Party politics failing

As we all know, there are two major political parties in the United States: the Democrats and Republicans. Here is an easy question: which one is the conservative one? It's actually a trick question and the answer is neither. Over the years the Republican party has become increasingly liberal. Yes, there are differences between the two parties, but they are not the same fundamental differences that existed back when the two parties were labeled liberal and conservative, respectively. Republicans are supposed to be conservative with regard to the size and power of the federal government and with regard to federal spending and taxation. I will say that Republicans are, for the most part, still conservative with respect to taxation and that is fine, but the problem lies in the fact that they are no longer conservative with spending. The only true difference between the two parties now is in their ideas about how the government should spend our money, and ideas about which way the government should lean with respect to bending the Constitution.

Growing up, one of my teachers explained the difference between Democrats and Republicans by saying that Democrats care about poor people, and Republicans care about rich people. Growing up, my family was wealthy, but I always had a soft spot for the underdog. In Sesame Street I liked Burt when everyone loved Ernie. In the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, I liked Raphael when everyone liked Michaelangelo. And in X-Men I always liked Cyclops when everyone thought Wolverine was cool. These are juveline examples, but even at an early age I realized that everyone needs somebody pulling for them, that the needs of the minority are as important as the needs of the majority. And this is one of the great principles of the democratic republic the founding fathers built. So needless to say, I ended up rooting for the Democrats. But in today's political climate, I find myself dissatisfied with both parties, and I again find myself rooting for the underdog because the fact is, no great ideas ever come from the majority. Our greatest hope for political change is to start paying more attention, and not just to the big candidates who sell themselves (and in turn, the American people) to special interests, and not just to the candidates that are hyped by the corporate-run big media, but to grass-roots and third-party candidates. These are the candidates who are more likely to offer ideas that can make our nation better.

Our present political system must change. It rewards candidates who spend 90% of their time keeping their jobs and only 10% doing their jobs and this needs to change. Some have called for comprehensive campaign finance reform, and others have even gone so far as to suggest public funding for campaigns to even the playing field. There is more hope for political change now than there has been in a very long time, but that change must come from the people first. Because of immerging technologies, grass roots campaigns have the ability to be more effective than ever. We need to be skeptical and aware, do our own research, and not believe everything we hear from the media. We need to ask the tough questions and be objective. The most effective way to change politics in this country is to change the system from the ground up.

Something to think about

When Julius Caesar claimed powers above what Roman law dictated and when his arrogance and suppression of the Senate became too much, members of the Senate removed him from power. This should serve as an example for our Congress. Perhaps it is time for Congress to more seriously consider filing articles of impeachment. After all, this president's transgressions are greater than those of Andrew Johnson and William Clinton, two previously impeached presidents. In fact, his transgressions are greater than Richard Nixon's, who would've been impeached were it not for his resignation. Just as Caesar's fall made way for a great peace and prosperity, such a move in the United States could do the same.

Corruption to confusion

I am having trouble stomaching the apathy present in the American public right now. The administration has been performing illegal and unconstitutional acts since it took power in 2001, but it has become increasingly apparent as of recent. There was a point where the administration's hostility toward threats to its power were subtle; it operated with a bit more class. But from Attorney Gonzalez's ridiculous testimony to Congress to Cheney's absurd claim that he is not a part of the executive branch, the administration has made it clear that it feels it is above the laws that once governed this nation. The arrogance and contempt it holds toward Congress, toward its own dissenting members, and toward the American people continues to surprise me. Now with Surgeon General Carmona outlining the intense politicization of his own office, it has become apparent that President Bush wishes to exert his influence as far as it will reach, regardless of the cost to us. He makes issues that should be completely free from partisan politics fiercely political. Public health and criminal justice should not be partisan issues. It is crucial to the continued prosperity of any nation that issues such as these remain impartial and untainted by the necessary evils of politics.

The President has claimed that strategies in Iraq should be military ones and not political ones. Apparently, the president does not understand the relationship between the two concepts. Politics is the struggle over power. A military is a tool used in that struggle. To say we need a military strategy and not a political one is like saying we need a pick-and-roll play, not a basketball one - the military strategy IS a political strategy. And I find it interesting that White House officials continuously criticize Congress for being too political and that decisions in Iraq should be left to the commanders and not to politicians in Washington. With all due respect Mr. President, you are a politician in Washington and you've pressed the resignation of several of your commanders because they held opinions and views that were inconsistent with your own. With all due respect, Mr. President, the United States Constitution grants war powers to politicians in Washington, and not just to you, but to Congress as well.

I hope we are not following the way of our ancestors, the Romans. The Roman Senate once gave too much power to Julius Caesar in a time of war and the people never got it back. Do we have so little respect for ourselves, so little respect for our country, that we will let executive branch officials get away with so much at our expense?

Bush calls out Congress

Today's post was inspired by the AP article, "Bush takes Democrats to task on budget bills."

I will comment on some of the quotes in this article, and then illustrate why the entire situation should be frustrating to all Americans, regardless of where their loyalties lie.


The article begins:

"Democrats are failing in their responsibility to make tough decisions and spend the people's money wisely," Bush said in his weekly radio address.

I will agree that the Congress has failed to make tough decisions, but who are YOU to pass judgement on spending money wisely??? I forget exactly how much our nation debt is right now.

The White House has said the failure of a broad immigration overhaul was proof that Democratic-controlled Capitol Hill cannot take on major issues.

This claim is extremely poorly thought out. To be honest, it may be outright stupid. To begin with, the immigration bill proposed last month was terrible. It would have created an extremely unfair, expensive, and ineffective immigration system (yes, I actually read the bill). That aside, it was the Republicans in Congress that defeated it, members of your own conservative base.

"Democrats have a chance to prove they are for open and transparent government by working to complete each spending bill independently and on time," Bush said.

I agree. I was disappointed that a vast majority of the House and Senate refused to release their earmark projects for CNN when asked (Ron Paul was the only Presidential candidate to comply). There needs to be more transparency in Congress. HOWEVER, if my trust in Congress is a 73 out of 100, my trust in YOUR branch of government is about a 7 out of 100.
Transparent is one of the things your office is not. You began your presidency by lying to the Ameican people about findings in intelligence reports. That was a big lie that has cost over 3,000 American lives. Since then, your presidency has been cloaked in secrecy - missing documents, ignored subpoenas, and the continued refusal to adequately justify or stand accountable for your actions.

The president said Democrats are embracing "the failed tax-and-spend policies of the past." Republican lawmakers have pledged to support him and sustain any vetoes. "No nation has ever taxed and spent its way to prosperity," Bush said. "And I have made it clear that I will veto any attempt to take America down this road."

Taxing and spending won't get us anywhere, but cutting taxes and spending will get us exactly where it has: here and now, with trillions of dollars in debt. You cut income taxes that overwhelmingly favor the rich, and then you spend like mad on a foreign war. In economics, there is a saying: there is no free lunch. Well, it's free if you dine and dash, like you will do in early 2009. You are like a third generation heir, who inherits 5 million dollars and turns it into a 5 billion dollar debt for his children to inheret, leaving them poor and penniless. The only way to get rid of debt is to tax and cut spending. We have to have more coming in than we have going out. It's a common sense principle, which means you either have no common sense, or you have a blatant disregard for the well-being of this nation. The fact that you would lecture ANYONE on economic policy is absurd.

Bush said the evidence that the once listless economy is regaining energy is a result of his insistence on lowering taxes and spending.

That's obvious. You know what else is obvious? It will come crashing down on us at some point. I could take out a $150,000 loan and buy a Porshe, but if I don't have the money to make payments on the loan, it get's taken away and my credit is destroyed. We are only prospering because we are living off of loans. Eventually we will have to pay those loans back. By the way, lowering taxes and cutting spending would be fine, but only DOMESTIC spending has been cut. Military spending has been inflated to an incredible degree.

(the full article can be found at CNN Online)




It's no shock to most that the White House does not understand the situation abroad. They do not understand the enemy we are fighting, or the history that lies behind the conflicts in the Middle East. This is largely a reason for our failures there. However, I am shocked by the degree to which the Bush administration misunderstands our political situation here. His comments are either poorly thought out, intentionally misleading, or he truly is dilusional. He has NOT cut spending. To the contrary, he he has put us into the greatest debt our nation has ever seen, even when corrected for inflation. His claim is so far off, one has to wonder how he has remained in office (I often do). He often pretends that he is above politics. Without nailing his administration down as one of the most single-minded and politicized in recent memory, politics is a necessary and inherent part of our system; it is inescapable. Politics is about the struggle for power and our system was designed to have this struggle, at least between the separate branches of government. The president should be reminded that though the branches are separate and in constant struggle, they were created and meant to remain equal.