The 2006 elections are over, and the Democrats won back both houses of Congress. George W. Bush goes on television to say his party - and, by association, his administration - were "thumped". He pledges to reach across the aisle and work with the Democratic majority. He even goes so far as to invite Democratic House leaders Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer to lunch.Then he turns around and demands that Congress confirm his highly controversial nominee for Ambassador to the U.N., John Bolton. He also demands that Congress rubber-stamp his blatant desecration of the Constitution, the domestic spying program.
So much for bi-partisanship.
George W. Bush may have been "thumped" last Tuesday, but he hasn't lost one iota of his smug arrogance. He hasn't changed a bit, still demanding full power to act as though he were a dictator. He refuses to believe that he needs to deal with the Democratic majority at all.
Truth be told, why should he? While the American voters clearly rejected Bush's view of the world and how to deal with it, they have just as clearly not endorsed any other view. Certainly the Democrats haven't put forward anything in the way of an alternative. What are the Democratic plans for:
- Changing the course in Iraq;
- Fixing Social Security;
- Lowering health care costs while increasing coverage;
- Improving education;
- Eliminating the deficit;
- Readjusting taxes;
- or anything else?
There are, of course, many other issues, but the answer is always the same. Democratic leaders have no plan. Soon-to-be Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says that any investigations of the Bush administration will be rare. Presumptive Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi says that impeachment is "off the table." But until Democrats can move on the issues, what else do they have but investigation and impeachment?
Meanwhile, until the Democrats offer alternatives, George W. Bush will continue to push his agenda.
The problem is, Democratic leaders don't feel they have a mandate to actually do anything, primarily because they never offered anything during the campaign except that they aren't Republicans. If they want to keep the momentum going next year, they had better come up with answers, and quickly. Constant investigations only hurt the Republicans after their 1994 victory; a similar situation of investigations rather than actions on issues will do the same thing to Democrats. Pelosi, Reid, and their aides had better come up with answers; that is the mandate voters game them.
And they have less than eight weeks to fulfill it.
Copyright 2006, Dan Jacoby
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