Where Do Democrats Go From Here? II
Radley Balko correctly stated the first things the Democrats need to do to show they are serious:
Here’s the challenge: Mollahan is, to say the least, “ethically challenged.” There’s no sensible reason for him to retain his seat on the most powerful committee in the House of Representatives. If Nancy Pelosi is serious about “draining the swamp,” she’ll kick Mollohan off the appropriations committee before she pounds her first gavel.
As for Byrd, his history of earmarking excesses makes Ted Stevens look like Ron Paul. Earmarking is little more than legalized corruption. It’s buying votes. Not only did Robert Byrd perfect the practice, he’s the one who put a “secret hold” on a bill that wouldn’t have even eliminated the practice, but would merely have added a bit of transparency to it. Democrats who rightly railed against the “Bridge to Nowhere” can’t be taken seriously if they sit back and let Byrd resume diverting millions of taxpayer dollars to wasteful pork projects in West Virginia. Harry Reid should remove him from the Senate Appropriations Committee.
It won’t be easy — Byrd in particular is likely to raise holy hell. But if you’re going to change the culture of corruption in Washington, you’d go a long way toward demonstrating your seriousness by starting with your own party.
This is right on target. We have a chance now in the next two weeks to see if Democrats are going to continue business as usual or if they really are interested in governing in our nation’s best interest. These are some concrete ideas of how my party can show that they deserve the support most Americans showed them on Tuesday. I’m pessimistic but I’d be delighted if they surprised me.
Even if Democrats do foolishly plan on governing in a style similar to that of the previous majority I take some solace in the knowledge that we finally again have divided government. At the very least the ability of either party to continue the current exponential growth of government will be hampered by that most blessed of all divided government outcomes…gridlock.
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I take some solace in the knowledge that we finally again have divided government.
I completely agree. But I also have hope that Democrats in congress/senate will realize that they really are on a sort of probation. Those races were so close, they just BARELY took the senate. I hope they see that the American public is waiting for them to change things significantly. That their tenure as the party in power is dependent on them making those changes.
Comment by nosurfgirl — November 11, 2006 @ 10:34 pm