Monstrous Resolution

[vze422fs at verizon.net]

on 10/16/02 10:35 PM, Terrance at lycidas2 at earthlink.net wrote:

> Byrd said, 
> 
> "We must not allow any president to unleash the dogs of war at his
> own discretion and for an unlimited period of time."
> [NYT, Oct. 10. 2002]
> 
> 
> 
> Byrd lost the argument, as Congress ­ less than a
> month before elections ­ gave Bush the powers he
> demanded. Bush carried the day after tilting the
> public debate with misleading arguments repudiated
> even by his own intelligence services. . .
> 
> the resolution,  passed 296-to-133 in the house
> 
> passed 77-23 in the Senate
> 
> this claim about how Bush tilted the debate and how representatives were
> frightened into voting with the president because of approaching
> elections is false.  Bush is the President. He doesn't vote in the
> Congress. He doesn't debate in the congress. Sure, he has influence, but
> we have a separation of powers. Byrd, with his very relevant copy of the
> constitution in hand reminded the congress of this fact.
> 
> It was Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, Democrat from S.D., who
> tilted the debate and got the thing passed with little Democratic
> opposition in the Senate. And it was the democrats who also tilted the
> debate and got it passed in the house. Byrd does look like a champ and
> not just because his vote was the only one that anyone asked to vote on
> that monstrous resolution could possibly have cast, but because next to
> Al Gore and and Tom Daschle and the rest of those liars and phonies he
> has convictions, he believes in what he is doing and in the government
> he is a part of--the people he serves.


You're a bit worked up here Mr. T. Liars? Phonies? Or just politicians.
Ordinary men and women. The small d democrat votes to parrot the needs of
his constituency no matter how short-sighted or misinformed. The big R
Republican furthers the interests of his peers and benefactors rationalizing
robber baron morals with noblesse oblige pronouncements. The small r
republican ( who can be a big D democrat) votes according to his wisdom and
conscience, often at the expense of political suicide. It requires courage.
When was the last time you expected that from a politician?

If we're lucky, the monstrousness is simply symptomatic of the death throes
of diseased dinosaurs. The R's and the D's will be as relevant as Whigs or
Bull Mooses.

Byrd may want to find a new party.

Peace
Joe