For Congress, the Fierce Maybe of Sometime
P.M. Carpenter
THE FIFTH COLUMNIST by P.M. Carpenter
Well, here we go. Or rather, don't go. Eighty days into the most challenging presidential term in about as many years, and the Democratic Congress is already back to its languorous ways.
Its members aren't even bothering with the traditional razzle-dazzle of legislative smoke and heated-partisan mirrors, signaling instead to the Washington Post that they're now in "a process that could drag into next year for some agenda items."
Translation: The first session of the 111th United States Congress is as good as dead. Why? And why already? Because they're Democrats. That's why.
Among any congregation of Democratic pols there are more opinions on how to proceed on any given matter than there are pricks on a porcupine. Double entendre intended. "What trumps urgency for us is getting it right," Sen. Chris Dodd told the Post, meaning, in the absence of determined leadership, that there are dozens of absolutely "right" irreconcilabilities.
"You're talking about building an entire architecture here," Dodd continued, as though the present challenges just emerged last week, catching them all off guard.
Let's see, the known need for alternative energy has been around since Dick Nixon; healthcare for all citizens was proposed by Harry Truman; a sound, responsive, well-funded system of public education was first advocated -- in detail -- by Horace Mann in the early 1800s; and the financial shenanigans of an English tea company "too big to fail" were leading indicators in the creation of the United States.
But for heaven's sake let's not rush to solutions, boys; make sure you ponder these issues -- apparently for the first time? -- with due consideration, assuming you can squeeze that in between fundraising sessions with Big Oil, Big Insurance, and Big Finance (which once again is demonstrating its inexhaustible creativity by kicking back our money to politicians also on the public payroll -- and 'round and 'round it goes, up).
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http://www.buzzflash.com/articles/carpenter/359