[Winstonm]

The following should not be considered either as pro or con as to the legislation, but is simply used as the latest example of the present Congress capitulating and granting what the president demands:

Quote

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- The Democratic-led Congress yielded to President Bush on Saturday and approved legislation to temporarily expand government's power to conduct electronic surveillance without a court order in tracking foreign suspects.

It appears the change in Congress brought about by the Democratic victories has made no difference. The Iraqi surge is still intact, Senate investigations are throttled by faulty recall and claims of executive priviledge, while the debt cap had to be raised again, and defense spending continues to soar.

It is my opinion that the Democratic victories were not in order to ensure bipartisan legislation; rather the victories were an attempt to reign in an out-of-control executive branch, and put someone in Washington who would act on the will of the people.

IMO, the Democrats have been massively disappointing in carrying out America's will. It makes me wonder who will be elected in the future? Who will America turn to when all choices disappoint?

[TimG]

Winstonm, on Aug 5 2007, 11:11 AM, said:

Who will America turn to when all choices disappoint?

Haven't all choices been disappointing for a while?

[Winstonm]

Yes, and that is making me wonder just how successful a third-party candidate could be at this time. I wonder how many of Nixon's "silent majority" are fed up with the status quo.

It really gets down to a basic power struggle - does Congress still want the authority it is granted constitutionally or would they prefer to abdigate power to the executive branch so they can't be accused of being touble makers.

Quote

Congress can sidestep the administration’s announcement that it will not allow U.S. attorneys to enforce violations of legally valid congressional subpoenas by resuscitating the congressional power to hold individual citizens in contempt.

The issues at stake in this matter are far more significant than the firing of a few U.S. attorneys, or even the fates of the Democratic congressional majority and the Bush Administration. What is at issue is whether Congress will defend itself against a grave threat to its basic power to investigate matters clearly within its legislative cognizance.

[Winstonm]

Telling?

Quote

Congress still leaves Washington for its summer break with public approval ratings lower than those of unpopular Bush.

"They managed to achieve an astonishing thing, which is to have the lowest approval ratings anyone can find for Congress in history and have done it in a record short period of time of about seven months," said Republican Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell."

[helene_t]

Winstonm, on Aug 5 2007, 07:28 PM, said:

Yes, and that is making me wonder just how successful a third-party candidate could be at this time.  I wonder how many of Nixon's "silent majority" are fed up with the status quo.

Fuggedaboutit. A central governement needs ties with regional governments, parlament, administration, non-governement entities, foreign governments and international institutions. No chance that a non-mainstream president could achieve anything beyond making the system less efficient. Especially since Presidents are elected on the basis of their charisma rather than their political ideas and competence. If you want to improve on your country's politics (or any other country's politics) you have to either
- reform mainstream political parties from within, or
- slowly advance some non-mainstream political party to mainstream status. This will probably take you a couple of decades.

Look at what has happened to Dutch politics since a substantial fraction of voters became fed up with the status quo around 2002-2003. They very soon became even more fed up with non-mainstream politics.

[mike777]

Winstonm, on Aug 5 2007, 11:11 AM, said:

The following should not be considered either as pro or con as to the legislation, but is simply used as the latest example of the present Congress capitulating and granting what the president demands:

Quote

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- The Democratic-led Congress yielded to President Bush on Saturday and approved legislation to temporarily expand government's power to conduct electronic surveillance without a court order in tracking foreign suspects.

It appears the change in Congress brought about by the Democratic victories has made no difference. The Iraqi surge is still intact, Senate investigations are throttled by faulty recall and claims of executive priviledge, while the debt cap had to be raised again, and defense spending continues to soar.

It is my opinion that the Democratic victories were not in order to ensure bipartisan legislation; rather the victories were an attempt to reign in an out-of-control executive branch, and put someone in Washington who would act on the will of the people.

IMO, the Democrats have been massively disappointing in carrying out America's will. It makes me wonder who will be elected in the future? Who will America turn to when all choices disappoint?

See the latest Bourne movie.

The whole movie is about wiretapping. They seem to wiretap just about every phone, email and public camera in the world without a warrant. Even the "good gal" sees nothing wrong in this.
So much for privacy and civil rights.

I see one Democratic Senator running for President is all for invading one of our allies if there are high value targets there.
Another Senator is in the news for wearing a blouse that was open 2 inches below her neckline and hinted she may be female.

So much for our USA media covering the news, all the news.

[Winstonm]

I seems we have evolved into a 1-party system: the RepubliMegalomaniaCrats.

I wonder who they will run?

[Al_U_Card]

American history (like other countries as well) are full of heroic people sacrificing themselves for the common weal. Are these people superhuman? No, just at a certain point, they said "enough is enough" and they stood their ground. All those sympathetic to their stand rallied around them and the tide of events changed to support their movement.

Who will be the lightning rod to galvanize the now moribund american society? Hopefully they will make their stand soon as the end is in sight......