Of all the things that drive men to sea, the most common disaster, I've come to learn, is women.
-- Charles Johnson, Middle Passage

What I Want From Congress, The President, & That Other Branch

I know I’m not alone in being disillusioned and frustrated where politics is concerned these days. A year ago I was confronted by a friend who told me I was “too angry” and “too negative” about politics and my country. I think it’s hard not to be when you feel passionate about the direction the country is going whether you are a conservative or a liberal or somewhere in the middle. Personally, I don’t really think anyone is particularly happy at the moment with the State of the Union, despite promises from Bush and Pelosi and other big names on both sides for a kindler, gentler attempt at bipartisanship.

And the truth is that I got burnt out and disillusioned about the same time. It’s hard to keep running in place at full speed even when you’re full of anger and passion, especially when you’re full of anger. You may want to change the world, you may dream of it, you may have high expectations about how you’re going to do it, but there’s only so long that you can run on that passion and hope and not see any progress before you burn out and run out of steam.

The Democrats taking back Congress wasn’t enough for me. I want to see progress. I want to see oversight of the White House which has been wielding power without checks and balances for far too long. I want to see real laws passed, laws that make a difference, laws that improve lives today and tomorrow. I want to hear about compromises. I want to hear about improvements to the economy and the environment, to minimum wage, to medicare, to armor that protects our soldiers in war zones. I want to hear about budget cuts in unnecessary war spending, investigations into FEMA’s post-Katrina spending, real discussions about real ramping up of national security in airports, train stations, bus stations, and at borders, firings of incompetent underlings and overlings, investigations and firings in the 2004 Ohio voting screw-ups (some of which were around to help screw up again in 2006), investigations into the torture of prisoners held in detention centers in Iraq, Gitmo, and abroad, and how we are going to start extracting our soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan because our loved ones are dying there and no one seems to know why. I don’t want to hear about banning gay marriage, changing the words of the Pledge of Allegiance, making English the national language, giving raises to anyone in Congress, vacation days for an already under-worked Congress, temper-tantrums in Congress, arguments about whether or not filibusters should be outlawed, federal interventions into private family matters of people on life support, or any tired discussion about flag burning. I’m tired of Congress and the government trying to get involved in everyone’s personal business or at least trying to look like they are to look busy while they aren’t actually involving themselves in the actual important business of running a country.

I’m tired of watching Congress, the White House, and that other branch that’s supposed to be keeping the other two in line play some sort of tug-of-war where no one seems to be making any progress. George Bush basically won’t take the rope and actually play the game and he’s told all of the folks on his team they can’t play either — executive privilege, you know — so Congress is standing there holding the rope on their side of the mud hole demanding he play like a good president.

It’s just so frustrating to watch. And we have another year and a half of this. And who’s to say that the next Congress and the next President will be any better? To be honest, looking at the candidates that have presented themselves, I’m not feeling to hopeful. I keep hoping someone else will jump out of nowhere and run.

About this entry

You’re currently reading “What I Want From Congress, The President, & That Other Branch,” an entry on D³

Published:
06.08.07 / 1pm
Category:
Politicking
Social Tags:
• • • • • •
Similar Posts: