I just got back from a snowmobile tour of Yellowstone National Park. You might wonder what this has to do with politics. I'll tell you. Its about the little people, real people. Its about a few small businesses and the many people that serve them and the towns that thrive or fail because of that connection. And since I'm a bit on the wordy side I'll leave the rest below the fold.
One of the cards the Republicans have and will continue to play is that Dems voted for the war too. Its a good bit of spin, gets people off point very easily. Its part of that whole blame game the Republicans are so good at. The point Dems need to make though is that they voted for the war based on lies. But that too is a very easy thing to say and hard to accept. How could the Dems allow themselves to be lied to? Are they so stupid as to not see it coming? If they are so stupid, should they be in office?
Appearing on CNN's "American Morning," Roberts said his staff informed Democrats of the status of the investigation "just two days ago." He said his staff told Democrats the committee was completing "Phase 2" of its investigation.
They are completeing the investigation? I've seen nothing in the way of hearings on the matter. I've heard no protests of the administration yielding resources to investigators. He says they are almost complete, how could they have even begun?
The one I'ld like to stop responding to is the one that claims the evacuation effort, which the federal government was commending after the storm but prior to the levee break (prior to how obvious it would be that the feds didn't have what it takes or were unwilling to give it), was somehow not enough. My answer...
The following are letters I sent via email to the Senators of my state, the state of Florida.
Due to the difference in party my letters had minor...umm...color adjustments. Note, I figure as politicians they are not likely to catch my typos or my runon sentences.
Its clear this administration has screwed up in how it has mismanaged FEMA and not reacted swiftly to the known problems. They removed money from levy projects to support the war in Iraq so that we may fight terrorists over there while our citizens drown in their own homes over here. We know they are going to be without water, we know its a big city prone to civil breakdown and in need of security, and we have advance warning of possible levy breaks (Bush said no one could have seen that but that was reported as a high probable when the hurricane was going to make a direct strike). Preposition supplies? Yes. Is that enough? Hell no!
If this economy were truly robust it should be able to handle a storm like this. I suspect however that the economy has been on a sugar high. The sugar being consumers running up personal debt and the government spending like crazy. The numbers fudged or explained away to show "progress". Bush blamed the job losses in the runup to the election on 9/11. 9/11 should not have been the economic catastrophe that it was but they overreacted and screwed over many industries. I mean, a building complex came down in one city and the Pentagon lost a wing. I shouldn't have felt that here in Florida. Its always been a convenient excuse and now they can replace it with Katrina and have a fresh topic to blame. I suspect that the eventual economic penalty from this storm will be used as an excuse for the economy showing its true colors.
In it there is something I've heard before and have for a long time, that the Democrats aren't in a much better position than Republicans right now in the polls. I know how precarious politics can be when lives are on the line and someone is wielding the nationalistic shovel. So I was wondering, considering how clearly Democrats are not in a position to act themselves and get little in the way of answers from the administration either. Considering how they are treated like second class citizens (or maybe simply mere citizens) on capitol hill. Would it be beneficial for a group of them, if not all of them, to pack up a lawn chair and a cooler and head down to Crawford Texas and take up the cause? And I mean sit there alongside Casey, or in her place for the moment, and ask the same question she is asking and maybe pick one or two of their own to ask. Would it help, would it hurt, is there any political danger in those guys/gals showing some backbone and standing up (or at least sitting down at the end of his driveway)? And I do mean sit there the whole time, maybe bring a book like My Pet Goat to read in their spare time. Clearly a page turner. I'm interested in the politics of it all and assume people here might have some ideas.
I'm tired of the political talk and want to at least see some action. They can't wring his neck so maybe they can ring his doorbell once or twice.
