Precisely Nothing
The Economist takes a look at the track record of Congress since the Democrats took power. Their judgment is not exactly flattering. They say that it would appear that precisely nothing of any real value is likely to be passed.
ROUGHLY half a year after the Democrats seized Congress, nobody could deny that politics has grown more interesting. Judging from the newspapers today it is Capitol Hill, not the White House, where the action is in Washington, DC.The new Democratic majority certainly started strong. In its first 100 hours the House passed six popular bills to show that this was no “do-nothing Congress”, as its Republican-controlled predecessor had been labelled. The Iraq debate heated up with congressional calls to pull the troops home. The Senate has held public, sometimes riveting, hearings with the attorney-general and other administration officials, holding their feet to the fire as Congress is meant to do. And recently, the Senate unblocked the debate on immigration by considering a vast compromise bill that would overhaul America’s system for welcoming foreigners.
And yet the past six months has also shown how painfully blocked-up America’s checks-and-balances system can be. For all of the attention-grabbing ctivity, nothing concrete has yet been achieved. That 100-hours plan? Except for changes to the House’s own rules, none of the other bills has become law; most are languishing in the Senate. A bill on stem-cell research recently passed both chambers, but it now faces George Bush’s veto. The “100 Hours” may be remembered as a catchy campaign slogan, but it may produce precisely nothing of legislative substance. At least the 1994 “Contract with America” elped to get the ball rolling on welfare reform.
Believe it or not, the Reid-Pelosi regime has actually accomplished something. They have managed to drive already appalling poll numbers for Congress to entirely new depths. It isn't exactly an accomplishment to be proud of. The rank and file will regard the Reid-Pelosi tenure in office with revulsion soon enough. Couple the low numbers for Congress with the fact that the two front-runners for the Dem's nomination for president happen to be members of that Congress and there is a potential trainwreck coming. Reid and Pelosi will take the blame if that train jumps the tracks. Bet on it.
By Purple Avenger, Tuesday, 12 June , 2007 @ 3:09 pm
Harry Reid’s approval rating is around 19% — 1/2 that of Dick Cheney’s 38%. I would consider that quite an accomplishment.
When you can’t even take the moonbat contingent, you’re in trouble.