Jack & Jill Politics

This Dog Hunts…The Democrats Aren’t

The last word on the Blagojevich appointment of Roland Burris to the Senate.  From the AP:

WASHINGTON – Senate Democratic leaders plan to grant few if any privileges next week to Roland Burris, the man picked by Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich to represent the state in the Senate, even if Burris arrives on Capitol Hill with the proper credentials.

So…you’re going to keep out a reliable Democratic vote, but Joe Lieberman is still slithering around on the Senate floor like the snake he is, after campaigning for your party leader’s OPPONENT.

That Dog is not Hunting and refuses to set up the victim for the kill.

Annnd…this same chamber gave standing ovations to one of their colleagues who was tried and convicted of bribery and corruption.  And why was he afforded that honor? {cue crickets chirping}

What does Joe Lieberman, Ted Stevens, David Vitter, Larry Craig, Mark Foley have in common (besides being Republicans and one fake Democrat/Independent who may as well turn Republican)?

Well, for one thing, none of them were thrown out of the Senate or stripped of committee assignments after campaigning against the party leader; being caught on the books of the DC Madam; caught IMing young boys on the Congressional computers; being caught trolling for gay sex in the men’s bathroom at Minneapolis-St.Paul International Airport, and being tried and convicted for corruption and bribery.

All of them committed offenses that should have stripped them of their committee assignments, and rendered them as ineffective as they are doing to Roland Burris.  All their malfeasences were ignored or excused by Senate Leadership.  All, with the exception of Mark Foley, faced no penalities, no punishments – NOTHING.  Foley was allowed to resign his seat and enter alcohol rehab – but he was never charged with lewd and lascivious behavior with the Congressional interns and pages under age 18.

Don’t make me spell out the answer.  Because it shouldn’t be about race, but I swear, the establishment always has a way of making it EXACTLY about race – regardless of whether or not the person is African-American, Latino, Asian, Native American or women.  Although in all fairness, if the race card isn’t played by a few of US, I would be happy to have watched this scenario play itself out.

And now, suddenly Illinois has decided they want to impeach Blagojevich.  A day late and a whole lot of dollars short.  When he was arrested, I wondered why impeachment proceedings weren’t initiated THEN.  And the Senate is backing down after selling wolf tickets about how they were going to block Burris’ appointment.  All they will do is make him ineffective, and if that’s the case, the Senate starts looking worse off than they did when they hollered they weren’t going to seat anyone appointed by Blagojevich.

Meanwhile, some CBC members have me LOLing at the fact they are now trying to challenge somebody to do shyt, when we begged them to stand firm against Nancy Pelosi on shyt like the Bankruptcy Bill and FISA, and they caved in like runaway slaves:

Race is a prominent force in the dispute. Rep. Donald Payne, D-N.J., said he called Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada and Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., and “made it abundantly clear that we felt that they should reconsider.”

No luck, Payne reported on Friday.

“I have heard no one say that they felt that he is not qualified,” Payne said. Race would not be a factor, he added, were there black members of the Senate. “There is a legitimate opportunity to have the Senate at least start to look a teeny bit like America.”

For once, I wish the CBC would show cajones like this on things that really matter.  Not that Burris’ appointment doesn’t matter, but it appears to me like they’re spending political capital that could be best spent elsewhere.

Oh, yeah, if anyone should be sympathetic to Roland Burris, it should be Big-Time Bob Menendez.  After all, when he was appointed to his Senate seat when Jon Corzine retired to run for Governor of New Jersey, he was in a bit of a shytstorm himself:

The background for the election campaign between New Jersey Senate candidates Tom Kean Jr. and Bob Menendez began in 2004, when first-term Senator Jon Corzine was elected governor, and named Congressman Bob Menendez of Hudson County as his successor. Menendez, a Democrat comes from a Democratic Party background that has been tainted by corruption allegations, but at the same time committed to defending immigrants’ rights, abortion rights, and a timeline on withdrawal from Iraq. His opponent, Tom Kean Jr. has been described by opponents as being too supportive of President Bush in the war on terrorism, abortion restrictions, and privatization of social security.

So why wasn’t Reid’s knickers in a twist about Menendez at the time of his appointment to the Senate?  Reid was fighting and defending the Menendez pick against the Majority Leader, Bill Frist – who was questioning Menendez’ qualifications and credibility in assuming that seat.  Reid needed as many Democratic Senators to at least look like he was putting up fights until he became the Majority Leader.

I mean, even though Menendez was eventually cleared of the charges and allegations, they were hanging over his head when Corzine named him as his successor.  The only difference between Corzine and Blagojevich is that Corzine wasn’t under a Federal investigation; yet Corzine, just like Blagojevich, discharged his gubernatorial duties by naming Menendez to replace him, thereby making Menendez the second or third Latino in the Senate.

It really shouldn’t be about race/ethnicity/gender/sexual identity, but most of the time, it is.   And, yeah, I’m screaming about the Double Standard coming into play here, because politics is fraught with Double Standards as it is – yet now I’m wondering what if Blagojevich had appointed a white female like Jan Schakowsky, a known progressive?

I’m thinking she would catch as much grief as Burris is, but not because she’s white and female.

She’s PROGRESSIVE.  And believe it or not, there are some Democrats that whine and complain, but in reality, they are perfectly content to collect a check for three days’ work week and sling their title like the American Express Card, while doing absolutely jack shyt about governance and representing their districts and states’ best interests.  There are some Democrats that are as wingnutty and conservative as their Republican colleagues – they are known as Blue Dog Democrats, and are just as worse as a Republican, because they infect the Democratic party with the foolishness of school vouchers, repealling affirmative action, civil rights and liberties, and argue for tax cuts for the wealthy.

It shouldn’t be about race/ethnicity/gender/sexual identity, or even ideology when it comes to obeying and adhering to the LAW, rules and regulations.  It should be about something more, like real honest, transparent governance and adherence to established law and precedent, regardless of one’s race or political party affiliation/ideology.  Congress plays these games and yet wonders why both chambers of Congress why they’re sitting at an approval rating lower than Dubya’s?