You know, I was never a fan of George W. Bush. I’ll even go so far as to say I didn’t like him. But I always knew that if I was patient, in either 4 or 8 years he would be relegated to the history books.
The one thing I never felt during the Bush administration, however, was fear. That cold, visceral fear that starts in the pit of your stomach and seeps into your bones like the painful, arthritic portent of a thunderstorm. Well, ok, just like every American I felt that fear on 9/11 but it faded soon enough and, until January 20, 2009, it never came back.
It never came back because even though I didn’t like George W. Bush, I still had great faith in this country. I knew that I could count on the Constitutional fact that even this man I did not like and others in Congress would do everything possible to insure our safety, and that eventually our freedoms would provide the opportunity to change what I saw as one set of numbnuts for one perhaps less so.
I watched Barack Hussein Obama in the final days of the 2008 presidential election and I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that what I was seeing was something wicked, if not something downright evil. This was not just the proverbial wolf in sheep’s clothing politician, no; this was like the deadly suicide bomb in the backpack of an innocent-looking youngster as they wander with seeming aimlessness into a crowded marketplace. A pretty face hiding death to those who may not agree with the fanatical ideology hidden behind the deliberately wide-eyed expression.
Today, as our country spirals out of debt and out of control and the media licks Obama’s jackboots instead of reporting facts or investigating allegations, that potent, portending fear has settled back in and now become a constant companion. With nothing coming from Obama but continuing campaign rhetoric, things continue to grow worse. Congress continues on its hell-bent path to destroy every shred of free enterprise and all those promises of “transparency” – along with all the other oh-so-important “words” – continue to mean nothing for there are no actions backing them up. As just one example, what happened to 5 days of public review and comment on “non-emergency” legislation? Just which one of these pieces of legislation signed by President Obama so far was a true emergency?
1. [111st] H.J.RES.38 : Making further continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2009, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Obey, David R. [WI-7] (introduced 3/6/2009) Cosponsors (None)
Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 111-6
——————————————————————————–
2. [111st] H.R.1 : Making supplemental appropriations for job preservation and creation, infrastructure investment, energy efficiency and science, assistance to the unemployed, and State and local fiscal stabilization, for fiscal year ending September 30, 2009, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Obey, David R. [WI-7] (introduced 1/26/2009) Cosponsors (9)
Committees: House Appropriations; House Budget
Latest Conference Report: 111-16 (in Congressional Record H1307-1516)
Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 111-5
——————————————————————————–
3. [111st] H.R.2 : To amend title XXI of the Social Security Act to extend and improve the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Pallone, Frank, Jr. [NJ-6] (introduced 1/13/2009) Cosponsors (43)
Committees: House Energy and Commerce; House Ways and Means; House Education and Labor
Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 111-3
——————————————————————————–
4. [111st] H.R.146 : An act to designate certain land as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System, to authorize certain programs and activities in the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Holt, Rush D. [NJ-12] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (10)
Committees: House Natural Resources
Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 111-11
Note: Omnibus land bill.
——————————————————————————–
5. [111st] H.R.586 : To direct the Librarian of Congress and the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution to carry out a joint project at the Library of Congress and the National Museum of African American History and Culture to collect video and audio recordings of personal histories and testimonials of individuals who participated in the Civil Rights movement, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep McCarthy, Carolyn [NY-4] (introduced 1/15/2009) Cosponsors (4)
Committees: House Administration
Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 111-19
——————————————————————————–
6. [111st] H.R.1105 : Making omnibus appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2009, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Obey, David R. [WI-7] (introduced 2/23/2009) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: House Appropriations; House Budget
Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 111-8
Note: An explanatory statement was submitted by Mr. Obey, Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations “as if it were a joint explanatory statement of a committee of conference.” It appears in two 2/23/2009 Congressional Record documents on pages: H1653-H2088 and H2089-H2599. See also the House Appropriations committee print.
——————————————————————————–
7. [111st] H.R.1127 : To extend certain immigration programs.
Sponsor: Rep Lofgren, Zoe [CA-16] (introduced 2/23/2009) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: House Judiciary
Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 111-9
——————————————————————————–
8. [111st] H.R.1388 : A bill entitled “The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, an Act to reauthorize and reform the national service laws.”
Sponsor: Rep McCarthy, Carolyn [NY-4] (introduced 3/9/2009) Cosponsors (37)
Committees: House Education and Labor
House Reports: 111-37
Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 111-13
——————————————————————————–
9. [111st] H.R.1512 : To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend the funding and expenditure authority of the Airport and Airway Trust Fund, to amend title 49, United States Code, to extend authorizations for the airport improvement program, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Rangel, Charles B. [NY-15] (introduced 3/16/2009) Cosponsors (5)
Committees: House Transportation and Infrastructure; House Ways and Means
Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 111-12
——————————————————————————–
10. [111st] H.R.1541 : To provide for an additional temporary extension of programs under the Small Business Act and the Small Business Investment Act of 1958, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Velazquez, Nydia M. [NY-12] (introduced 3/17/2009) Cosponsors (3)
Committees: House Small Business
Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 111-10
——————————————————————————–
11. [111st] H.R.1626 : To make technical amendments to laws containing time periods affecting judicial proceedings.
Sponsor: Rep Johnson, Henry C. “Hank,” Jr. [GA-4] (introduced 3/19/2009) Cosponsors (3)
Committees: House Judiciary; House Energy and Commerce
Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 111-16
——————————————————————————–
12. [111st] S.J.RES.3 : A joint resolution ensuring that the compensation and other emoluments attached to the office of Secretary of the Interior are those which were in effect on January 1, 2005.
Sponsor: Sen Reid, Harry [NV] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (None)
Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 111-1
——————————————————————————–
13. [111st] S.J.RES.8 : A joint resolution providing for the appointment of David M. Rubenstein as a citizen regent of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor: Sen Leahy, Patrick J. [VT] (introduced 2/10/2009) Cosponsors (2)
Committees: Senate Rules and Administration; House Administration
Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 111-17
——————————————————————————–
14. [111st] S.39 : A bill to repeal section 10(f) of Public Law 93-531, commonly known as the “Bennett Freeze”.
Sponsor: Sen McCain, John [AZ] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (1)
Committees: Senate Indian Affairs; House Natural Resources
Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 111-18
——————————————————————————–
15. [111st] S.181 : A bill to amend title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, and to modify the operation of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, to clarify that a discriminatory compensation decision or other practice that is unlawful under such Acts occurs each time compensation is paid pursuant to the discriminatory compensation decision or other practice, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Mikulski, Barbara A. [MD] (introduced 1/8/2009) Cosponsors (54)
Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 111-2
——————————————————————————–
16. [111st] S.234 : A bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 2105 East Cook Street in Springfield, Illinois, as the “Colonel John H. Wilson, Jr. Post Office Building”.
Sponsor: Sen Durbin, Richard [IL] (introduced 1/14/2009) Cosponsors (1)
Committees: Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 111-7
——————————————————————————–
17. [111st] S.352 : A bill to postpone the DTV transition date.
Sponsor: Sen Rockefeller, John D., IV [WV] (introduced 1/29/2009) Cosponsors (10)
Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 111-4
——————————————————————————–
18. [111st] S.383 : A bill to amend the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (division A of Public Law 110-343) to provide the Special Inspector General with additional authorities and responsibilities, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen McCaskill, Claire [MO] (introduced 2/4/2009) Cosponsors (9)
Committees: House Financial Services; House Oversight and Government Reform
House Reports: 111-41 Part 1
Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 111-15
——————————————————————————–
19. [111st] S.386 : An Act to improve enforcement of mortgage fraud, securities and commodities fraud, financial institution fraud, and other frauds related to Federal assistance and relief programs, for the recovery of funds lost to these frauds, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Leahy, Patrick J. [VT] (introduced 2/5/2009) Cosponsors (27)
Committees: Senate Judiciary
Senate Reports: 111-10
Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 111-21
——————————————————————————–
20. [111st] S.454 : A bill to improve the organization and procedures of the Department of Defense for the acquisition of major weapon systems, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Levin, Carl [MI] (introduced 2/23/2009) Cosponsors (14)
Committees: Senate Armed Services
Latest Conference Report: 111-124 (in Congressional Record H5795-5805)
Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 111-23
——————————————————————————–
21. [111st] S.520 : A bill to designate the United States courthouse under construction at 327 South Church Street, Rockford, Illinois, as the “Stanley J. Roszkowski United States Courthouse”.
Sponsor: Sen Durbin, Richard [IL] (introduced 3/3/2009) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: House Transportation and Infrastructure
Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 111-14
——————————————————————————–
22. [111st] S.735 : A bill to ensure States receive adoption incentive payments for fiscal year 2008 in accordance with the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008.
Sponsor: Sen Baucus, Max [MT] (introduced 3/30/2009) Cosponsors (1)
Committees: Senate Finance; House Ways and Means
Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 111-20
——————————————————————————–
23. [111st] S.896 : A bill to prevent mortgage foreclosures and enhance mortgage credit availability.
Sponsor: Sen Dodd, Christopher J. [CT] (introduced 4/24/2009) Cosponsors (2)
Latest Major Action: Became Public Law No: 111-22
It’s so out of control that the AP is reporting that Rhode Island State Democrat Rod Driver has said he’ll donate $100 to charity for every second former President George W. Bush withstands waterboarding. He also made the same offer to former Vice President Dick Cheney and ex-Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
While it can now be legitimately argued that he is overpaid, this begs the question: is Rod Driver nuts, stupid, or, like Florida Representative Alan Grayson, is he just that rude, crude, and socially unacceptable? In either case, is he truly representative of the people of Rhode Island who elected him to represent them to the rest of the country, to the rest of the world? I asked this same question about Henry Waxman and a few others the other day and it has dawned on me that perhaps cap & trade is necessary after all. Cap the idiotic blatherings of both Congress and the administration, and then promptly trade in every last one of them for a normal, rationally-functioning American. Because surely there is something poisonous wafting through the corridors of Congress – how else does one explain the sheer insanity of racing to legislate so much fascism in such a short amount of time? How else does one explain the White House creating its own media outlet and locking out journalists and reporters from covering what is, by all accounts, a rather innocuous “photo-op” event? How can one explain the most recent blatant, flat-out lies of Nancy Pelosi about the CIA and her shameful, crony-backed stonewalling at yesterday’s press conference? (Not to mention that her daughter was allowed to film it with equipment banned for normal media reporters.)
I could go on and on; indeed, I do so on a regular basis right here in this blog. And I am grateful to the core that I may speak my thoughts and my opinions, that I may voice my perceptions of reality freely. It is often cathartic yet, unlike my frustrations during the Bush administration, the relief is short-lived. Truly, we have sold out our country to the hounds of hell when we voted in the current administration (actually it was not “we” but “thee” who voted them in because I cast my ballots otherwise) and as the lips never stop moving in that teleprompted sing-song lullaby cadence of only one more lie after another, as the coverups grow more blatant yet no one is willing to step up to the journalist plate as during those infamous days leading up to Watergate (ACORN would be a great starting point), my constant companion pokes me in the ribs and I shiver with a cold, cold fear.
Will we survive this “man-made disaster”? Despite the fear, most of the time I believe it is possible. As do others. Other conservative voices continue to speak out with the soothing tones of reason (not to be confused with the majority of currently-seated Republicans, for what should be clear by now is that there is a great and deep chasm between being conservative and being Republican, which today is little more than being a “Democrat Lite”); there are a handful who actually have proper, Constitutionally-based plans to root out this cancer as it threatens to metasticize, in spite of most of the media ignoring this completely or dismissing it, as they did the tax day Tea Parties, as apparently not being “newsworthy” if they cannot attach a crude, sexual joke to their reporting of it.
But it promises to be a hard, ugly fight.
And so I think I actually miss George W. Bush.