By now it should be evident and transparent to anyone who breathes oxygen on a regular basis that Democrats in Washington have tossed aside any essence of responsible government in order to launch an all out attack against every aspect of President Bush's government. I wonder if they have all become Nancy Reagan Democrats and "Just Say No" to whatever President Bush and the Republicans in Congress propose. Nancy Pelosi, the Democrats House MINORITY Leader said as much when asked what plan the Democrats had for fixing Social Security: "We don't have a...(pause)...Our plan is to stop Bush."
Democrats in the House of Representatives led by Pelosi have nothing better to do than block President Bush at every turn and make charges against House MAJORITY Leader Tom Delay for doing the exact same things Democrats themselves do.
But things are even worse in the Senate where Democrats have invented new ways to use filibusters and obvious partisan tactics to delay or deny President Bush the confirmation of nominees he has selected to staff federal offices and judgeships. Just think back a few months to the confirmation hearings for Secretary of State Rice. Senator Barbara Boxer demanded and the Senate MAJORITY sheep went along with a delay of Rice's confirmation that would have enabled her to attend President Bush's inauguration as the Secretary of State. Can anyone recall what issue was so important to Senator Boxer that this was necessary??? I'll wait while you think about it.....
The nomination of John Bolton to be Ambassador to the United Nations is just the latest example of Democrat's obstruction and attack strategy. We all know the U.N. is a mess and needs to be cleaned up (previous posts here, here and here). Rather than debate how the United States can assist the U.N. in cleaning up their act, Democrats have undertaken a smear campaign against Bolton. The latest charge comes from a woman who accuses Bolton of harassing her (not sexually) in a hotel in Moscow in 1994. OH HORROR! So of course the Senate should look into the matter. Well, it turns out the woman founded the Dallas chapter of Mothers Opposing Bush, or MOB for short. These unsubtantiated allegations which were unreported during Bolton's Senate confirmation hearings for previous nominations.
Armed with that information, Republican Senator George Voinovich of Ohio went along with Democrats demands that the nomination be delayed while the Senate looks into the matter. I'm disappointed with Voinovich. He should know that this just encourages more obstruction on the part of the Democrats. As White House Political Officer for a trip by President Reagan to Ohio in 1988, I invited then Mayor of Cleveland Voinovich to join the President onstage for an event. I would never have done so if I thought he was so weak kneed.
Democrats are using a different tactic to obstruct, delay and deny President Bush's judicial nominees a vote before the whole Senate. In an unprecedented move, Senate Democrats have overturned centuries of Senate traditions and are using the practice of a legislative filibuster to deny these nominees a vote.
What's the Solution?
Democrats in the House of Representatives led by Pelosi have nothing better to do than block President Bush at every turn and make charges against House MAJORITY Leader Tom Delay for doing the exact same things Democrats themselves do.
But things are even worse in the Senate where Democrats have invented new ways to use filibusters and obvious partisan tactics to delay or deny President Bush the confirmation of nominees he has selected to staff federal offices and judgeships. Just think back a few months to the confirmation hearings for Secretary of State Rice. Senator Barbara Boxer demanded and the Senate MAJORITY sheep went along with a delay of Rice's confirmation that would have enabled her to attend President Bush's inauguration as the Secretary of State. Can anyone recall what issue was so important to Senator Boxer that this was necessary??? I'll wait while you think about it.....
The nomination of John Bolton to be Ambassador to the United Nations is just the latest example of Democrat's obstruction and attack strategy. We all know the U.N. is a mess and needs to be cleaned up (previous posts here, here and here). Rather than debate how the United States can assist the U.N. in cleaning up their act, Democrats have undertaken a smear campaign against Bolton. The latest charge comes from a woman who accuses Bolton of harassing her (not sexually) in a hotel in Moscow in 1994. OH HORROR! So of course the Senate should look into the matter. Well, it turns out the woman founded the Dallas chapter of Mothers Opposing Bush, or MOB for short. These unsubtantiated allegations which were unreported during Bolton's Senate confirmation hearings for previous nominations.
Armed with that information, Republican Senator George Voinovich of Ohio went along with Democrats demands that the nomination be delayed while the Senate looks into the matter. I'm disappointed with Voinovich. He should know that this just encourages more obstruction on the part of the Democrats. As White House Political Officer for a trip by President Reagan to Ohio in 1988, I invited then Mayor of Cleveland Voinovich to join the President onstage for an event. I would never have done so if I thought he was so weak kneed.
Democrats are using a different tactic to obstruct, delay and deny President Bush's judicial nominees a vote before the whole Senate. In an unprecedented move, Senate Democrats have overturned centuries of Senate traditions and are using the practice of a legislative filibuster to deny these nominees a vote.
What's the Solution?
Students of government learn early on that our form of government is by majority rule with minority rights. Rights for the minority include the right to legislative staff and resources in accord with their numbers. They include the right to be heard in legislative matters. These rights do not extend to total block of conservative nominees or legislation by any means possible.
When Democrats were in the majority they frequently revised Senate rules to get around legislative blocks by the minority (though NOT of judicial nominees). Master of the parliamentary maneuver is Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia, one who currently defends use of the filibuster in this manner. Yet, Senator Byrd admits that the constitutionally mandated Senate role of "advise and consent" means that a vote, let alone a twisted confirmation process is NOT required.
There is absolutely no need for Republicans to demonstrate further sensitivity to Democrats who obstruct, smear, delay and deny the rightful expression of the will of the majority. I can recall NO TIME when Republicans were in the Minority where Democrats had the slightest hesitation in ramrodding through whatever nominee or legislation or rules that were put forward by their parties leadership.
"Just say no" may be good advice to teenagers regarding drugs, but it is not the foundation for effective government solutions to the serious issues this nation faces. It demonstrates an absence of any positive alternative to President Bush's policy and personnel and a bankruptcy of ideas.
To fix the problem, Republicans in the Senate should discover a backbone and tell the two-faced hypocrites on the other side of the isle that enough is enough. Force a rules change that prohibits these unprecedented filibusters of nominees and use the power of majority to cease the circus of smear campaigns.
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