If ever I wanted to hug a Republican
Debb and I were complaining about the minimum wage increase being held up in the Senate…well, not so much the minimum wage, but the fact that the voting mostly went along party lines. This is just so often true in our government, and it galls me. WIth the collection of beliefs and values I have, I’d likely be called a liberal. But does that mean I hand my brain over to others who define what “liberal” means? And if not, why is it usually easy to predict that Democrats vote this way, Republicans vote that way?
And then I see this.
Crooks and Liars » Chuck Hagel on fire…
A Republican saying that he shares some of the responsibility for lack of oversight on the war, that all the Senators who have been there for the past four years also share the blame, and nearly yelling at the assembly, with angry pointy fingers, like I’ve been doing at my TV and newspapers and Internets for the last couple years, that nobody in here wants America to fail, and just because you disagree with the President doesn’t mean you want the terrorists to win.
This is not a new idea for me but goddamn it is good to hear a Republican be passionate about this point for once.
January 26th, 2007 08:59
The cynic in me says that since Bush can’t be reelected in ‘08 the Republicans lose nothing by distancing themselves from him. I have a hunch that he’s up for reelection himself next time around, and wants to start registering his objections now that it’s politically permissible to do so. I might believe him if I see him do something about it.
January 26th, 2007 10:05
I can bring you back down! Me! Meeeeeeeeee!
http://bobgeiger.blogspot.com/2007/01/senate-gop-leadership-tries-to.html
28 Senators voted earlier this week to eliminate the minimum wage entirely, leaving it to the states to determine. In Kansas, this would have brought the minimum wage down to two dollars and change. Presidential candidate Sam Brownback (R-KS) voted for the change. (Ted Kennedy stopped it.)
January 26th, 2007 10:22
Yeah, saw that on C&L today. One of them was Hagel, too.
JJ: yeah, being cynical myself, I could accept that he feels safe airing his objections in this climate…but I think his passion for stopping the demonization of opponents was real.
January 26th, 2007 18:16
Bush is toast, but his supporters are not. He got his thumpin’ not because the serious consies don’t like him, but because he alienated the moderates.
Hagel has been making similar statements for over a year, so he’s not just responding to the post-election climate:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Hagel#Criticism_of_the_Bush_Administration
January 28th, 2007 12:49
In that case I stand corrected. Glad to hear there are a few people on that side of the aisle that get it.