I say take advantage of the opportunities given.
Really, America, do you want these people who have shown no regard for the law, ethics or justice to be given free reign to appoint like-minded judges as interpreters of your rights for the next generation? In what instance has the president's judgement proven to be sound? Can you trust him with your future?
Et Cetera...
Posted by iamcoyote at July 11, 2005 08:35 PMHow about reading a book while filibustering? It's been done. Here's one - House of Bush, House of Saud by Craig Unger. Might look good in the Congressional Register...
Posted by darms at July 12, 2005 07:20 AMCoyote,
You don't seem to understand who won the election. Had Kerry won, the right wingers would be bumming about his choice of appointments. He didn't.
End of story - deal with it.
Posted by Bones at July 12, 2005 07:42 AMBones, wtf are you babbling about? What does Kerry have to do with anything anymore? Seems you're the one who can't seem to let things go, you sad, lonely fuck.
Posted by iamcoyote at July 12, 2005 07:45 AMIamcoyote, when you have nothing of subtance to say or can't defend the indefensible, you pull Kerry or Clinton out of your hat. It's an old GOP trick.
Posted by Judith at July 12, 2005 08:00 AMIf you want to read books during the Filibuster, I recommend Pete Peterson's Running On Empty: How The Democratic and Republican Parties Are Bankrupting Our Future and What Americans Can Do About It.
Review:
From Publishers Weekly
For years, Peterson, secretary of commerce under Nixon and author of Gray Down, has been a compelling Cassandra, warning that the mix of growing debt, an aging population, and deficits in Social Security and Medicare portend disaster. Now, he laments, Republicans pursue reckless supply-side economics and Democrats, assuming a repeal of Bush's tax cuts would enable new government spending, are unwilling to consider limits on entitlements. Citing study after study, the author shows that it is a failure of leadership, not knowledge, that has let deficits loom. Beyond that, add the new burdens imposed by September 11—and the fact that European countries, aging like us, likely will have less money for security and international aid. Peterson attacks 10 partisan myths, among them that means-testing federal benefits will shred the safety net; that the elderly are poorer than children, that Americans are overtaxed and that using tax cuts to shrink government can work. What went wrong? He blames interest groups, individualism, short-termitis and generational change. Peterson offers concrete solutions: among them: index Social Security to prices, not wages; use the federal employees' health plan as a model; force Congress to include unfunded retirement obligations in its balance sheet; and pursue more nonpartisan politics, such as free TV time during campaigns. A self-described "fat cat," Peterson is willing to bear an "affluence test" for Social Security; he challenges leaders to revive JFK's call for civic responsibility.
Democrats, assuming a repeal of Bush's tax cuts would enable new government spending, are unwilling to consider limits on entitlements.
Oh, them pesky democrats. Always wanting to tax you into the ground. Why, one wonders, did it take a democrat to balance the budget and cut welfare spending? Why, when we look over the several last administrations, do republicans bloat the deficit and increase the number of bureaucracies? One wonders?
that Americans are overtaxed and that using tax cuts to shrink government can work.
The crux of all your arguments, and the neo-con arguments. You think this stuff runs on air. You've got what you want. Look at what it's done. Now, you want more.
Peterson offers concrete solutions: among them: index Social Security to prices, not wages;
That's a nice trick. Whose prices? Inflation is eating a big hole in my pocket, but the CPI tells me I'm not experienceing any increase. This is a scam.
use the federal employees' health plan as a model;
Good model. Medicare has outperformed it for the last 28 years.
force Congress to include unfunded retirement obligations in its balance sheet;
Nothing wrong with that. And they have balance sheets showing that. You can check this one off. You see, you do too get some things your want.
and pursue more nonpartisan politics, such as free TV time during campaigns.
Nothing wrong with this. It'll allow FOX to give stuff to the neo-cons for free. Oh! That already happens. Never mind
A self-described "fat cat," Peterson is willing to bear an "affluence test" for Social Security;
Sounds good to me. But he also says there is absolutley no money put in social security. It's vapor. He's wrong. Treasuries are purchased with it that are redeemed when needed. His logic is that the money has disappeared. It's the same logic that you purchase a certificate of deposit and your money disappears never to be seen again. If you neo-cons would stop raiding the country for the benefit of a few super-wealthy there would be no problem.
he challenges leaders to revive JFK's call for civic responsibility.
The Kennedys, for all their wealth, privilege and problems, were raised with a sense of civic duty and social repsonsibility. Everything the current administration has nothing of...except the wealth, privilege and problems.
Posted by phidipides at July 12, 2005 09:55 AMHere's my suggestion: read the Geneva Conventions in every language spoken by members of the Senate.
Only problem is neither of my Senators are Dems.
Posted by caroline at July 12, 2005 11:19 AMin every language spoken by members of the Senate.
"Ka-ching!" Money, the one universal language they share in common.
ok you know that's not what I mean -- but it was pretty funny -- in a depressing sort of way.
Posted by caroline at July 12, 2005 02:22 PM