Charlie Brown Revisted

In my last blog, frustrated and disillusioned, I mentioned the old Peanuts routine of Lucy pulling the ball back just as Charlie Brown tried to kick it. I compared this to the way the Demos are handling the Repubs in the Senate. What I'd like to see in that scenario is Charlie Brown telling Lucy, " you do that again and I'll kick your ass". That's what I would want Charlie to say and that is what I want the Republicans to say. When the "cave in kids" had the mike after the so called compromise, someone made the statement that they had to think about them being in the minority. Well if they keep acting as they are, its not just a possibility but a good bet. It's almost like a death wish. The good old days were where the Republican minority was a given and they could stay forever in the lush land of Senatorial Oz by just saying, "gee, we can't do anything, but we kept them from getting all that they wanted".

Let us apply a little logic here. Things never stay the same - they always change. Let's look at the country based on the last few elections. There hasn't been a run away election since the second Reagan presidential election. That was twenty years ago. Since then we've seen the nation polarize into fairly even divisions. Let's assume that this isn't going to change soon. There is a lot of evidence that this is the case. Further assume that the Republicans had the guts to change the Senate rules to make a majority rules. What would likely happen? Probably nothing much. Since we've adopted the terms lets talk about "red states" and "blue states". Let's further extend this line of thought to the Presidents appointments. There are some safe seat Republican senators that can bolt the party. But there are some "red state" Democrats which put their re-election on the line by being branded as obstructionist and anti-Bush without a good reason. The Republicans have just as much chance of passing their legislation in this scenario as they could with the super majority requirement presently in place. Secondly if they can't make their case in this situation, maybe the legislation hasn't the merit to pass anyway.

I used to love a poem called "It's All In A State of Mind". One line went,"full many a race is lost ere ever a step is run, full many a coward fails before his task is begun. Think big and your deeds will grow. Think small and you'll fall behind. If you think you are beaten you are. It's all in a state of mind." Put it on your wall Republicans - you need it.

Don't Believe Her Charlie Brown

Hey "Peanuts" fans. Remember how Lucy would pull back the football just before Charlie Brown kicked it? How he never caught on! Welcome to the U.S. Senate. It seems the Demos have just pulled the ball away again and Sen Frist and the Repubs still don't get it.

The spectacle of the Bolton hearings can only add to the disgust of conservatives who are watching this dog and pony show and wondering if they missed something on who is the majority party in the Senate. Listen up guys! Bush won the election. The republican party picked up Senate seats in the election! You're not the minority party anymore and "go along to get along" isn't going to cut it with the voters forever.

The game has changed so it may be that the rules need to change with it. The country seems almost equally divided. If it is going to take a super majority to conduct business than neither party will be effective. In this case a simple majority ought to be the rule. The Republicans obviously can't hold all their people together even in crucial votes like confirmation of their President's nominees. We still have Democrats from "red states" whose obstructionist practices should be ammo for their next election opponent. The Constitution pretty well defines the cases where a super majority is in order. Trying to co-opt the Executive branch's duty to appoint and completely stretching the "advise and consent" provision to a point of lunacy should not be acceptable.

I say "go for it". Use the Constitutional option to bring back majority rule except where specifically directed by the Constitution. Let the Democrats be recognized for the obstrudtionists that they are and trust the voters to do the rest

United Nations

Lets hear it for the UN. It seems they're at it again. The UN is blaming the US for problems in Afganistan re prisioner treatment. How long is it going to take us to learn. We have been carrying them financially for sixty years and all we've gotten for it is grief.

In crisis all they have ever lent to the fray was their name. Korea - the UN in forces were what? A few Brits, a few Turks and a few asorted others. Were the French there? Don't think so. In Viet Nam all we got from them was grief. In the "Cold War" - no help the Russians had the veto and their allies. All we've ever gotten from the UN is the bill.

The idea floated a short time ago seems smart to me. Get out of the UN. Form a new association of free democratic nations with mutual ideas of freedom and justice as we do and go from there. It probably won't happen but its a damn good ideal