Office of the Independent Blogger

I’d like to take this space to tip my hat to Representative Ginny Brown-Waite, a sophomore in the House who took the courageous action of introducing a bill declaring House offices not off-limits to subpoenas. House Speaker Hastert doesn’t like it, and I’ll share a dorky anecdote of mine with you. During the Chicago Debate League’s season, we had to debate whether or not to overturn the Korematsu Supreme Court ruling, and my partner told the Judge, “You know, this type of tool is not a good one to have for future leaders to have, because we don’t know what kind of man might come to office. If Bush and Cheney dies, Hastert becomes President, and we all know he’s tyrannical.” I just about had a heart attack because I thought it might offend the judge — and because I thought it untrue — but upon further review, it made the Judge smile (I distinctly remember that) and it was true! Hastert believes he’s above the law.

Earlier in the week, I complained that Arlen Specter was a hack, in more words, and he continues to be one. Now he’s involved in a game of footsie with Dick Cheney, who has told him that the NSA doesn’t need Congressional approval. How Imperial but true, considering that this Congress — and this lowly Chairman — don’t have the nerve to stand up to the Administration. Specter says that there’s “no doubt” that the program is breaking the Law, which makes me wonder why he’s not doing more. He’s introduced a bill that would just about rip down the program as it stands, but it’s not going anywhere because of a puppy dog Congress. What a shame it is, then, that Specter is holding half-hearted hearings, as if he put real effort into the hearings and sought to discredit and humiliate them with half the passion with which he smeared Anita Hill, then real progress would be made.

As it stands, I consider his efforts minor, and insincere.

We’ll leave it at that for today, as I’ve a Chemistry final to study for. But before I go, a few words of wisdom that President Bush must repeat every day: numbers are not your friend.

This entry was posted on Monday, June 12th, 2006 at 5:47 pm and is filed under Outside Retort (Current Affairs), The Politics of Sarcasm, Dorky Anecdotes.