Before I start tonight, I realize I left out one very important part of how to get rich from yesterday's blog. Do not vote for Democrats! If you are a man, do not let your wife or daughter vote for Democrats. I realize I sound like a male chauvinist pig here, but it was women who elected Bill Clinton. And it was women who elected Hillary Clinton senator because she was a 'victim'. Yeah, that's a great qualification to be a senator. Let your pig of a husband humiliate you and your daughter in front of the entire world. All the women I know would have walked out on the sonuvabitch after first doing great bodily harm to him and taking the bastard for every dime he was worth. And, remember, Hillary wants to be president and if she succeeds she will be elected by women. At least I know my sister and my friend Cindy won't vote for her. And I know Rachel won't. They're all good Republicans, though I think Rachel is really a closet (small l) libertarian. If she's read enough Heinlein as her brother made her, some of it had to rub off. Someday, I may write sumpin' about the philosophy of Robert Heinlein.
OK. What's new in the world today? Congress came back from vacation and Wall Street celebrated. The Dow dropped 355 points and NASDAQ dropped 51. That's a real encouraging welcome back guys. Way ta go! Daschle and Gephardt must be salivating. After all, they want the economy to suck until after the November elections. Of course, they ain't gonna run on rescinding the tax cuts, but I guarantee, when they take over Congress, that will be one of the first items on their agenda. Gotta stop those tax cuts for the rich.
And what's on Congress' agenda right now? Why let's create a new Cabinet level department with the Orwellian sounding name of the Department of Homeland Security. I feel more secure already, don't you? I mean creating a new Cabinet bureaucracy always solves all our problems. Remember during the 1976 elections (I realize some of you may not be that old.) when Jimmy Carter promised to take the Education bureaucracy out of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, and created the Department of Education? He did this for the teacher's unions. Ever since, the education system in this country has gone downhill, and here in Georgia: We're number 50! We're number 50!
And I'm sorry, I have to insert a crude Jimmy Carter joke here. Did you know that when he and his wife have sex he has to be on the bottom? Why? Because all he knows how to do is fuck up.
But back to the Department of Homeland Security. I came across this article in the Atlanta Urinal and Constipation.
The Senate opened debate Tuesday on legislation creating a new Homeland Security Department as White House officials voiced confidence that they and Democrats will settle differences over the bill.
Which means they'll cave. Remember L'il Tommy Daschle and his 'to professionalize you must federalize'? That's why we have booger eatin' moh-rons who couldn't even get an order straight at the McDonald's drive thru window, running security at our airports. And I really feel good that Beverly Harvard who was the chief of police in Atlanta during the Bill Campbell administration (Think Janet Reno to Bill Clinton - and Bill Campbell was probably the most corrupt mayor Atlanta has ever had.) is second in command for the Transportation Security Adminstration at Atlanta's Hartsfield Airport. I feel more secure already. And Atlanta security let a .357 magnum get through on a person's carry on. The gun was discovered in Philadelphia when the person had to go through a checkpoint while changing gates. My city. My airport. I'm so proud.
Sen.Joseph Lieberman, the chief Senate sponsor, called the measure "the single most important thing we can do now" in building better defenses against terrorism within U.S. borders.
No Snagglepuss (Heavens to Murgatroyd! Exit stage left, even), howza 'bout beefin' up the INS and firing the putzheads responsible for issuing visas to a bunch of dead terrorists. Heads shoulda rolled then.
"If we marshal these strengths of ours, we can make another Sept. 11-type attack impossible," Lieberman, D-Conn., said in opening what is likely to be a lengthy Senate debate.
The Dems want protected incompetent federal employees who will vote for Democarats. Bush wants to be able to fire incompetent employees. Guess who'll win?
Tom Ridge, the White House homeland security chief, predicted agreement would be reached but warned anew that President Bush will not accept a version of the bill pushed by Senate Democrats. Bush says that bill would deny the president the flexibility needed to manage an agency of roughly 170,000 employees.
Ya wanna bet on that Tom? Daschle will once again roll out his 'to professionalize, you must federalize' bullshit, the press will hammer Bush, and he'll cave.
"I think we will get it done before they recess for the November elections," Ridge said on NBC's "Today" program. But he said "I would have to recommend the president veto" the bill, if it were passed in its current form in the Senate, because of a lack of managerial flexibility.
And I'm predicting he won't. Hope I'm wrong.
Appearing on the same program, Lieberman said, "I think the White House is making up this issue."
The Conscience of the Senate. Unless, of course any conscience is actually required, like throwing a corrupt president out of office or abandoning all your positions to run for vice-president.
"It is not a real issue," he said, "and certainly not reason to veto this bill and delay the security of our defenses, the raising of our guard against terrorist attack."
Putting incompetent federal employees in charge of national security is not a real issue? Jesus H. Christ, there are a whole shitload of people at the FBI, the CIA, and especially the INS who should be out on the street looking for jobs right now. Have any of the assholes responsible for letting 9/11 happen even been fired?
On Monday, Bush jawboned lawmakers to pass the version of the bill that he wants. "Congress needs to get moving," he told a Labor Day crowd near Pittsburgh.
Ya wanna get 'em moving. Put a microphone and a television camera where ya want 'em to go. They'll follow that. But don't get in Hillary's way. Thunder-thighs will run right over ya. What was the license number of that truck? Ya wanna get them to do their jobs? You're dreaming.
Bush, who returned from his ranch in Crawford, Texas, over the holiday weekend after a month of combined leisure and business travel, invited Republican senators to the White House Tuesday afternoon to discuss the measure. "The president's message is, give me a homeland security bill that allows us to do what we need to do to protect Americans from future attacks," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said.
And please Mr. Wizard of Oz, give Trent Lott a spine, Joe Lieberman a conscience, and Sheila Jackson-Lee a brain.
That was to be the first of several meetings the White House planned for this week to push Bush's legislative wish-list.
Make sure you give Gephardt and Daschle a copy so they know what to obstruct. Obstruct early and obstruct often.
But this also is a critical campaign season for midterm elections in which the balance of power in Congress is in play. So lawmakers are hoping to get out by early October, even as they face a fast-approaching deadline for finishing work on the federal budget.
Maybe they'll do nothing. Gridlock is good. Be still my beating heart.
Congressional leaders will be under strong pressure to recess and then return to finish their work after the Nov. 5 midterm elections. Four incumbent Senate Democrats -- Tim Johnson of South Dakota, Paul Wellstone of Minnesota, Tom Harkin of Iowa and Jean Carnahan of Missouri -- are in tight races that could determine whether the party holds onto its one-seat majority.
All farm states. Is is any wonder Bush signed that abomination of a farm bill?
In the 435-member House, Democrats need to pick up seven seats to end the GOP's eight-year control.
And with the economy in the tank, it doesn't look too good for the Republicans. Can you say Speaker Gephardt?
Among pending issues in addition to counterterrorism legislation are bills designed to shore up the protection of people's pensions and to overhaul U.S. energy policy. And Congress has yet to give final approval to any of the 13 federal appropriations bills for 2003.
Look for a massive deficit and lots of money directed to West Virginia by Senator Byrd.
But the first order of business for the Senate is the homeland security measure. Democrats are balking at Bush's insistence on greater power to hire and fire and a provision that would bar union membership for some of the employees who would be assigned to that agency.
No No say the Democrats. We want mindless drones who will vote for us. Accountability from a federal employee? Man, I want some of that shit you're smokin'.
Bush has argued that he needs the flexibility because the agency would be designed to respond quickly to threats against domestic security.
Now that wouldd be sumpin' different: gummint reacting quickly to anything. Worth a try.
Ridge said Tuesday "the president believes that you can't just buckle up and bolt things together" in the new department. He said the administration needs flexibility in hiring, firing and assignments.
Sumpin' the Dems will not allow and I'm sure the New York Times will come up with reasons why this would not be a good policy.
In an appearance on CBS' "The Early Show," Ridge said that "if you limit the ability of the president to move people around within this organization, you will not have done everything you can to protect this country and our way of life."
Tom, the Democrats are not trying to protect the country, they're trying to protect gummint workers. Where's your compassion. After all gummint workers are hard working dedicated employees. I'm trying out to be a New York Times editorial writer.
Lieberman, in the NBC interview, declared: "I'm basically trying to stick with the tried and true civil service system."
I'm sorry. I am totally speechless. I bet he even said that with a straight face. That is such a totally ludicrous statement that my mind reels. Things like the compassion of the IRS, the efficiency of the DMV, the competence of the INS, Senate ethics, military intelligence, go right along with 'the tried and true civil service system'. Do you realize that probably half the people in this country believe that to be a true statement?
Be afraid.
Be very afraid.
Posted by denny at September 3, 2002 06:30 PM