Shamefully trivializes? Or dangerously avoids?
I’m supposed to be writing something else write now, but I foolishly checked the news on CNN.com one more time. Something got me so riled that I can’t go on until I compose this. I even have another post underway, but that’ll have to wait…
I read an article that discusses the national security issues for which the Democrats want to enact legislation during their first 100 hours in control. Reacting to the House bill, Rep. Peter King, R-New York, top Republican on the Homeland Security Committee, said, “To make it part of a 100-hour show shamefully trivializes an issue of life or death” (as reported by CNN.com).
In the same article, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, stated: “Democrats will be — and hopefully we’ll be doing this in a bipartisan way — putting the protection of the American people very high on our priority list.”
As I discussed in my last post, I think, in general, neither Democrats nor Republicans work in a bipartisan way. Clearly, Rep. King is not so inclined, or he wouldn’t have made such an inflammatory statement. Shameful? To jumpstart Congress with something that could actually be of significance to Americans? What word then would he use to describe the Republican avoidance of many of the recommendations publicly issued by the 9/11 Commission on July 22, 2004? That’s a long time to be waiting on some potentially deadly problems. If the Democrats did not gain control of Congress, would the Republicans have addressed these measures? They’ve had time in the past, with limited results.
Look, I’ve no doubt that the Democrats are pushing national security for PR purposes, in order to make themselves appear strong, decisive, commanding…but so what? It’s a relief to see something of actual importance under discussion. But the partisan backlash that is beginning is, to me, shameful. If a member of Congress disagrees with a proposal, fine, discuss it on its merits. But to criticize it for political expedience? That’s the way the game has been played, traditionally. Remember the family values issues that arose just before the 2004 elections? Coincidence? I think not. Complaining that the Democrats are doing what Republicans have done treats the voting public like we have neither memory nor intelligence. And we have both, because we are brave humans.
Susan
