Questions for Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi

[yesthattom]

Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi (highest ranking Democrat in the U.S. House of representatives) was on the Air America Radio's The O'Franken Factor. It was a love-fest. They talked about how baaaad George Bush is, and how Greaaaat the Democrats are. Al was giving her soft-ball questions. I kept hitting "redial" on my phone trying to get my question on the air. If I had gotten on, this is what I would have said:

Nancy! I think you're the greatest! I'm a life-long Democrat and I'm really glad that people are starting to see how incompetant George W. Bush is. I really look forward to 8 years of Kerry. However, I do have some questions about how you, as minority leader of the house, have been running things. As you know, the Republicans have a majority in both houses. They can push through any bill they want if they act as a united front, and they can block any Democratic initiative with only minimal effort. Knowing that...

• Knowing that every Republican bill can pass without a single Democrat "yes" vote why is there a single Democrat "yes" vote? Why aren't Democrats voting as a block against every single Republican bill?
• Why aren't the Democrats trying to veto every Republican bill that passes? Even though you won't have enough votes, it will send a strong message.
• Knowing that every Democrat bill would fail even with 100% of the Democrats voting for it, why aren't you embarrassing the Republicans by introducing popular legislation that Republicans would vote against?
• What about utopian bills that would be great to be able to say that Republicans stopped? Why aren't you pushing a bill to codify Roe v. Wade? a bill to legalize same-sex marriage? To guarantee the right to vote, to public education, to healthcare, to affordable housing? The ERA? To put Martin Luther King Jr's face on the $20 bill? To increase federal public education by 10x? To ban "abstinence-only" sex education? To rename Reagan Airport to the LBJ Airport? To remove tax breaks for right-wing TV televangelists? To add a second and third PBS channel?
• Knowing that the Republicans can and are successfully passing any bill they want, why aren't you attaching rider after rider to their bills to fund programs we like and de-fund programs we don't like? Why aren't you attaching unrelated riders to bills that you know will pass?

In short, Nancy Pelosi why aren't you being a bastard to the Republicans? Were they nice to you during the Clinton years? I think not. Why aren't you fighting for us? When do you plan on getting off your ass? When are you going to realize that we are at war and start treating Republicans as the enmy? Where's your anger? Where is your anger? When are you going to get off your ass and work for us?

Sadly they didn't take my call. So I am posting it here.

Comments

[twicketface.livejournal.com]

I'm glad that the left is getting more airtime, but there's so much "We're great!" going on instead of initiating change. I'm tired of being affiliated with the Party of Not Making Waves.

Just passing through and saw this on my friendsfriends list.

Have you considered a letter to Nancy?

[gerardp.livejournal.com]

I know it's slim consolation and she'll probably be reelected in November, but there are many people pissed off at Nancy here in her home district in San Francisco, the one she is supposedly representing.

[kimuchi.livejournal.com]

I agree with #2,3,4, & 5 but I can't quite agree with #1. I'd rather see an individual Dem rep vote their conscience -- even if it _is_ a yes on a Republican sponsored bill -- than see them vote no for no's sake.

good questions

[wayward-va.livejournal.com]

She should be answering these questions, but let me take a crack.


Knowing that every Republican bill can pass without a single Democrat "yes" vote why is there a single Democrat "yes" vote? Why aren't Democrats voting as a block against every single Republican bill?


Because even a stopped clock is right twice a day. The Democrats need more party discipline but on a few issues I can see allowing what in a parliamentary system would be a 'free vote'. Actually, this would be a good question to ask the Democratic Whip, Steny Hoyer of Maryland. A good question for Nancy Pelosi would be "When are you going to get a real Whip who can enforce party discipline?"


Knowing that every Democrat bill would fail even with 100% of the Democrats voting for it, why aren't you embarrassing the Republicans by introducing popular legislation that Republicans would vote against?


The ability to introduce legislation, or ammend legislation, is dictated by the rules of the House. The Republicans, as majority party, control the rules committee and this is used to silence the minority. The Democrats did it before, so no one is Snow White here.


What about utopian bills that would be great to be able to say that Republicans stopped? Why aren't you pushing a bill to codify Roe v. Wade? a bill to legalize same-sex marriage? To guarantee the right to vote, to public education, to healthcare, to affordable housing? The ERA? To put Martin Luther King Jr's face on the $20 bill? To increase federal public education by 10x? To ban "abstinence-only" sex education? To rename Reagan Airport to the LBJ Airport? To remove tax breaks for right-wing TV televangelists? To add a second and third PBS channel?


You got me. Even if they can't introduce them in the House you'd think they'd be pushing this sort of thing in their stump speeches. It says a lot about how disorganized the Democrats are as a party and how far the debate has been pushed to the right in this country.


Knowing that the Republicans can and are successfully passing any bill they want, why aren't you attaching rider after rider to their bills to fund programs we like and de-fund programs we don't like? Why aren't you attaching unrelated riders to bills that you know will pass?


Rules committee again. The Senate's rules give more rights to the minority which is why you see this sort of thing all the time in the Senate.

IMHO the Democrats still seem to be trying to govern, or at least look like they could govern. The margin is so close in raw numbers. I can see where they wouldn't want to risk potentially being blown out of the water and pushed into long-term minority party status. But they need to take that risk. They need be the loyal opposition. Take the gloves off. Start demanding what you want and not accepting what you can get. Our system is designed to have _two_ parties, not just one, and if we want to stay on this side of authoritarianism we'd better get that second party up and running quickly.

-----wayward

Re: good questions

[yesthattom.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the great reply!