Washington Politics

I don’t know about the rest of you, but the politicians in Washington are really p*****g me off. And I’m talking about both Democrats and Republicans.

With today's House passage of the military spending bill with the caveat of removing the troops from Iraq, the Democrat’s strategy is very, very clear. Their goal is to remove any power base and/or credibility that the President has. By implementing their “slow bleed” strategy, they are undermining the President’s authority to direct military operations to get our troops out of Iraq and leave a functioning government in place. They are also attacking his Attorney General for the firings of eight US Attorneys, calling it a political move (even though President Clinton fired 93 when he took office, which was sheer politics). The Democrats are taking every opportunity, big and small, to snipe, criticize, and undermine the President and the Republican Party.

This wouldn’t be so bad if the Democrats weren’t so hypocritical. Screamer of the House Pelosi stated that under her leadership that ethical behavior will be of the highest priority. Really, Nancy? Then why do you claim to support Unions but vehemently oppose workers unionizing in your vineyards? Or how about censuring William Jefferson (D – Louisiana) for having $90,000 of FBI marked money in his freezer? Or Harry Reid’s shady land deal in Nevada?  Or including 20 million dollars of non-related pork in the aforementioned bill?  Come on, give me a break!!

The Republicans aren’t much better. President Bush has not responded very forcefully to accusations and attacks from the Democrats. This is perceived as weakness by the Democrats and our enemies abroad. And the Republican members of Congress have not rallied to the President’s side like the Democrats did with Clinton’s impeachment. Rather, they have been like a bunch of pathetic sheep trying to run away from the Democratic wolf. That does not speak well of their commitment to their party or to their principles.

Principles – now there’s a question! Do politicians have any? From an earlier post –

In case any of you didn't know, a typical politician's primary job is not to serve the people who elected him. His primary job is to get himself (or herself) elected or re-elected. Second job is to reward all those contributors that gave $$ to help him get elected. Third is to get as many perks & benefits as he can while he is in office.  Last on the list is the common person like you & I.

Lost in the political power plays is the security of this country. Politicians on both sides of the aisle are too busy maneuvering to effectively address the critical issues of this country – terrorism, illegal immigration, health care, & economic trade balance. They have forgotten that they serve the people of this country, and their personal welfare is supposed to take a back seat.

These power plays portray an apparent chaos within our government, and that emboldens the enemies of this country. After all, if the government can’t keep its s*** together, then they are weak and can be safely attacked without too much fear of reprisal.

Then there is the consistency factor, of which the lack of adds to the chaos. Our government does not pick an issue, comes to a consensus, and sticks with it. While this may be good in some respects to re-evaluate strategies to see if they are working, to give up at the first sign of difficulty is a recipe for disaster. Here are a couple of examples that I can think of off the top of my head:

Terrorism – After 9/11, our President, with the blessings of Congress, vowed to go after terrorists where ever they may hide. In other words, this country was declaring war on all terrorists and the countries where they were given shelter. Fast forward several years, various members of Congress are reneging on that promise, instead stating that we should negotiate with terrorists, and give these animals the same rights as a prisoner of war under the Geneva Convention.

Immigration – Securing our borders is paramount to retaining our sovereignty as a nation. Both parties have dragged their feet on this issue for various political reasons. Yes, there’s funding for “the wall,” but that funding could disappear as quick as a fart in the wind. However, Border Patrol authorities are still overwhelmed and under-funded, so there is little additional enforcement. Finally, instead of talking a hard line to Mexico and other Central American countries in his recent tour of Central American countries, President Bush referred to the illegal immigration problem as a “migration” problem, softening the stance and seriousness of this problem. WHAT!?! Migration is the legal immigration from one country to another, not crossing without permission.

Yes folks, I’m upset with our elected officials in Washington with the power politics and maneuvering. And you should be to.