Posted by
"Mind and Morals" Michael Coyne on Monday, July 21, 2008 12:00:00 AM
I just watched part of a television interview with Speaker Nancy Pelosi. I’ve never agreed with the Speaker, but I’d like to think that I had a degree of respect for her. She’s a public servant, and she’s fighting for what she believes in. Rational Americans need to have a healthy respect for individuals who stand for their causes, even if said individual totally disagrees with you. Although, after this interview, there is absolutely no way for me to hold any respect for the Speaker at all.
In this interview, Pelosi called President Bush “a total failure.” She proceeded to claim that the Democratic Congress was busy “cleaning up his messes.” She went on to further disparage President Bush. Most of the Speaker’s comments were more abrasive than anything I’d care to repeat here. I’m sure the video is up on YouTube, anyway.
Let’s just focus on the two comments above. First off, President Bush worked for six years with a Republican congress. The economy didn’t start its downturn until the Democrats took over the Capitol, so there isn’t much logic behind Pelosi when she claims that the Dems are “cleaning up” after the President. Moreover, gas prices were around $2.50 or $2.80 (give or take) when the Democrats took over Congress in 2006. Again, Ms. Pelosi, who’s cleaning up after who?
As for the President being a “total failure,” let’s go to the polls. According to Gallup as of 7/14, President Bush had a 30% approval rating; while the Democratic Congress has an approval rating of 14% (both numbers have a 3% margin of error). While the President has low numbers, Congress has numbers near record lows. Please, Madame Speaker, learn to check your facts. More of America is willing to classify you as a failure than the President. Also, thanks to the Bush Administration, there have been no successful terrorist attacks on US soil since 9/11. But over 25 have been thwarted by Homeland Security. That’s a major accomplishment, not a “total failure.”
I will admit that I’m pro-Bush. Overall, I believe that he is a good man and he has served his country honorably and to the best of his ability. Do I agree with every decision he’s ever made? No. Do I think he is unfairly treated and outright vilified in the media? Yes. But he continues to do his absolute best and continues to stand up for his judgments and executive decisions. God bless him for that.
Even with my general approval of the President, I do not like being put in a position to defend him. I don’t like to be forced to defend any elected official because it takes away from the time that we need to spend finding the faults that need to be fixed with the next election. Nevertheless, certain things need to be said, and people like me are forced to stand up and do so.
Speaker Pelosi needs to realize something very crucial to the world of politics: Republicans and Democrats are not enemies, they are opposing parties. Both want to help the country, both sides have true and noble patriots. After an elected official takes the oath of his or her office, the politics need to stop. Cooperation is paramount; Congress and the President need to find some sort of common ground and show a united front. The type of gutter-sniping and outright verbal assault launched by the Speaker is despicable, and it undermines the stability and credibility of our government and our elected officials.
I have never hated Democrats. There was a time—pre-Inconvenient Truth—that I liked Al Gore. Now, it pains me to admit that. I even accepted certain aspects of President Clinton’s time in office—namely DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act) and “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.” But with more Democrats effectively entrenching themselves in increasingly vitriolic and often uninformed behavior, I feel saddened to watch the concept of political cooperation fade further and further into the distance.