White House
The Final Result, as of November 8th, 2006
Nancy Richardson -- 04:38 pm Pacific Time -- Nov 8, 2006 -- #2059 of 2254
I was thinking about when things began to look like they were within the realm of possibility ... and how people coped with trying not to get their hopes up too high.
As someone who knows what it is like to spend most of my life wanting something really badly, and then having it snatched from me as soon as it seemed possible ... and I am talking about everything from finally meeting the "the guy" or finally getting "the job" or even having a much wanted pregnancy go south, losing isn't a crime ... and getting what you want brings new problems. (I am now bracing for the infighting which will come when Democrats will be Democrats.)
Getting what you want and have worked and hoped for for years is a double-edged sword, because you can never rest ... and the fight continues.
But for now, I am very content ... stunned, but content ... and trying to figure out what I am going to do next, because in my own life there are a few chapters closing, and a lot of things to make decisions about ... like where to go next.
purplesage -- 05:18 am Pacific Time -- Nov 9, 2006 -- #2225 of 2257
After a day of celebration yesterday, I'm still really happy today, but it feels just a bit different.
I feel like I would if a distant relative died and left me the inheritance of a house I had always dreamed of owning (instead of leaving it to the creepy cousin who had been living there for the past 10 years). I feel wonderful. But I also realize that the creepy cousin has not taken care of the house and there are plumbing leaks, peeling paint, and even structural damage to deal with now. I'm anxious to go in and start the repairs, but the cousin still has a crazy tenant in the attic who will be there for two more years, and he can spoil my new paint job by getting his grubby fingerprints all over it. Well, at least all of us now have a shot to minimize the upcoming damage and start some repairs. Overall, a good feeling. But a bit of anxiety as well. There's been lots of damage, and some of it will not be easy to fix.
Politics
What Should The New Congress Do?
Insert Name Here -- 09:32 am Pacific Time -- Nov 9, 2006 -- #12 of 12
The new Congress should hold hearings on Iraq expenditures, pre-Iraq intelligence, body armor, detainee treatment, secret prisons, and wiretapping.
I think America deserves to know what is really going on in these areas, and I think that the president needs to work with Congress to fix the things that are broken.
The new Congress mustn't be afraid of the veto. That's not to say they shouldn't be judicious with their power, and seek bipartisan support whenever it's possible, but they have to not be afraid to pass legislation that they know the American people want, and that the president doesn't approve of.
Like John McCain learned, if you let the president threaten to veto a bill that most Americans believe in (like one that seeks to stop torture) you make a villain out of him and a hero out of yourself.
So let the president veto stem cell research, let him veto healthcare for all children, let him veto middle-class tax cuts, and the restoration of bankruptcy rights. He'll be driving the nails into his own coffin, and his party's as well.
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