Idiotic Politics
The extent of polarization is apparent.
The Senate’s eerily empty pro forma sessions this week and next have raised an age old question, with a twist: If a gavel bangs in the Senate and no one is around to hear it, does it still bang?
Yes, if you look at it from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s perspective. That gavel — banged once to open the Senate, twice to close it, and all within 30 seconds, as was the case Tuesday — is a boisterous defense against a potential sneak attack by President Bush on the Senate’s constitutional powers.
The sole intent of the pro forma session is to stop Bush from filling federal vacancies with recess appointments, which he can do if Congress is in — you got it! — recess.
When Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) strolled into the Senate chamber Tuesday at 9 a.m., turned on the lights (ok, a clerk did that for him), sat down in the presiding chair, looked out over a sea of empty desks, the Vietnam veteran — armed with nothing but a gavel — had but one mission: to pre-empt an enemy attack on the Senate.
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16 Responses to “Idiotic Politics”
The operation of the physical plant is the responsibility of the Architect of the Capital. His people turn on the lights.
I find it odd that Congress would rather leaves positions empty instead of letting Bush fill them for the last year of his presidency.
Anti-social-conservative agitation remains in full force. In this case, a likely reason for the stunt is Holsingerophobia. The guy has plenty of enemies.
It’s hard to find intelligent Bush-bashers among the commenters you see at the Post story (where “OK” by the author isn’t even capitalized, as it should be; how befitting) but one person did try to see the bigger picture, which is that they and we all will be rid of Bush on Inauguration Day 2009. (I suspect some Bush-bashers may be so rabid or just so relieved that they would throw a party even if a Republican rather than a Democrat got elected to succeed Bush. You’ve seen those Inauguration Day bumper stickers, awaiting the end of Bush’s rule, haven’t you?)
A more intelligent critic would ask whom Bush might seek to place in the various offices and if this wouldn’t in fact provide even more political ammunition to the Democrats. Are most so childish they just want to see Bush resisted or defeated, no matter what? (“Dems don’t have enough spine”) Don’t they realize that the Congressional Democrats have offended more intelligent observers even more, such as when they insist on passing legislation that is known to draw a veto and which cannot be overridden, simply wasting everyone’s time?
In fact, this stunt with the pro-forma sessions is subject to possible challenge by the GOP and by the Bush administration, if it’s an obvious sham and the intent is not legitimately and honestly to conduct Congressional business.
Never underestimate the damage that someone of the high quality of the typical Bush appointee can do in a year.
A more intelligent critic would ask whom Bush might seek to place in the various offices…
A critic with a memory would remember past Bush shenanigans during Congressional Recesses* and be ever thankful for Harry Reid’s wisdom and perspective.
*JOHN BOLTON
THESE LIE-BERAL TRAITORS WILL STOP AT NOTHING TO WEAKEN OUR CONTRY AND GIVE THE KEYS OF POWER TO TEH ISLAMOFASCIST HORDES!!!! HOW DARE THEY OPPOSE THE PRESIDENT, JESUS’S REPRESENTATIVE, DURING WARTIME!!!!!1 CLASH OF CIVILIZATIONS.
j/k
Appointments like Sam Fox and Julie Myers are NOT why Congress chose not to “remain in session”.
Ms. Akers, by conveniently not mentioning the John Bolton Recess Appointment as Ambassador to the UN failed to present a true and unbiased report of the situation at hand.
Should have read:
Appointments like Sam Fox and Julie Myers are NOT why Congress chose to “remain in session”.
*My kingdom for a preview screen!
Desperate times requite desperate measures.
After athe appointment of Bolton, any recess by Congress constitutes desperate times.
We have an exatraordinaity power hungry and stubborn President.
It’s amazing that no matter what happens, observesrs still fail to recognize the danger in that, instead making every difficulty the fault of Congress.
It’s an interesting psychological phenomenon, this slavish bowing to symbols of power.
Too many people long fora supreme ruler, it appears; they are more comfortable being sheep than shepherds.
Desperate times requite desperate measures.
Gawd you far left liberals go to no ends to seek out misery and contempt for all things.
It must be sad being a self appointed watch dog to insure that whenever your political opposite does anything you can drum up “Misery and anguish” to pacify your souls.
This has been going on for 200 years. It will go on long after you are dead. Enjoy your misery. I for one refuse to share it……….even when Hillary or Obama is doing the same things once they are in power.
Actually no one has done the things that Bush has done to the extent that he has done them when it comes to things like recess appointments no matter what Somebody says to defend him. The question is do those who make these claims know they are false or are they just ignorant of the facts.
Jim you like many are missing the historical perspective.
No other president has needed to use recess appointments to get anything done like this president.
Politics has become so polarized that its beyond gridlock now.
The “WAR IS LOST” Harry Reid pounded the gavel for one more time. Why? To insure that this president gets the point that “WE HATE YOU”
What do you think is going to happen when Hillary or Obama is in office.
Don’t you guys see what you are doing? You are perpetuating the polarization instead of resisting you are out right rebelling………there is a big difference.
What goes around comes around. It started with Newter and Clinton. Now its Reid and Bush, next it will be the Republican philabusters and Hillary/Obama.
When will it end?
It won’t. Not as long as the watchdogs have turned into PIT BULLS from Michael Vicks stables. Fight or die.
Somebody, perhaps it will end with a president who remembers that the Senate’s consitutional role is to “advise and consent”, not simply “consent.” Maybe I’m naive but I think Obama could be that president.
You rightly point out that Clinton got into plenty of pissing matches over recess appointments, but to say Bush needed this to get anything done is absurd. Go up to Capitol Hill with a list of candidates and ask Democrats and Republicans which of these would be an acceptable candidate, instead of selling the chosen one (case study: Harriet Myers). How hard is that?
Somebody-
You are misrepresenting the dateline of current politcs.
1.
When Congress went on recess, bad appointments were made. Bolton’s chief accomplishments at the UN were to throw his weight around and to throw temper tantrums during Security Council meeitnga. Even if he were 100 % correct in his goals, he wrecked US chances to have influence by the manner of pursuing his goals.
2.
It was AFTER the bad appontments that Congress resorted to this theatrical tactic. It would have been stupid and irresponsible to allow the errors of the past to contnue indefinitely.
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The GOP, via people like Shay, do everything they can to make the watchdog into a pitbull. Constantly interrupting the chairman of the commitee during his time at the mike and issuing ‘carte blanche’ avowals of patriotism to witnesses before their testimony is complete are not conducive to orderly, non-pitbull proceedings .
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There is cause and there is effect. Let’s not confuse the two.
Anf frankly, I don’t care what Washigton or Lincoln did. This is the here and the now of this administration.
The cause, and the source, of the polarization is, of course, Bush-hatred. There has been hatred and resentment ever since Bush was elected in late 2000. It is even worse than the hatred and resentment shown toward Reagan, his election, and the public’s repudiation of “bad-business-as-usual” liberalism in 1980.
CORRECTION: Not simply “obstruct.”
It was AFTER the bad appontments that Congress resorted to this theatrical tactic.
Its too bad this post is back page news. This is pure lunacy. Through out history presidents have nominated and congress has confirmed a boatload of bad appointments.
This president is no different then Clinton Or Carter Or USS Grant or pick your poison. Bad appointments happen. Its a fact of life.
The minute the Congress starts micromanaging every appointment is the day this government will collapse under the weight of gridlock.
Harry Reid is proving to be the worst leader the senate has ever known. Not only can he not get stuff done with a majority but now he is resorting to
THEATRICS.
Well Done “War is Lost” Reid.