Even as their confrontation with President Bush over Iraq escalates, emboldened congressional Democrats are challenging the White House on a range of issues -- such as unionization of airport security workers and the loosening of presidential secrecy orders -- with even more dramatic showdowns coming soon.For his part, Bush, who also finds himself under assault for the firing of eight U.S. attorneys, the conduct of the Iraq war and alleged abuses in government surveillance by the FBI, is holding firm. Though he has vetoed only one piece of legislation since taking office, he has vowed to veto 16 bills that have passed either the House or Senate in the three months since Democrats took control of Congress.
Despite the threats, Democratic lawmakers expect to open new fronts against the president when they return from their spring recess, including politically risky efforts to quickly close the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; reinstate legal rights for terrorism suspects; and rein in what Democrats see as unwarranted encroachments on privacy and civil liberties allowed by the USA Patriot Act.
"I suppose there's always a risk of going too far," said House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.), "but the risk of not going is far greater."
Backed by a unified party and fresh from a slew of legislative victories, Democratic leaders appear to believe there is hardly any territory they cannot stray onto, a development that has Republican political operatives gleeful and some Democrats worried. Rep. Tom Cole (Okla.), chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, warned of a "political price" at the polls: "If they let their constituents and their ideology drive them past the point where the American people are comfortable, they will find how quickly the voters will react."http://www.washingto...
A lot of us that are a bit older know that government in action is a slow process. To keep this in perspective, we're calling witnesses know and the Bush administration to learning a new word-oversight. We can't just snap our fingers and make everything better but we are moving towards justice.Comments
loaded language... (Josh - 4/1/2007 11:45:56 PM)Watch the source for using the term "emboldened" when associated with Democrats. Those using that term will be partisan republicans and belying their underlying prejudice.The frame has been successfully set that "Democrats embolden terrorists" by Fox "news", and other partisan hacks.
They're good at what they do. Just be aware.