I'M GLAD I WAS WRONG

Butrflynet wrote:

I would like to see a lot more time devoted to repairing damage for the good of the present and future rather than investigating the past. I'd like to see the democrats focused on fixing the lack of oversight in times of crisis, firewalling, catering to special interests and also preserving the record.

Reinforce the public information act, limit use and power of presidential signing statements and create strict sunshine laws to bring the bonds between special interests, lobbyists and government employees out from the shadows.

Yes, we need to know what happened in order to fix it. But not knowing shouldn't stop the forward movement toward restructuring to prevent it from recurring.

That's why the democrats were given the mid-term majority, to do the needed repairs to our governing mechanisms.

CAN they do that re signing statements?

dlowan wrote:

Butrflynet wrote:

I would like to see a lot more time devoted to repairing damage for the good of the present and future rather than investigating the past. I'd like to see the democrats focused on fixing the lack of oversight in times of crisis, firewalling, catering to special interests and also preserving the record.

Reinforce the public information act, limit use and power of presidential signing statements and create strict sunshine laws to bring the bonds between special interests, lobbyists and government employees out from the shadows.

Yes, we need to know what happened in order to fix it. But not knowing shouldn't stop the forward movement toward restructuring to prevent it from recurring.

That's why the democrats were given the mid-term majority, to do the needed repairs to our governing mechanisms.

CAN they do that re signing statements?

Yes. The Congress can thwart the President by not voting the appropriations necessary for his pet projects, and the President can thwart the Congress by simply failing to disburse funds appropriated for their pet projects. In a worst case scenario, Congress can tie the President's hands in the use of executive orders by using the glare of public scrutiny (Congressional investigations and the subpoena of witnesses and documents) and hamstring the Administration by keeping executive branch officials in front of committees and the television cameras. When the Senate decided to investigate the break-in at the Watergate Hotel in 1972, they made it impossible for Nixon to get any business done, and John Mitchell, then Attorney General, eventually destroyed his own career on national television because he finally lost it in front of the cameras, and ended by assaulting reporters and swearing for the microphones.

That's no way to run a government, but there is no reason for the Democrats to back down now, and i doubt that they will. The Shrub will be a lame duck, but he'll still need to get along with the Congress, or the Democrats will effectively shut down his entire agenda.

I've been trying to figure out why Bush waited until after the election to announce Rumsfeld's resignation. I think this has been planned for several weeks, even months

Day One: Put new rules in place to "break the link between lobbyists and legislation."

Day Two: Enact all the recommendations made by the commission that investigated the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Time remaining until 100 hours: Raise the minimum wage to $7.25 an hour, maybe in one step. Cut the interest rate on student loans in half. Allow the government to negotiate directly with the pharmaceutical companies for lower drug prices for Medicare patients.

Broaden the types of stem cell research allowed with federal funds _ "I hope with a veto-proof majority," she added in an Associated Press interview Thursday.

All the days after that: "Pay as you go," meaning no increasing the deficit, whether the issue is middle class tax relief, health care or some other priority.

To do that, she said, Bush-era tax cuts would have to be rolled back for those above "a certain level." She mentioned annual incomes of $250,000 or $300,000 a year and higher, and said tax rates for those individuals might revert to those of the Clinton era. Details will have to be worked out, she emphasized.

"We believe in the marketplace," Pelosi said of Democrats, then drew a contrast with Republicans. "They have only rewarded wealth, not work."

"We must share the benefits of our wealth" beyond the privileged few, she added.

Lieberman and Sanders have both shown that an independent candidate can, in fact, be elected to national office. May the trend continue!!!