In Search Of A Congressional Backbone

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<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><HR> <h3><font color=green>In Search Of A Congressional Backbone</h3></font>

article (http://www.toogoodreports.com/column/reader/honley/20020909.htm)

By
Wallace Honley

One of our major problems today is we have too many Republican Congresspersons and too many Democratic congresspersons and not enough United States Congresspersons. — Ed Johnston

Where did we come up with all of these spineless creatures who so readily sacrifice their consciences to the party leadership? Do all of them lack the courage to point out the Emperor´s lack of clothing? Will they continue to sell their very souls for choice committee assignments along with party endorsements and funds come election time? We voters become so frustrated that we want to cry with Shakespeare: "A plague on both your houses!"

We are in dire need of rugged statesmen such as those from bygone years who had the courage to draw a moral line in the sand? I am tired of hearing those shopworn lines they mumble to justify their obscene wavering. "Well, I have to make some concessions to get elected. I sure can´t help you if my opponent wins." And their opponents mouth the same excuses. Well, frankly, if they are prepared to bargain away every ideal they professed to champion, then they are of little use anyway. And both parties seem content to sit on their hands and wait for the party bigwigs, the national media and the carefully structured polls to fashion the debates and the subjects to be debated.
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[The_Sonarman]

Jellyfish don't have backbones.

[2nd_Amendment]

Please don't insult jellyfish. Wha'd they ever do to you?

[Warlady]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><HR>As I write this article they have rejected President Bush´s nominee to the 5th U.S. circuit Court of Appeals, Priscilla R. Owen, by a straight party-line vote. Do you not find it exceedingly strange that not one Democrat Senator had the courage to break ranks? And this is not an isolated vote! It happens time and again. Too often for the results to be interpreted as anything other than a contest for the dominance of a particular political philosophy. The nominee´s fitness or qualification for office is immaterial. Each Senator is obsessed on how the nominee will vote on certain high-profile cases and how they can best use these hearings to posture for the gullible masses. They want to know precisely how the nominee will vote on their pet cases. Yet any nominee who states how he will vote on any case without even hearing both sides of the argument has already demonstrated his unworthiness for the appointment.

And I thought we were looking for the Advice and Consent of the Senate, not just of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The rejection of these nominees by this committee is duly noted, now let the Senators representing the entire fifty states be heard!

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Guys this is what the article is about. What the Senate Judiciary is doing to the confirmation process is despicable.

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I find this to be one of the most truthful statements I have read in a long time.

""One of our major problems today is we have too many Republican Congresspersons and too many Democratic congresspersons and not enough United States Congresspersons. — Ed Johnston""

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Amen to that John.

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We are so polarized today, that Truth, right, wrong, justice, fairness, and no other ideal comes before helping your 'team' win, whoever/whatever they are.

A good man with a conscience is no longer conscionable.

[Warlady]

I see a difference in the two parties. Republicans don't always march in lock-step like the Democrats do. We would never have put up with Clinton if he had been a Repub. He would have been convicted in the Senate. Democrats never questioned Clinton's decisions regarding Kosovo, bombing the Chinese embassy there, bombing the aspirin factory, fundraising etc etc etc.

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<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Warlady:
I see a difference in the two parties. Republicans don't always march in lock-step like the Democrats do. We would never have put up with Clinton if he had been a Repub. He would have been convicted in the Senate. Democrats never questioned Clinton's decisions regarding Kosovo, bombing the Chinese embassy there, bombing the aspirin factory, fundraising etc etc etc.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

True, WL, but the Republicans make up in invertebrateness what they lack in conscience.

When I think of the various pre-emptive concessions the Republicans have staged over the years, like the Bush 41 tax increase, Bob Dole's Thanksgiving special session to pass the Brady Bill while almsot all the Senators were home, Trent Lotts decision to share pwower with the Democrats when he had a tie-breaking vote in the VP Dick Cheney, etc, I wonder if the two party system is truly dead.

There is no effective opposition to the Dimocrats as the Republicans usually manage to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

[DesertFox]

Well said, rglen.