Forgive me for being partisan here, but I can hear all my liberal friends now: “Look at what Bush did”, “Bush is again abusing his power by disregarding congress and giving his friends a job”, “Bush is evil!!!” Me, I am laughing my butt off. Let’s face it; the liberals in congress are bitter. They’re mad Gore lost, they’re mad Kerry lost, they’re mad they cannot get their way, so they are trying to take their toys and run home crying to their mommies. They complain when the Bush administration fires 8 political appointees for (gasp!) political reasons, despite the Clinton administration firing 93 for similar political reasons. So they run to the media and cry that Bush is making them feel bad. And of course, the media is more than happy to supply the comfort: “There there, we will make sure everyone sees how much of a bully Bush is by blowing every infinitesimal detail out of proportion.”
Let’s get real. Let’s act like adults. Sam Fox donated money to an advertising campaign that made Senator Kerry look bad, and that hurt their feelings. Now they are bitter and wish to make sure Fox/Bush do not get what they want, so they attempt to block his nomination for the position of ambassador to Belgium. Their protest has nothing to do with his qualifications, or how he would even perform at the position, but rather because he donated money that in turn made John Kerry look bad. Not that the junior senator has any trouble making his own self look bad.
Blocking Sam Fox’s nomination has nothing to do with making America better which, I remind both parties, is what we actually elect you to do. By blocking the nomination they are in a sense saying “You made us feel bad, and now we are going to make your life miserable”.
So how does President Bush respond? He waited until congress was in recess and made the appointment anyways. Brilliant, absolutely brilliant. I admit it is a very dirty trick. But politics is a messy business, and sometimes you have to get your hands dirty. I would prefer that all my elected officials did things honest and open, but that is asking for a lot. So since the Democrats in congress wish to play petty politics (and yes the Republicans are equally as guilty), I respect the President for playing right back at them. I have a feeling my two readers are not going to agree with me.
So I say to you, relax, take a deep breath, it is only 19 months until the general election.
Until then, here are some data I have found concerning recess appointments:
Carter- 68 (1 term)
Regan- 243 (2 terms)
H.W. Bush- 77 (1 term)
Clinton- 143 (2 terms)
W. Bush- 167 (1.5 terms)
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4 comments:
"Carter- 68 (1 term)
Regan- 243 (2 terms)
H.W. Bush- 77 (1 term)
Clinton- 143 (2 terms)
W. Bush- 167 (1.5 terms)"
Looks like the Republicans have the lead in this category! Not that I really care about that sort of thing...
As I read this post about the dirty business of politics and how both sides are playing dirty and how it seems like these are more like children than adults...I couldn't help but think that we desperately need a third, fourth, or fifth party in the mix.
Our current political climate is based on 100 years (maybe more) of power struggle between the two parties. They only know each other as the enemy and focus their strategy as such. If (by some political/financial miracle), a third party were to come into enough power for the GOP and Dems to notice, I think we would see a lot less of these political games. By forcing the two of them to focus on two targets, instead of one, the strategy would have to change to more than just "anti-GOP" and "anti-liberal".
Of course, with the amount of cash flowing through each party, it would take a fortune the likes of Bill Gates to properly start such a movement. I hope future generations will see such a system, because I don't believe it can happen in my lifetime.
Yes, yes, yes! The only way we will ever see change is to have a viable third party. That way no one party has a majority and thus you NEED compromise to get anything done. That is what motivates me latley, it is why I try, while I am a conservative, to be a central as I can be. We as society can have a third party if we demand it.
So its OK if Bush played dirty? Now, if this was 1997 and Clinton pulled this, would you be saying the same thing about the move?
However, you're right about the main problem here: This things wouldn't happen so much if we had a viable third, fourth, fifth, etc party. Or no parties at all!
Yup, I would and he did, 143 times. You cannot honestly say Clinton did not play dirty. If I had been as politically aware then as I am now, I would noticed more. Like I said, I prefer if they did not do things that way, but if congress wants to be petty, then so be it. I wish people would stop thinking I love the current President. I do not. I just like the fact he is standing up to a bully congress, which is what they have become.
Let me be clear, I do not care what party is in charge so long as they actually do something. I am just as mad at the lack of reasonable immigration policy that came from the Republicans as I am with the non-policy that is coming from the Democrats. I am just as mad at the lack of progress on the middle east the resulted from a Republican congress and President as I am with the lack of a plan from the Democrats. I want change. I want progress! Who cares where is comes from.
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