Converging of the Bases

The Republicans have been able to keep their two critical bases together and win elections, trouncing the Democrats time after time in recent years. Measures critical to each of their bases, the Federal Marriage Amendment for the Christian right and the repeal of the federal estate tax for the pro-business (rich) right, will both be coming into play in Congress next week.

From accounts, the Federal Marriage Amendment, also know as the anti-gay marriage amendment, is not given much of a chance to pass through the Senate. Instead, it is seen as another attempt of George Bush and the Republican machine to feed to the Christian right the raw meat they crave. As was witnessed by the outcome of the 2004 election, it seems to work. So, why shouldn't the Republicans go back to the well again. Fortunately, though, this time the well may be dry, dry from the heat of all of the Bush/Republicans' problems.

The repeal of the estate tax (or what the proponets of repeal deceitfully call the death tax) is the real prize the Republicans are after. Satisfying the rich is and has been a number one goal. Once you have the money the votes will follow. Keeping money in the hands of the rich gives the rich good reason to donate it to the politicians who brought it to them and more of it to give. There will be no holds barred or arms left untwisted. As Harold Meyerson emphatically states in his Washington Post column today, the results of approval will most likely be devastating to the country. We have to hope that they will not succeed, as they don't seem to have much left in the polical capital department. Hopefully, they will realize that as well.

The best bet for the Republicans to succeed may be to put the legislation together. The proverbial killing of two birds with one stone. They could introduce Gay Death Amendment that would satisfy both bases. The concept behind the amendment would be that gay people are to be treated as if they are dead and as such do not have to pay any taxes. We can only hope.

- Steve

The Fox News Method

Notice all the hubbub about Tony Snow using the analogy of comparing the remedy for illegal immigration to paying for a traffic ticket? Is the Fox News method of explaining how the Bush administration is on the right side of every issue working when it is played before a national audience instead of what was once mostly the true believers?

- Steve

Vietnam - Iraq No Comparison

Every once in a while you hear a pundit or talk show host say the difference between how the Vietnam and Iraq are perceived is the reaction at home. There aren't student protests against the Iraqi war like their were during Vietnam. The troops are revered when they are home.

I think its great and deserved that our troops our revered for their service. Those who fought in Vietnam deserved the same. The main reason things are different between then and now can be simply explained by the draft.

The lack of a draft has changed the way young people view our wars. They have the freedom to choose whether they will fight in the war or stay home. So, what reason is there for them to get up in arms? In this age of no sacrifice, they are only playing their given roles.

- Steve

Hilarious

Following the Bush-Blair newsconference, Chris Matthews found Bush's admission that he did not have a good grasp of the English language, leaving him unable to speak in a sophisticated manner, to be Lincolnesque in nature.

- Steve

Views on Jefferson

Based on all reports I have read, Jefferson has been caught red-handed with his hands in the cookie-dough bucket. If we are to believe the news stories discussing the brazen antics of Jefferson, a search of his congressional office is not unjustified.

Our illustrious (I can't think of illustrious' antonym) congressional leaders, Dennis Hastert (R-Ill) and Nancy Pelosi (D-Ca), were aghast to hear the a fellow Congressman had been treated as a regular citizen. Their separation of power arguments rings hollow. The search was a joint effort of both the executive and judicial branches in an oversight role of the legislative branch. Who could ask for a more fair way of our system of government to work.

I don't see anything wrong with two of our three legislative branches providing oversight to the third. This is how it works for the executive branch, as both the legislative and judicial branches are involved in the impeachment process. Both the executive, as the appointer, and the legislative, as the approver, work together to appoint our judges.

I find it completely fair and proper that the executive and judicial branches took the actions they did with Jefferson. I am not surprised that our morally corrupt congressional leaders are defiant to having their skeleton filled closets opened.

-Steve