This looks like it'll be interesting. I hate "interesting".
"Congressional Democrats stepped hungrily to the brink of power on Wednesday, promising immediate action to limit the influence of lobbyists and pledging to constantly prod the Bush administration to bring U.S. troops home from
Iraq."
The first part of that sentence is perhaps the most apt I've ever seen from the MSM.
"There is nothing political about finding a policy to end the war in Iraq, raising the minimum wage, achieving energy independence or helping kids afford college,' shot back Sen. Harry Reid (news, bio, voting record) of Nevada, due to become majority leader at the stroke of noon on Thursday. 'In fact, politics has prevented progress on these issues for too many years." (links in original)
Uh-huh.
"After long pledging a new era of civility and openness in the House, Democrats said they would not allow Republicans the chance to amend any of the first half-dozen bills to be brought to a vote during the first 100 hours of the new Congress. The measures relate to the minimum wage, stem cell research, energy, student loans and recommendations by the commission that investigated the terrorist attacks of 2001.
'We view the first 100 hours as essentially a mandate from the American people,' Hoyer told reporters, explaining the decision to safeguard those measures from Republican attack."
Great. A politician with a "mandate". Shouldn't that bring the terror alert level a shade or two closer to red? & the Republicans aren't making me feel warm & cozy either:
"Bush said at the White House that his proposal 'will restrain spending while setting priorities. It will address the most urgent needs of our nation, in particular the need to protect ourselves from radicals and terrorists, the need to win the war on terror, the need to maintain a strong national defense and the need to keep this economy growing by making tax relief permanent."
Bush restrain spending? Now that's funny. But I'm wondering what if anything he meant by "radicals". I'm pretty sure that a militant libertarian would count as a radical.
In any case things look like they'll get interesting fairly quick. & not in a good way.
Posted by Publicola at January 3, 2007 06:55 PM | TrackBackDemocrats excel at 'micro politics'. It's like getting nibbled to death by ducks.
Unfortunately they completely screw up (or ignore) the important stuff.
Posted by: trainer at January 3, 2007 10:40 PMSeems odd that Reid would spout that kind of dung, then do exactly what he said it wasn't to execute on those points.
My question to him is, if it isn't political, why are you passing a law about it?
Makes sense to those of us who have more than two cards in the deck it seems.
Posted by: -B at January 4, 2007 12:04 PMThere's supposedly an ancient Chinese curse: "May you live in interesting times."
Posted by: David Codrea at January 7, 2007 10:21 AMThe pendulum that's supposed to be swinging seems more like the handle on a bumper jack, with a stuck "let down".
Posted by: Phillep at January 7, 2007 12:41 PM"There's supposedly an ancient Chinese curse: 'May you live in interesting times.' "
Sun Tzu, I believe, as you should well know, David.
And it wasn't meant as a blessing . . .
'Berg
Posted by: 'Berg at January 9, 2007 11:10 AM