Thursday, August 31, 2006

Meet The Future House Committee Leaders

The Opinion Journal reports on just who will be leading the House committees, should the Dems win control in November.



With a little more than two months to go before midterm elections, the polls show Democrats well positioned to win the House after 12 years out of power. So it's not too soon to consider who these Democrats are and how they would govern.


All the more so because we've seen most of these faces and their agenda before. While Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi would be a new Speaker of the House, the 19 primary committee chairmen who would dominate hearings, issue subpoenas and write legislation are agents of change only in the sense of going back to the future. They represent the same liberal priorities that bedeviled Bill Clinton's attempt to govern as a New Democrat from 1993-94, and before that Jimmy Carter in the 1970s. To pick one example, 13 of the 19 voted against the welfare reform that Mr. Clinton signed in 1996 and hailed this month as a triumph of "bipartisanship."



I have to say that I would be one of the first people to say, I am not very happy with the way the GOP has governed. They have failed to realize that they are the majority party and have failed the majority of the people that have placed their confidence and trust in them.


But frankly, this Democratic bunch is very scary, at best.


They are no more qualified, no more adept at leadership, and have yet to provide the nation with any sound plans to improve the effectiveness of government. In fact, their loud accusations have been an instrumental force in making this government so ineffective, to begin with. I cannot blame them, they are just doing what they do best, which is bitch and complain like a bitter divorcee that has not moved on from a disastrous marriage (one that they helped make such a disaster, to start with). But this is no surprise, it is what we have come to expect from them.


No, the GOP is also to blame, because they have fallen into the Dems' trap. They have allowed the opposition to influence decisions that are not sound and do not represent the best interests, of the nation as a whole. So it's easy to see why the GOP is floundering in the polls, right now.


So forgive me when I say, I cannot get overly excited about a GOP victory in November. But even more importantly, I am even more apprehensive about entrusting the leadership of this great nation to a bunch that has done nothing but whine, complain, and threaten, since they have been out of power.


My good friend, Mustang from Social Sense sums up this whole affair very well, in his latest post entitled Liars and Scoundrels. Give it a read and see why I am so skeptical. It certainly reflects what many Americans, like myself, are feeling right now. It definitely will make a person think about why this country is in such a mess, these days. We do get the government we deserve, when we elect these people to lead. We cannot blame anyone but ourselves, that is for sure.


So, if you are sitting on the fence and are not sure if you should send a message to Washington this November, remember to take into account this WSJ article and Mustang's essay. Read both of them before you decide. But if your mind is made up, you must always remember that you pulled the levers, punched the holes, or whatever.



Cross-posted at The Wide Awakes.

3 comments:

All_I_Can_Stands said...

So forgive me when I say, I cannot get overly excited about a GOP victory in November. But even more importantly, I am even more apprehensive about entrusting the leadership of this great nation to a bunch that has done nothing but whine, complain, and threaten, since they have been out of power.

You are so right. In previous GOP victories I have had some very happy moments of celebration. If the GOP manages to eek out a status quo, or even a more significant victory, my feelings will be more along the lines of relief than celebratory.

I can only hope that if they do pull it off that lessons will be learned (and not those lessons that the folks at moveon.org,code pink, the ACLU and dailykos would have them learn)

LA Sunset said...

AICS,

You see though, the only thing that will make an impact on the GOP is to be turned out of office. The sad thing is, there is just no alternative other than the angry elitists that wish to replace them.

I suspect that we both realize that if the Dems do get into power, impeachment proceedings will begin in committee, soon after the session begins. That's the two years of legislature, right there.

All_I_Can_Stands said...

I will say that blogging would be so much more fun sometimes if the Dems were in control. We could have a daily Pelosi-ism