Who hasn't heard the expression, "Politics makes strange bedfellows" I guess I always thought I knew what that meant but with the Democrats taking over in the Congress so far it means someone's getting screwed.
Who's responsible? Who can say? With Washington D.
C.
being designated as the world's largest idiot sanctuary stupidity becomes easily camouflaged amongst the native foliage.
They seem to have trouble determining when to stand on principle and when to negotiate.
When to hold them and when to fold them but so far from what I've seen I wouldn't let them take the cow to market because they'll come back with a hand full of magic beans every time.
In this latest chapter The Democrats have backed down yet again to the administration on cutting off funding for the Iraq war.
Cleverly trading 124 billion dollars in Iraq war funding for Republican support of 20 billion dollars in domestic initiatives, including the first minimum wage increase in a decade, better healthcare for war veterans and health insurance for poor children.
Perhaps their mothers never taught them the old adage fool me once shame on you fool me twice shame on me and fool me three times and I'm the Speaker of the house.
The willingness to trade the money to finance the bungle in Baghdad for a raise in the minimum wage it's almost a certainty that Ms.
Pelosi will never earn the moniker of Slick Nancy.
First you should stand on the principle that raising the minimum wage is the right thing to do and to not raise it, would be an abomination and a disgrace, how dare we talk about exporting democracy while advocating economic slavery at home.
Second funding the Iraq war is an abomination and should be stopped on principle alone and by trading one principle for another you get neither.
Perhaps it was a mistake to prominently announce the Democratic agenda complete with a timetable making it easy for the Republicans to defeat it by just normal foot dragging.
Then once elected on a platform of change to announce impeachment off the table in other words go along to get along.
Then in a scene borrowed from Wagnerian opera the speaker grabs the hammer of Thor and throws it at the feet of the king and declares no more war funding.
Then as the curtain falls they go backstage and it becomes non-binding declaration.
I thought you won arguments by the correctness of your position but in modern Washington you just make a deal right or wrong! The war is wrong, it has always been wrong and the majority of the American public have finally come to that realization.
But the speaker wants to trade a wage increase for the poor for a few more dead bodies of the poor.
The idea of better healthcare for war veterans by allowing the President to make more of them rivals murdering your parents and pleading for mercy because you're an orphan.
I will be the first to admit that my math skills are sub par so correct me if this is wrong isn't 124 billion greater than 20 billion?Now add to that the correctness of the position, now add to that the popularity of the President yet the speaker is almost hat in hand asking, would you trade six Barry Bonds baseball cards for a Greg Maddox? I don't know maybe it's just me I'd rather lose a fight and get nothing than trade away everything to get half.
Maybe I idealize Washington too much, a sort of Hollywood idealism of Mr.
Smith goes to Washington.
Then when I look back on the politicians that I personally admire and respect I know its not me, oh hell no! Not by a long shot it's not me! When Harry Truman ran for President in 1948 Southern Senators threatened to walk out of the convention and split the party if Truman wouldn't soften his plank on civil rights.
Truman refused to even discuss the issue it wasn't a subject open to negotiation he would rather lose being right then sellout a principle.
When the Southern delegation carried through with their threat and walked out Minnesota Senator Hubert Humphrey ordered the band to play and lead the crowd in applauding their departure.
A moment of disastrous political disintegration had been turned to a moment of sublime moral imperative.
The American public could see it as well, these guys meant what they said and were willing to put their own necks on the line to take off their coat and ties and fight about it.
They would make no truce or parley on articles of truth and justice and if only poor Dewey had copy righted his speeches full of platitudes and kind words his descendants would be on easy street today for the current crop of Republican hopefuls would all be paying them royalties.
From the convention on the distinction was clear, Truman was ready to take off his suit and tie and fight for his beliefs while Dewey promised every thing will be fine we just need a few tax cuts.
There is no disgrace in losing a fight there is only shame in running from it.
There is no shame in being out smarted, it has happened to all of us at one time or another in our lives.
But afraid to fight with these guys? And being out smarted by George Bush? That takes some explaining!