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The Dysfunctional Democrats
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03/16/07 06:18 AM ET
There is a competition brewing in Washington. Who is more dysfunctional? The Bush White House or the Democrat-dominated Congress?
Close call. With the latest imbroglio surrounding the bungled firing of the eight U.S. attorneys, you would think the White House would have won these sweepstakes in a laugher, but think again. The Democrats in either body are screwing up by the numbers and it doesn’t seem to be getting any better.
In the Senate, a majority rejected the Democrats’ war resolution. On the most important issue facing the nation, the Democrats couldn’t get their own act together to pass their thoughts on the war. On top of a dramatic, yet insane, move by the Senate majority leader to bring the Senate back into session on a Saturday to vote on cloture on a similar resolution several weeks ago, you have to wonder if
anyone can count votes over there.
In the House, things are not going much better. Now that the six-for-’06 agenda is pretty much run its course, House Democrats are stuck in neutral. In fact, last week, they lost three motions to recommit, procedural motions that basically give the minority the final say on a piece of legislation. House Republicans hadn’t lost a motion to recommit in three years, let alone three in one week. And when it comes to their views on the war, they passed out of the Appropriations Committee a war-time supplemental with so many strings attached, they know they don’t have the votes to pass it in the House.
I know all the attention is on the White House right now, and I get that. It is all part of being the top dog. But the good news for Republicans is that this president is not on the ballot again. But congressional Democrats are on the ballot again, and at some point in the next several months, when people get tired of pounding on Karl Rove and company, they will start thinking about the dysfunctional Democrats and start wondering why they turned power over to them.
Close call. With the latest imbroglio surrounding the bungled firing of the eight U.S. attorneys, you would think the White House would have won these sweepstakes in a laugher, but think again. The Democrats in either body are screwing up by the numbers and it doesn’t seem to be getting any better.
In the Senate, a majority rejected the Democrats’ war resolution. On the most important issue facing the nation, the Democrats couldn’t get their own act together to pass their thoughts on the war. On top of a dramatic, yet insane, move by the Senate majority leader to bring the Senate back into session on a Saturday to vote on cloture on a similar resolution several weeks ago, you have to wonder if
anyone can count votes over there.
In the House, things are not going much better. Now that the six-for-’06 agenda is pretty much run its course, House Democrats are stuck in neutral. In fact, last week, they lost three motions to recommit, procedural motions that basically give the minority the final say on a piece of legislation. House Republicans hadn’t lost a motion to recommit in three years, let alone three in one week. And when it comes to their views on the war, they passed out of the Appropriations Committee a war-time supplemental with so many strings attached, they know they don’t have the votes to pass it in the House.
I know all the attention is on the White House right now, and I get that. It is all part of being the top dog. But the good news for Republicans is that this president is not on the ballot again. But congressional Democrats are on the ballot again, and at some point in the next several months, when people get tired of pounding on Karl Rove and company, they will start thinking about the dysfunctional Democrats and start wondering why they turned power over to them.
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