News
Dec 11 2007
Martin resting easy following this Congress
Joe Martin is resting easy in this grave these days. Martin, who died in 1968, was the Republican from Massachusetts, who twice replaced Sam Rayburn on the speaker’s rostrum in the U.S. House of Representatives.
He became speaker in 1947, when the first post-World War II election ousted the New Deal Democrats and put the GOP in charge of the 80th congress. When Harry Truman ran for reelection to the White House in 1948, one of his principal rallying points was the opposition Congress. Time and again he brought forth the roar of the crowds with references to “... that good for nothing 80th Congress.” Well, Joe, when it comes to good-for-nothingness, the 80th was a piker compared to the 110th. Led by Pelosi and Reid, the 110th has done little for two years save posture, introduce meaningless legislation they know won’t pass, or pass meaningless legislation they know won’t survive a presidential veto.
The 110th Congress is about two things, pork and power. On both sides of aisle it is about bringing home the bacon so that the representatives can continue to live high on the hog. There are a handful of your representatives, Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) and Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) in the Senate and Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) in the House are among the most notable, willing to battle the hog butchers who carve up the public largess, but the reformers are few and the takers are many.
For most of the members, elected from gerrymandered safe seats and therefore immune from meaningful public censure, it is the same old, same old of taking care of the special interests who, in return, line the bulging campaign coffers. While partisanship may rule in matters of policy, the Congress is just one big love-in when it comes to doling out the dough.
The second overriding concern of the 110th, is totally partisan. It derives from the majority’s endless efforts to boost their chances of retaking the White House and holding on to the Congress. To that end, no waste of the taxpayer’s resources in perusing unwarranted accusations, phony charges and trying to dig dirt on the administration is considered too much.
When the administration replaced 93 U.S. attorneys in one fell swoop — No, I misspeak, it was the previous administration of Bill, Hill and Webb Hubble, who did that in March of ‘93. The current administration replaced eight U.S. attorneys, most of whom they had appointed in the first place, and that’s what brought forth the wrath of Reid and company.
It is the same on the legislative side. How much does is cost to introduce, study and vote on a bill brought up in the Congress? A cursory Web search turned up no answer, but nothing the government does is done very efficiently, so we would probably be safe in suggesting that the cost would shock sensible people. The majority party in the dismal 110th has introduced more than 60 bills designed to soothe anti-war sentiments and the ever fevered feelings of their MoveOn.org base and have seen none of them make it into law.
No one was surprised, of course. The measures had no purpose save as propaganda. Every time the majority brought up a measure to end military operations in the Middle East, they did so knowing that they would not actually have to go on the record as voting for it, or that they would be unable to override the executive veto they knew would follow. It was all a dumb show, a busking played for the left-wing street crowd.
At her coronation as Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi promised reform and a new emphasis on getting things done in the lower house. Next on her agenda was a demand for a bigger free airplane to fly her and her court to California on weekends. She also promised five-day work weeks for Congress, but that lasted no longer than it took to promise it. Perhaps it interfered with Marin County weekends.
Without a doubt, the 110th Congress has made its mark, and it is a black one indeed. The voters recognize it. Congressional approval, as measured in the polls, is the lowest it has been since the polls started asking the question.
Congress ranks well below the president, the war and probably spinach, heartburn and Barry Bonds in the public’s approval. So the spirit of old Joe Martin is resting easy these days. The new gold standard for political incompetence is “that good for nothing 110th Congress.”
He became speaker in 1947, when the first post-World War II election ousted the New Deal Democrats and put the GOP in charge of the 80th congress. When Harry Truman ran for reelection to the White House in 1948, one of his principal rallying points was the opposition Congress. Time and again he brought forth the roar of the crowds with references to “... that good for nothing 80th Congress.” Well, Joe, when it comes to good-for-nothingness, the 80th was a piker compared to the 110th. Led by Pelosi and Reid, the 110th has done little for two years save posture, introduce meaningless legislation they know won’t pass, or pass meaningless legislation they know won’t survive a presidential veto.
The 110th Congress is about two things, pork and power. On both sides of aisle it is about bringing home the bacon so that the representatives can continue to live high on the hog. There are a handful of your representatives, Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) and Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) in the Senate and Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) in the House are among the most notable, willing to battle the hog butchers who carve up the public largess, but the reformers are few and the takers are many.
For most of the members, elected from gerrymandered safe seats and therefore immune from meaningful public censure, it is the same old, same old of taking care of the special interests who, in return, line the bulging campaign coffers. While partisanship may rule in matters of policy, the Congress is just one big love-in when it comes to doling out the dough.
The second overriding concern of the 110th, is totally partisan. It derives from the majority’s endless efforts to boost their chances of retaking the White House and holding on to the Congress. To that end, no waste of the taxpayer’s resources in perusing unwarranted accusations, phony charges and trying to dig dirt on the administration is considered too much.
When the administration replaced 93 U.S. attorneys in one fell swoop — No, I misspeak, it was the previous administration of Bill, Hill and Webb Hubble, who did that in March of ‘93. The current administration replaced eight U.S. attorneys, most of whom they had appointed in the first place, and that’s what brought forth the wrath of Reid and company.
It is the same on the legislative side. How much does is cost to introduce, study and vote on a bill brought up in the Congress? A cursory Web search turned up no answer, but nothing the government does is done very efficiently, so we would probably be safe in suggesting that the cost would shock sensible people. The majority party in the dismal 110th has introduced more than 60 bills designed to soothe anti-war sentiments and the ever fevered feelings of their MoveOn.org base and have seen none of them make it into law.
No one was surprised, of course. The measures had no purpose save as propaganda. Every time the majority brought up a measure to end military operations in the Middle East, they did so knowing that they would not actually have to go on the record as voting for it, or that they would be unable to override the executive veto they knew would follow. It was all a dumb show, a busking played for the left-wing street crowd.
At her coronation as Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi promised reform and a new emphasis on getting things done in the lower house. Next on her agenda was a demand for a bigger free airplane to fly her and her court to California on weekends. She also promised five-day work weeks for Congress, but that lasted no longer than it took to promise it. Perhaps it interfered with Marin County weekends.
Without a doubt, the 110th Congress has made its mark, and it is a black one indeed. The voters recognize it. Congressional approval, as measured in the polls, is the lowest it has been since the polls started asking the question.
Congress ranks well below the president, the war and probably spinach, heartburn and Barry Bonds in the public’s approval. So the spirit of old Joe Martin is resting easy these days. The new gold standard for political incompetence is “that good for nothing 110th Congress.”
