They mocked him! Openly mocked him!
Okay, I'll back up. During the State of the Union this evening, GW commented on his inability to pass his SS reforms last year.
And in response, the Democrats openly mocked him! They applauded and cheered. GW's response? He grinned at them.
I was on the one hand terribly amused.
Granted I'm not that old and haven't seen that many State of the Union addresses, but all the same, I have never seen such a display.
On the one hand, I was amused.
On the other hand, I was sad that the state of the union has come to this: open mocking of the president, which he acknowledged without really seeming to care about it at all.
I think that was actually a very sad moment for our nation.
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Now that's a dilemma
For the last 5 years we've heard two overriding themes, again and again and again:
1. Democracy good.
2. Terrorism bad.
So what happens when 1 results in 2? When a democratic nation has a democratic election that results in a terrorist organization being in control of their government?
The Palestinians just elected the Hamas into office in overwhelming numbers. The people of that country have put the Hamas in power.
The United States and the European Union have declared the Hamas to be a terrorist organization. Condelezza Rice has said that we will not deal with the Hamas unless they agree to lay down arms. I'm not sure what the EU has said.
A surprise!
I started writing this earlier today, before the State of the Union address. I have to admit to being pleased by what GW had to say about this situation. Essentially he said that they're going to have to recognize Israel. Earlier in the week, Rice stated our position: they need to agree to lay down arms in order for us to deal with them.
Anyway, pleasure aside, what do you do in a situation like this? We preach and preach and preach about democracy. This was a totally democratic election. And the people elected the Hamas.
So then what does the party line become? "We support democracies and democratic elections, as long as we approve of those elected"?
I'm not saying it's easy.
It's a dilemma.
1. Democracy good.
2. Terrorism bad.
So what happens when 1 results in 2? When a democratic nation has a democratic election that results in a terrorist organization being in control of their government?
The Palestinians just elected the Hamas into office in overwhelming numbers. The people of that country have put the Hamas in power.
The United States and the European Union have declared the Hamas to be a terrorist organization. Condelezza Rice has said that we will not deal with the Hamas unless they agree to lay down arms. I'm not sure what the EU has said.
A surprise!
I started writing this earlier today, before the State of the Union address. I have to admit to being pleased by what GW had to say about this situation. Essentially he said that they're going to have to recognize Israel. Earlier in the week, Rice stated our position: they need to agree to lay down arms in order for us to deal with them.
Anyway, pleasure aside, what do you do in a situation like this? We preach and preach and preach about democracy. This was a totally democratic election. And the people elected the Hamas.
So then what does the party line become? "We support democracies and democratic elections, as long as we approve of those elected"?
I'm not saying it's easy.
It's a dilemma.
Sunday, January 29, 2006
A filibuster is the right thing to do
One of the most heard reasons given by senators for not supporting a filibuster on Monday is that the Republicans will then retaliate with the "nuclear option."
That's ridiculous. Not that the Republicans would respond that way; it's likely they would. But so what? If the Democratic senators refuse to act in fear of this option, then in effect the nuclear option has already been enacted.
The other reason I've heard the most out of Democratic senators for not supporting a filibuster is that they're afraid it will hurt them in the 2006 elections. Boy have they gotten it wrong this time. I, and many others I have talked to or heard from, will react in exactly the opposite fashion. In the fall elections, I will support those who support a filibuster on the Alito nomination. I will have to think long and hard before voting for anyone who opposes a filibuster.
I want elected officials who actually represent me. Senators who stand up for me. I don't care if it's basically a moot point because the other side has the votes for the confirmation. That doesn't matter, that's not the point.
The point is that I want to be heard. I want my senators to stand up for me. At this point, that can only happen via a filibuster.
Also, I resent that the Senate has allowed the president (aka King George... get used to it, Alito will likely actually crown the man) to set the confirmation day. GW wanted this whole business over before 2006 even started. He didn't get that. And he wasn't happy about it. Now he wants to be able to announce the confirmation in his State of the Union address. (He has nothing else positive to say. He wants to at least be able to say that he's gotten two men onto the Supreme Court.) And it looks as though the Senate Republicans have completely buckled to him and are delivering this nomination to him just in time.
How sweet.
Oh wait, I said buckled when what I meant was bent over.
Get ready folks, life as you know is about to change. Forget personal freedoms. Forget a right to privacy. That's all about to go down the drain.
It's really quite amazing. The Republicans are supposed to be against big government. Yet this current Republican-led government we're suffering through is the biggest government our country has seen in recent memory. This anti-big government party that currently rules over all of us is about to put a justice on the Supreme Court who has the potential to completely change the world as we know it.
It's amazing that these "small government people" care so much about who you sleep with, and how, how you worship, who you marry. It's simply astounding to me that a bunch of white men in Washington care so much about our sex lives, our personal lives, our private lives.
Band together my friends, and be strong, eventually the Democrats will be back in power.
Even if it is by default because so many of the Republicans are in jail...
That's ridiculous. Not that the Republicans would respond that way; it's likely they would. But so what? If the Democratic senators refuse to act in fear of this option, then in effect the nuclear option has already been enacted.
The other reason I've heard the most out of Democratic senators for not supporting a filibuster is that they're afraid it will hurt them in the 2006 elections. Boy have they gotten it wrong this time. I, and many others I have talked to or heard from, will react in exactly the opposite fashion. In the fall elections, I will support those who support a filibuster on the Alito nomination. I will have to think long and hard before voting for anyone who opposes a filibuster.
I want elected officials who actually represent me. Senators who stand up for me. I don't care if it's basically a moot point because the other side has the votes for the confirmation. That doesn't matter, that's not the point.
The point is that I want to be heard. I want my senators to stand up for me. At this point, that can only happen via a filibuster.
Also, I resent that the Senate has allowed the president (aka King George... get used to it, Alito will likely actually crown the man) to set the confirmation day. GW wanted this whole business over before 2006 even started. He didn't get that. And he wasn't happy about it. Now he wants to be able to announce the confirmation in his State of the Union address. (He has nothing else positive to say. He wants to at least be able to say that he's gotten two men onto the Supreme Court.) And it looks as though the Senate Republicans have completely buckled to him and are delivering this nomination to him just in time.
How sweet.
Oh wait, I said buckled when what I meant was bent over.
Get ready folks, life as you know is about to change. Forget personal freedoms. Forget a right to privacy. That's all about to go down the drain.
It's really quite amazing. The Republicans are supposed to be against big government. Yet this current Republican-led government we're suffering through is the biggest government our country has seen in recent memory. This anti-big government party that currently rules over all of us is about to put a justice on the Supreme Court who has the potential to completely change the world as we know it.
It's amazing that these "small government people" care so much about who you sleep with, and how, how you worship, who you marry. It's simply astounding to me that a bunch of white men in Washington care so much about our sex lives, our personal lives, our private lives.
Band together my friends, and be strong, eventually the Democrats will be back in power.
Even if it is by default because so many of the Republicans are in jail...
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