Sunday, September 23, 2007

Why we need Democrats to be elected in 2008: (a special editorial by John Lucia)

The United States and its people will be better off in 2008 if the Democrat majority is returned to Congress and a Democrat is elected President. Unlike Republicans, Democrats do not meet every day to discuss talking points and then flood the airways and repeat the same, worn-out, self-serving statements over and over again like robots.

Republicans stick together and rubber stamp anything a Republican President wants. All one has to do is look at the first six years of Bush's administration with the Republican controlled congress. They gave Mr. Bush every thing he asked for. When you have that kind of rubber stamp there is not only no debate, but issues don't matter. To them, it is their politics over the needs of the American people.

Democrats provide the balance within their own party even when there is a Democratic president. Democrats are more independent thinkers and are more in tune to getting the job done correctly because they have more viewpoints and will consider alternatives. That stands well for the country and its people and is in keeping with the checks and balances of government.

A good example is their positions on the war in Iraq. They want to end the war but have their own individual ideas about how to best do so. The Republicans just rubber stamp the Bush war positions and have no original thought.

Democrats offer a debate on the issues that affect our country. That is good for our people because problems must be solved with facts instead of ideology.

Republicans preach fiscal responsibility then give us the largest deficits in the history of the U.S. That is what has happened in the first 6 years of Bush's administration and the republican control of congress. Both the President and the republican controlled congress will go down in history as the "Rubber Stamp Administration".

Journalist like to say the Democrats are divided, but being elected by the people, Democrats understand that just because they belong to a certain party, it does not mean to just go with the flow. It means you have to be independent of thought in order to come up with the right solutions to solve problems and have a real, meaningful debate.

Republicans can't have any independent thought or departure from their ideology. Mr. Paul O'Neill, Mr. Bush's first Secretary of the Treasury said it best when he reported in his book that when a cabinet meeting was called concerning a subject matter, he found that the decision had already been made and that there was no process. When there is no process and discussions there is no real debate.

A Democratic President and Congress will insure a debate on the issues and their independent thought will insure the checks and balances needed to really have a government represented by the people.

7 comments :

Joseph Patrick said...

John, you are absolutely correct. Many like to bash the democratic congress for not ending the war, neglecting the fact that they simply don't have enough votes. What we must do is credit the democratic congress for at least starting the debate. If Republicans were in control of Congress there wouldn't even be talk about ending this war. This is a democracy and there must be a debate on this issues if anything is going to get accomplished.

Anonymous said...

I disagree. I thought the nation was well on it's way to ending the conservative agenda when Democrats retook both houses of Congress. How wrong I was. Without funding, there is no war in Iraq. Without a timetable for withdrawal tied to ANY funding bill, this Congress is nothing but another rubber stamp for Bush's agenda. While our nation is still stuck in the Iraqi quagmire, our Democratic congress is wasting time passing meaningless bills condemning our allies on the left, moveon.org.
Where was the condemnation when the Republicans smeared John Kerry and Saxby Chambliss? Why didn't they at least tie a condemnation of those cowardly acts onto the condemnation of moveon.org and prove what hypocrites the Republicans are? I'm a lifelong Democrat but when the election rolls around next year, my Democratic congressman will have to win without my vote. I didn't vote for Bud Cramer for him to be the voted the most conservative Democrat in congress. This current congress has been the most disappointing in memory. I can understand Bush getting everything that he wants from a partisan congress but it is beyond my comprehension why this Democratic congress is doing the same. Perhaps that's why a congress just elected less than a year ago has an approval rating in the low 20s!!!

Anonymous said...

The people returned control of congress to the democrats in the November election and understand they do not have a controlling majority without some republican support to pass legislation concerning Iraq. The people also understand the democrats are trying to change policy on Iraq and will continue to do so. Not having the votes does not mean a rubber stamp. In the coming months there will be more attempts to change the direction of the war. The democrats will continue to do their best to fulfill their promise to the American people.

Anonymous said...

I can tell you at 50+ years of age, the majority of the American people aren't cheerleaders of either side and understand how a majority works. The Congress passes legislation and the president signs it into law. A majority of Congress, controlled by Democrats, passed Iraq War funding W-I-T-H-O-U-T a timetable or W-I-T-H-O-U-T an exit strategy. A majority in Congress DOES have the power to end this war. All they need to do is to continue sending the same war funding bill to Bush's desk and force him to decide to accept their terms or to end the war due to lack of funding.
Don't be mislead about the American electorate falling in behind the Democrats in the last election. They did it for one reason; the Democrats opposition to the Iraq War and their pledge to end it.
What many swing voters, and many hardcore Democrats, see is a weak-kneed Congress that is unwilling to stand up to Bush. Unless things change in this Congress, I see the Republicans not only regaining Congress but the White House, too.
The American electorate is fickle and when they vote for change, they expect results.

Anonymous said...

You are completely insane if you think either political party in charge of both branches of government will be honest and open, not to mention serve the people.
Try looking into the so-called earmark reform.
The opoliticals in Washington are concerned about one thing - their own power. And they'll use whoever they can do get it.

Anonymous said...

The fact of the matter is that when democrats controlled the presidency and the congress more got done on their watch than any republican controlled administration. The economic plan of Bill Clinton was passed by the democratic congress at the time that created the best economy ever and a record number of jobs. If the democratic party controls the white house and congress after 2008 election their is no doubt the country and its people will be better off than they were the past 6-1/2 years.

Anonymous said...

I agree Johnny the American people are not cheerleaders of any party at the present time but we all have to vote. That means choosing the candidate who offers america the most and who will do the least damage. All of the democrat candidates have pledge to end the Iraq war if elected. All of the republican candidates except Ron Paul have said they will continue the war if elected and still say it is a just war. Republicans in congress, most of them anyway feel the same way.