November 6, 2002

Sad Day in U.S. Politics

I fell alseep Tuesday night to the Republican party having won at least half of the seats in the U.S. Senate. I awoke frightened on Wednesday morning after hearing the news that they'd won a clear majority, gaining at least one more seat.

I cringed with fear from every howl of joy that Republicans let out as Senator-elect Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) mounted the podium to stump his victory at a hotel in downtown Columbia, S.C. Just to think that the people in this state elected a non-thinking twit who would exclaim in his own victory speech, "Mr. President, help is on the way!" It's his own way of saying, "Mr. President, South Carolinians are patsies!"

For the next two years I will flinch from the sound of President Bush's voice. When he asks for more guns, tanks spending on services for people who can't provide for themselves and ramrods pro-business, anti-union and anti-abortion legislation through the now fully conservative congress, I'll dive for cover. I might even curl into a fetal position when President Bush shoves new rhetoric through congress with stiffer ultimatum language in a prelude to war with Iraq. When he used the word "crusade" late last year, I don't think he was kidding.

And when he grins that smug grin after he's said something difficult -- the grin that says to everyone, "Ha! I just said what you didn't think I could." -- I'm might hurl.

Until 2004, the U.S. federal lawmaking system is going to work like a Republican greased wheel; something the framers of the constitution hoped would not happen unchecked. For one group with a singular political ideology to hold that much lawmaking and military power in their little elephant fingers is simply dangerous.

Even though I'm just to the liberal side of moderate, I'd say the same thing if the Democrats held the executive and legislative branches of government. It's just scary as hell, near dictator-like, to have any singular view heaving laws through the process without opposition along the way.

Democracy now falls on the shoulders of minority opposition leaders. I'm not the only person who hopes that Tom Daschle (D-South Dakota) and Dick Gephardt's (D-Missouri) successor have strong enough voices to pierce through conservative index fingers jammed into ears, all the while the power-holders loudly repeating, "We're not listening to you. La la la la la."

- Rich