.
Posted by: reagan80 on Dec. 2, 2006"goes into a library they don't torture him if he can't produce a photo ID."
Rest easy my dear anencephelic, Mother Haldol™ will free you soon.
What a freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeak!
Posted by: Radical Redneck on Dec. 2, 2006"I've noticed that the unhappy, the weak, the ugly, and the dumb are often liberals."
Especially the dumb. And weak (minded).
Posted by: Radical Redneck on Dec. 2, 2006