Demcratic
control
Pax Democratia
I'm hoping for sanity in government. Common sense. Like many conservatives, I am dismayed that Democrats have taken control of Congress. On the other hand, I am not opposed to anything any Democrat might do to bring us good governance.
It is way too early to judge Democrats in their new role. However, I just want to mention that I sense some good and some bad in what they are doing.
The Iraq War
With regard to Iraq, they are demagoging the War, which was my worst fear.
By doing this, in my opinion, they are playing with the lives of American soldiers and citizens, and they ought to be voted out of office just for this alone. Even Hillary now is against the surge, when several Democrats had called for a surge for months. It is so obviously political, and some Republicans are lining up beside them. It is disgraceful.
Reforming Congress
On the other hand, some attempts at reforming Congress, initiated by Democrats, appear genuine:
Lobbying, Earmarks, Line-Item Veto
Senate Passes Vast Ethics Overhaul: By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK, Published: January 19, 2007.WASHINGTON. The Senate on Thursday overwhelmingly passed sweeping changes to ethics and lobbying rules, overcoming bipartisan reluctance to ban many of the favors that lobbyists do for lawmakers and to illuminate the shadowy legislative practice of earmarking money for special projects.
The Senate's action makes the start of the 110th Congress a watershed moment in the history of K Street and Capitol Hill. Interpreting the results of the Nov. 7 election as a reaction to corruption scandals when Congress was under Republican control, the Senate has joined the House in adopting broad new rules that go beyond the proposals Republicans introduced last year, the ones that Democrats campaigned on, or the extensive changes House Democrats recently passed.
Congress will be voting on the line-item veto next week, proposed by Republicans, when they discuss a raise in the Minimum Wage. The line-item veto would be a great step forward in eliminating corruption.
Legislating Fairness
One bad reform that the Democrats are attempting, for the umpteenth time, is the Fairness Doctrine. Read about this doctrine here: NOW with David Brancaccio. Politics & Economy. What Happened to Fairness? | PBS: "History of the Fairness Doctrine"The effect of it will be an attack on talk radio, which is mostly conservative, forcing them to be "fair" by requiring response time for every conservative viewpoint put forth. What this really means is that the Democrats can't compete in the free market of ideas on talk radio, as in the recent failure of Air America, and so must rely on legislation to get airtime.
It's funny how the Democrats see such an imbalance in the presentation of ideas on talk radio, but fail to recognize the opposite imbalance with the major news media on TV. The Republican response to the left-wing bias of American TV networks is to compete where it is possible, on cable news—and once again, when the free market prevails, conservatives rule, as with FOX News.
Subverting the Will of the People
Democrats have this propensity to try and subvert the will of the people in all kinds of spheres. When the public doesn't want gay marriage, for example, Democrats impose it with activist judges. When the public clamors for conservative talk radio, Democrats begin prattling on about "fairness."Conclusions
I'd give the Democrats mixed reviews so far.
They are an utter disgrace when it comes to the War on Terror and the War in Iraq.
They are pushing some needed reforms with lobbying, financial disclosures, and earmarks. If they do this fairly and accept the line-item veto, they can significantly improve Washington ethics for generations to come.
They are again trying to squelch free speech and impose fascist-like control over broadcasting by reintroducing the Fairness Doctrine.
I hope the American people get educated on these issues and give the appropriate feedback to Democrats for these actions; some praise, and some criticism. Of course, the Dems ought to be voted out of office next time for their behavior on the War on Terror and the War in Iraq, but we'll see.
Rock
(*Wikipedia is always my source unless indicated.)
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