Friday, October 01, 2010
Boehner says something real
Boehner is making the usual meaningless promises: more ethics, more transparency, no earmarks, more reaching across the aisle. None of that crap is specific or measurable, and even if we had "more ethics", it wouldn't help. A representative isn't supposed to be ethical. He's supposed to represent the "special interests" of his own district. The problem is that the reps are NOT representing the "special interests" of their own districts. Instead they are representing the Wall Street Mafia with perfect fidelity.
But Boehner made one specific and concrete promise that I haven't heard before from establishment politicians, one promise that would genuinely fix many problems if implemented. Namely, he wants to stop jamming everything into monstrous Omnibus Bills peppered with Poison Pills. The Omnibus is a nasty trick, an evil form of Mutually Assured Blackmail that strips the entire government of responsibility and accountability.
If he can truly change this habit, force the House to write separate bills for each item, citizens will finally be able to see whether our district is being represented. It will then be much harder to hide monstrous new programs in a haystack of apparent trivia, and much easier for a President to veto bad laws.
= = = = =
And at the same time, Sheikh Osama makes an amazingly positive recommendation: Hey, Muslim countries, start taking care of your own people! Start acting like adult nations already! Stop whining, stop begging the infidels to pour relief money into your Swiss bank accounts!
Couple this with the Royal Society's shocking move away from superstition and toward science, AND the strong vote for protectionism in the House (against Boehner's leadership) and we have a truly unprecedented World Rationality Week!
But Boehner made one specific and concrete promise that I haven't heard before from establishment politicians, one promise that would genuinely fix many problems if implemented. Namely, he wants to stop jamming everything into monstrous Omnibus Bills peppered with Poison Pills. The Omnibus is a nasty trick, an evil form of Mutually Assured Blackmail that strips the entire government of responsibility and accountability.
If he can truly change this habit, force the House to write separate bills for each item, citizens will finally be able to see whether our district is being represented. It will then be much harder to hide monstrous new programs in a haystack of apparent trivia, and much easier for a President to veto bad laws.
= = = = =
And at the same time, Sheikh Osama makes an amazingly positive recommendation: Hey, Muslim countries, start taking care of your own people! Start acting like adult nations already! Stop whining, stop begging the infidels to pour relief money into your Swiss bank accounts!
Couple this with the Royal Society's shocking move away from superstition and toward science, AND the strong vote for protectionism in the House (against Boehner's leadership) and we have a truly unprecedented World Rationality Week!
Labels: Ethics
¶ 8:27 AM
