Heading For A Fall
John Fund takes a look at the latest shenanigans in Congress and is very, very unimpressed. Between what certainly appeared to be a stolen House vote and midnight rewrites of legislation, the current Democrat-majority leadership in Congress is certainly not covering itself with glory. Fund points out that they are heading for a fall.
The House of Representatives almost turned into the Fight Club Thursday night, when Democrats ruled that a GOP motion had failed even though, when the gavel fell, the electronic score board showed it winning 215-213 along with the word FINAL. The presiding officer, Rep. Mike McNulty (D., N.Y.), actually spoke over the clerk who was trying to announce the result.
In the ensuing confusion several members changed their votes and the GOP measure to deny illegal aliens benefits such as food stamps then trailed 212-216. Boiling-mad Republicans stormed off the floor. The next day, their fury increased when they learned electronic records of the vote had disappeared from the House's voting system.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi made matters worse when she told reporters, "There was no mistake made last night." Majority Leader Steny Hoyer had to rescue her by acknowledging that, while he thought no wrongdoing had occurred, the minority party was "understandably angry." Under pressure, the House unanimously agreed to create a select committee, with subpoena powers, to investigate Republican charges the vote had been "stolen."
Congress appears to be gripped by a partisanship that borders on tribal warfare. In a forthcoming book, Los Angeles Times columnist Ron Brownstein compares it to a "second Civil War" that has led to "the virtual collapse of meaningful collaboration" between the two parties. Public disenchantment with Washington is such that now both New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Democratic former senator Sam Nunn of Georgia are musing openly about an independent run for president. But Congress itself has to act if it doesn't want to degenerate into one of those fist-wielding European or Asian parliaments we occasionally see on TV.
Read the whole thing, it is a good look at where the Congress is failing. I have said many times that the Reid-Pelosi regime is setting up a "throw the bums out" situation for 2008. Virtually everyone is angry with Congress at this point, regardless of political affiliation. Fund points out that the last time Congress was held in such contempt, in the early 1990's, incumbents got their clocks cleaned at the polls. With the approval rating for Congress being at the lowest level in recorded history, the electorate may have a few lessons for sitting members of Congress very soon.
By FedUp, Monday, 6 August , 2007 @ 7:40 am
I would like to believe that the American people would wake up and smell the “coffee”. But, unless something radical happens, I believe that most of the couch potatoes will just change the channel. We should clean house and quickly and thoroughly! We are quickly becomming a joke in the world community, since we are so divided to the point of madness! America needs strong leaders with integrity. Wonder where we can find some…
By feeblemind, Monday, 6 August , 2007 @ 11:28 am
Cheating on the vote is an alarming new tactic being employed by the dems, but I pretty much agree with Fedup. I think many people see this as no more than politics as usual. I just don’t think it hurts them long term. I hope your take is right, Gaius. We shall see.