Things are a little slim here this week, because I'm starting a new task, my early-morning blog time is consumed by classes I'm taking on top of regular work hours, and, well, dang-it, the Muse is slacking a bit, as she sometimes does. And Bill is traveling, and Dusty travels for work, and the Usual Suspects seem to have lives lately, too. No matter. Dusty is still *reading*...
He saw my posting of Representative Boyda's missive and my interspersed comments. And decided to comment himself. Let's say Dusty is a tad more ideologically pure than I. Not so much so that it takes binos to see him out there in the distance to my right... but there's a lot less gray in Dusty's world... His note to me was: "You do this just to get a rise out of me, right?"
Um, mebbe. It works, anyway. Nancy's words are in regular font, Dusty's are bolded. I'm not going to blockquote this.
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If you're like most Kansans, you trust Washington about as far as you can sling a piano – and with good reason. From the Abramoff lobbying scandal to the Craig sex scandal, from $3 gasoline to the endless war in Iraq, from the skyrocketing national debt to the runaway cost of health care, Washington has proven time and again that it doesn't deserve your trust.
[On the contrary, Nancy. I think most members of your party, whether they be elected officials or members of your district, put a great deal of trust in Washington. Central authority, powerful enough to impose solutions on the citizenry for “their own good” or “for the children” or “for minorities” or “for those poor kids forced to fight in an unjust and failed war” is what the Democrat Party is all about. So, I don’t think your voters necessarily distrust Washington, especially the ones that voted for you. Instead, I think they distrust those on the other side of the aisle who don’t hew to the liberal party line.
Of course, you can cite examples of misconduct in our legislators, but I’m surprised your message only mentions the indiscretions of the opposing and minority party. I find that amusing, especially given the fact that you have a sitting Senator who has taken a human life and remains in Congress; a Representative that had more money in his freezer that most Kansans have in their bank accounts and the senior member of the upper chamber who was a high-ranking member of the Ku Klux Klan.
Then there’s the $3 gas pricing issue. This is known as “charging what the market will bear.” I ask you to prove to me how the current Administration affects the price of crude oil or its refined byproducts. Please. I want to know. Moreover, I would like you to answer how the effect of drilling prohibitions in the ANWR region, off our coasts, and the near-insurmountable barriers raised on the construction of new refineries and nuclear power plants across the United States—the handiwork of both the national and state legislatures—does NOT affect the price of oil. Last time I checked, when supplies of energy went up, the price went down.
As for the “endless war in Iraq,” please. If you’re not willing to entertain resisting barbarism for anything less than “forever,” you’re probably not fit for public office. First of all, this war is anything but endless, if you’re discussing Iraq especially. In spite of a sea change in the situation on the ground, thanks to a change in strategy that your party insisted had to happen (good for you…but I bet the result—success—was something you gambled wouldn’t happen), you nevertheless insist on pursuing a policy of retreat, submission and surrender.
As for the skyrocketing national debt, I would venture you couldn’t tell me in 25 words or less what that debt, is what it means, or why I should care. Besides, should ALL our creditors decide to call in our notes tomorrow, you know what will happen? The Treasury will print the amount of money necessary to pay off the debt and the creditors will be…how shall I say this?...screwed. Then there’s the projections of the debt over the next several years…our debt burden is actually below historic averages, including ANY TIME IN THE 1990s. Tell me again who was President then? That said, without reforms in Medicare and Social Security, our kids are going to be COMPLETELY SCREWED. They’ll have to pay for my wife and me as we get old. That’s crap—but something you’re more than willing to impose on my kid with what will probably be the highest intergenerational tax increase in US history.
And, finally, health care. Nancy, I lived in Europe for eight years. Two of those years were spent immersed in the European (in this case Dutch) health care system. Why? Because as a member of a NATO staff in a country (The Netherlands) that didn’t have immediate access to US military health care, I had to rely on socialized medicine in Holland. God, I wish you had experienced that, Nancy. My wife damn near died in childbirth in a medical system that is at least 40 years behind the US. And you want to put Washington in charge of heath care or, at the very least, medical insurance? Tell me, Ms. Boyda, what US Department operates under the same rules that the private sector does, i.e., with an eye on profit versus cost, competition and rapid agility to respond to market forces? These forces compel the competitor to provide a quality service at minimum cost or their customers go elsewhere. Your institution has systematically suppressed any effort to institute that proven model on health care in the United States resulting in an inefficient, expensive and limited-in-scope system that penalizes both individuals and companies for trying to reduce costs and, at worst, prevents people who need the coverage from getting it.]
If Kansans hope to clean up our nation's capital, I believe that our first step must be to define the problem. Why, exactly, do we have so little faith in our leaders? What has gone wrong?
[“Government is not the solution, it’s the problem”. Sorry, couldn’t resist.
Don’t get me wrong. It’s not that I don’t “have faith in [my] leaders.” I have faith in Americans who decide to say, “What the Hell, I think I can make a difference” and run for Congress. I don’t think they deserve to be seen as corrupt until they prove themselves to be so. To do otherwise is, I think, grossly unfair. So, even though I am not one of your constituents, I would not think you are crooked unless you gave me reason to.
It may surprise you, but I do have faith in the people I elect to represent me. What irks me is the holier-than-thou nonsense that percolates up EVERY campaign season. Sometimes the timing’s right and you can profit by it. That’s what happened in 2006. BUT. I will tell you this…the Republicans were punished not so much because they were corrupt (though that certainly helped push them over the cliff), but because they were perceived as incompetent or not adhering to conservative principles.
Think about it. Larry Craig, had he been a Democrat, would have skated. The GOP is calling for his head. If you think I overstate, I give you Barney Frank. The Dems would never do that against Frank. It seems to me that personal behaviors that don’t go over too well with Republicans more often contribute to their careers being cut short than it does with Democrats. In the former, unacceptable personal behavior has consequences, regardless, more often. The Democrats jump at the chance at unseating a GOP reprobate and the miscreant’s party grudgingly admits the situation and is more than happy to throw him or her under the bus. In the latter, ALL personal behavior is overlooked in a party where being in power overcomes all indiscretions…as long as the transgression isn’t so blatant that they can’t be kept out of jail. In a way, I don’t have a problem with that. In the long run, having higher standards for your party does both the GOP and the country a service.]
[The rest is in the Flash Traffic/Extended Entry as a favor to our dial-up customers]
If you ask me, there isn't just one problem – there are many. I could probably list a hundred, but for now, here are what I see as the top ten things wrong with Washington, D.C. today.
[Every time I hear a Congressman talk about all the “problems” we have, I have to ask myself, “OK, how are they going to manage to make it worse and how much will it end up costing the middle class, e.g., the people who always pay for everything?”]
10. Capitol Hill is an ethical swamp. Earlier this year, in an effort to begin cleaning up Capitol Hill, I authored legislation to strip the government pensions of Members of Congress who commit federal crimes. The good news: My provision passed the House unanimously and was signed into law by the president. The bad news: So much work remains to be done. Until Congress is held accountable by a powerful, independent ethics committee, corruption will remain the rule rather than the exception.
[The only self-policing I’ve ever seen work (sort of) is in the professions—lawyers are disbarred and physicians barred from practicing, and military officers are court-martialed for violating enumerated codes of conduct to protect the reputation of the institutions they represent. Moreover, in the medical example, there are external mechanisms that help ensure accountability (malpractice suits). The problem with Congress, and maybe “problem” is not the right word, is that these people are elected by the citizenry to represent them. There is therefore a natural tendency to tread very carefully when taking steps to remove a duly elected representative of tens of thousands of Americans. Is this necessarily right? Maybe not, but I think I understand why it might take a little longer than a magisterial sweep of your hand.]
9. D.C. kicks Americans while they're down. If you're a middle-class Kansan having difficulty paying to heat your home this winter, or if you're working hard but can't afford health care for your kids, or if you're disabled in a car accident, don't look to Washington for help. Although Congress has passed several bills to help the middle class, all have been vetoed by the president.
[What, exactly, has Congress passed to “help the middle class?” They must not have been supported by the American people to the degree required to override those vetos.]
8. Washington is out of touch with the heartland. Many of my colleagues in Congress only visit their districts a few times a year. They simply don't have a clue what life is like for everyday Americans. I've worked hard to avoid being trapped "inside the Beltway" – for example, I turned down the Congressional health care plan so that I stay in touch with the cost of health insurance, and I fly home to Kansas nearly every weekend – but far too many politicians have lost contact with their constituents.
[I don’t believe for a moment the reason you turned down the Congressional plan was because you wanted to stay in touch. Not ever. Never. Now then, let’s name names. Who’s “lost touch”? I’m sure many have. Some never had it. But, I’d like you to show true courage by giving us concrete examples of cluelessness that doesn’t rapidly degenerate into a partisan screed.]
7. Lawmakers play hide-and-seek in the federal budget. Every single Member of Congress can request federal funds for "earmarked" projects in their communities; most never release their requests to the public. You have no way of knowing how your elected officials want to spend your tax dollars. That's just wrong. Members of Congress should be required to disclose their earmark requests to the public. I was the first representative in Kansas history to do so: You can view a full list of my requests at www.boyda.house.gov.
[In this particular case, I agree with you both, wholeheartedly.]
6. D.C. has abandoned our kids. Earlier this year, a Kansas man found guilty of possessing child pornography walked free because Congress had written a needlessly vague law. I authored legislation to close this loophole, and the House of Representatives passed it unanimously last month – but Congress should have done its job right the first time. Washington has ignored our kids in other ways, too: Just look at the President's veto of the critically important Children's Health Insurance program, or the consistent underfunding of our schools under No Child Left Behind.
[“D.C. has abandoned our kids.”
God, how I wish that were true. Stay the hell away from my kid, lady. I don’t want you helping her. That’s my job.
• Pornography: I watch what my child views on the Internet and I talk to her about pornography and its corrosive effects on the user and the victim. It doesn’t take a village to raise a child; it takes two committed and loving parents.
• Vetoing S-CHIP: That was a naked attempt to begin the expansion of national health care into the middle class…government assistance and control to families making upward of 80K a year does NOTHING, NOTHING for poor kids the program is designed to help but it does gently introduce you to the government teat. Like how the government takes care of our soldiers? No? Then why keep skipping down the yellow brick road to socialized medicine? Oh yeah, I forgot, it’s for the children.
• No Child Left Behind: I hope it’s so underfunded it effing dies of starvation. It was designed by Ted Kennedy and has (surprise!) had no appreciable effect on our kids’ preparation for life in the new millennium.]
5. Politicians use, then abuse, our nation's veterans. Our VA facilities are badly overburdened. Many veterans wait months or years to receive the medical care they need. Congress took a major step toward fixing the problem by passing $5.2 billion in emergency funding for the VA, but at many facilities, the backlogs remain severe.
[Yeah, I could think of a better use for the money that goes to the National Endowment for the Arts and the effort to fight AIDS in Africa.]
4. Washington is gambling with our national security. The war in Iraq has stretched America's strategic readiness dangerously thin. Our military will need about ten years to reset its resources across the globe, and until then, America will be ill-equipped to respond to terrorist attacks or rogue nations. The world is growing more dangerous each day. Congress must take steps to rebuild our readiness and refocus our military on global threats.
[I’ll give you this, Nancy, you got chutzpah. If you think I think that the Democrat Party that has Markos Moulitsas as a principal spokesman and Jimmy Carter as a statesmen-icon is prepared to defend the country as if they meant it, you seriously underestimate my power of observation. You guys have Durbin, Murtha, Kennedy, Schumer and Reid sliming the troops and the idea that America is a good and noble nation on a daily basis. That’s YOUR party Nancy, you ran with the dogs now go lie with them.]
3. Congress doesn't understand the word "illegal." Illegal immigration is undermining our nation's economy and endangering our security. America can't ignore this problem any longer, and we can't afford another 1986-style amnesty. We need meaningful, aggressive immigration reform that strengthens our borders and cracks down on employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants. And we need it now.
[OK, now stand by for the triangulating.]
2. Republicans and Democrats can't play in the same sandbox. Turn on C-SPAN for an hour, and see if you can spot even five minutes of substantive debate. An unseemly amount of House floor time is wasted on shouting matches; the Senate is routinely a hair's breadth away from a filibuster. Republicans and Democrats rarely even talk to each other, let alone accomplish real work. In my role as Republican Liaison for the freshman class of Democratic representatives, I'm working hard to reach across party lines. Too often, partisanship gets in the way of progress.
[You can utter fighting words only so many times before people on the other side start, well, fighting. The Clinton White House was masterful at demonizing its opponents and the folks who perfected the tactics have gone on to dominate the discussion…James Carville, Sid Blumenthal, et al. Then there’s all the calls for Bush’s impeachment…and that he’s a moron (Harry Reid, call your office.), etc., etc. At least when Clinton was attacked, there was something to it…stained dress and all…and, yes, he’s STILL barred form practicing law in Arkansas. Pot? Meet kettle. Feh.]
1. NAFTA. You'd be hard-pressed to find a politician in America who hasn't, at some point or another, acknowledged problems with the North American Free Trade Agreement. NAFTA is dragging down our economy, weakening our borders, and devastating our manufacturers. After fourteen years, it's time to either fix NAFTA or get the heck out of it. In early December, I'll introduce legislation to require precisely that.
[The data is out there that refutes this, especially in the job creation department, but it’s late and I have only a few more hours before I go back to work so, it’s time to spend time with my daughter…]
These problems are daunting, and they won't disappear overnight. But they can be solved, and the solution begins with individual Kansans – people like you.
As I've so often said, democracy is a contact sport. If we want to have any hope of cleaning up the Washington train wreck, each and every one of us must do our part.
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