Eleven Principled Democrats

The recent vote on the so-called stimulus package found every single House Republican voting “No”.  That isn’t much of a surprise, since the package is all about funding liberal pet projects, growing government and having no positive impact on the economy. 

 

What might be more surprising is the fact that eleven Democrats stood up to their party (including my own Representative, Bobby Bright).  In case you are interested in personally thanking these people, I am providing a link to their Congressional home pages.

Allen Boyd, FL (2)

Bobby Bright, AL (2)

Jim Cooper, TN (5)

Brad Ellsworth, IN (8)

Parker Griffith, AL (5)

Paul Kanjorski, PA (11)

Frank Kratovil, Jr, MD (1)

Walt Minnick, ID (1)

Collin Peterson, MN (7)

Heath Shuler, NC (11)

Gene Taylor, MS (4)

 

Kudos to the Blue Dogs and the conservatives in the Republican party for standing up to this sham legislation.  Too bad it passed the House anyway.  Now let’s see what the Senate does.

 

Dave and Blarney at the Inauguration

Dave: Well, Blarney, your man gave a great speech. I only hope he will be a great president.

Blarney: Dave, have you nothing good to say?

Dave: Weren’t you listening to me? I said the speech was great.

Blarney: That’s the problem with you right wing Looney Tunes. You are always criticizing our great President. Look at the mess Bush made of the last eight years.

Dave: Blarney, get a grip. I did not criticize President Obama. And to what specific mess do you refer? The fact that we were not attacked since 9-11? Or is it the fact that we have liberated over 50 million Iraqis and Afghanis?

Blarney: The economy, stupid! Bush absolutely ran the economy into the ground. Look at the unemployment – look at the banking crisis – look at that mess!

Dave: For seven of the eight years, the economy was doing well, although you would not have known that if all you listened to was the drive-by media. If you actually did some research and looked at the facts, you would see that unemployment has been lower than previous administrations until this last quarter when the economy finally caught up to the dire reporting.

Blarney: This is worst economy since the Great Depression!

Dave: Blarney, that’s just not true. This might be the worst economy since Jimmy Carter, but unemployment and inflation are actually still lower than during his watch. Again, do some research and look at the facts.

Blarney: I need a bailout. My stocks have tanked.

Dave: You do know that the Democrats were in charge for the last two years, don’t you? Since 2006, they have had a majority in Congress. Congress makes laws. Congress oversees the Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac corporations that caused the banking crisis. Congress raised the minimum wage, which, predictably, caused a rise in unemployment. You know that the Democrat controlled Congress had a lower approval rating than President Bush.

Blarney: Of course, the rating was low – it’s those darned Republicans. That’s why we voted for change! Change we can believe in! Yes we can!

Dave: Blarney, the Republicans were not in control of Congress during this debacle – the Democrats were.

Blarney: Says who? You? Am I supposed to believe that right-wing propaganda?

Dave: Look at the Senate and House statistics for yourself. Do you know who the Speaker of the House is?

Blarney: I sure do, it’s Nancy Pelosi.

Dave: Right. And do you know who the Senate Majority Leader is?

Blarney: Well, of course. That would be Harry Reid.

Dave: I’m impressed. That’s better than most people. Now you know that they are both Democrats, don’t you? And you know that those positions are filled by the majority party don’t you?

Blarney: Well,…yeah…Oh!...er….But that doesn’t mean that the Democrats were in control!

Dave: [Sigh]

Eleventh Hour Victory for Compean and Ramos

If you have followed the case, you know that the last best hope for these border patrol agents would be a pardon or have the sentence commuted by the President.

President Bush has just announced that he would commute the sentences of both Compean and Ramos. The Associated Press, in true left wing fashion, hammered on the Border Patrol agents:

Bush's decision to commute the sentences of Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean,
who tried to cover up the shooting, was welcomed by both Republican and
Democratic members of Congress. They had long argued that the agents were merely
doing their jobs, defending the American border against criminals. They also
maintained that the more than 10-year prison sentences the pair was given were
too harsh.
...
Bush didn't pardon the men for their crimes, but decided instead to commute
their prison sentences because he believed they were excessive and that they had
already suffered the loss of their jobs, freedom and reputations, a senior
administration official said.The action by the president, who believes the
border agents received fair trials and that the verdicts were just, does not
diminish the seriousness of their crimes, the official said.Compean and Ramos,
who have served about two years of their sentences, are expected to be released
from prison within the next two months.

At least they will be released soon. Now about the lawsuits and movie deals...

It's a New Year

It is an historic year, with the very first black American set to assume the highest executive office in the land.  As everybody knows, he is a Democrat and should be instituting an extreme agenda of left-wing policies.  Indeed many pundits are warning us of that very possibility.

 

Yet, here is an amazing thing.  Of the announced nominations for his cabinet, I really can’t object to any of them on ideological grounds.  Oh, sure, they aren’t Republicans (well some of them anyway), but neither are they charter members of MoveOn.org.  As far as the War on Terror, Mr. Obama proposes leaving the current Secretary of Defense in place.  For his National Security Advisor, he has chosen a decorated General (is that redundant?).

 

Now, it could be that he is even more clever than some give him credit for.  The Senate must approve all the nominations.  Since it is Democrat controlled, we could expect a rubber stamp on each one.  But wait, there is more.   Suppose the Senate REJECTS his “first” choices.  Then Mr. Obama will be FORCED to nominate someone more in line with the extreme left, just so he can get them confirmed.

 

Kind of makes you go “Hmm…”