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Last Binge Of A Condemned Congress
Unchecked Power: Having nothing to lose as they tumble toward November's electoral cliff, Democrats have gone into legislative overdrive. With the hangman ready, the condemned are ordering the whole menu.The way things look right now, 2010 could go down in history as one of the biggest reversals of political power ever -- with even "safe" seats in big trouble. Take Rep. David Obey, D-Wis., chairman of the powerful pork-wielding House Appropriations Committee, who has held his seat since before man walked on the moon. He looks like a dead duck against a Republican challenge from a current county district attorney and MTV "Real World" alumnus named Sean Duffy -- who wasn't even born when Obey took office. "It's not a lifetime appointment," Duffy told the New York Times for a story on the numerous vulnerable Democrats who were once unbeatable. But like Thelma and Louise when they knew the jig was up, the Democratic Congress has decided it might as well put the pedal to the metal and go over the precipice with a crash and a bang. Unfortunately, they've got an already pummeled economy in the back seat with them. No one should misinterpret the rearranging of the cap-and-trade and immigration deck chairs on the Democrats' Titanic. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid want both -- bullying industry in the name of saving the planet and buying Hispanic votes with amnesty for illegal aliens. As Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., said over the weekend in reaction to moderate Sen. Lindsay Graham, R-S.C., angrily withdrawing his support on cap-and-trade, "We all believe that this year is our best and perhaps last chance for Congress to pass a comprehensive approach." In talking up an immigration bill, Democrats are scrambling for more votes from their base, but all it will do is fan the flames of anti-Washington sentiment. We've been assured before that this problem is fixed -- that we'll have one last, big amnesty -- only to find still more millions of people here in violation of the law. The big question is whether Republicans are smart enough to exploit the issue for what it is: an illustration of the divide between Americans who believe in the rule of law and politicians looking to import millions of new votes for their big-government agenda. Then there's the massive financial industry bill being pushed by Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn. It further institutionalizes the too-big-to-fail policy and claims to "end bailouts" by making financial firms give $50 billion to the Treasury. As on health reform, you won't see any outstretched hands across the aisle as Democrats try to steamroll GOP opposition into yet another monster spending and regulatory law. Posted by: Besoeker 2010-04-28 |
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