Why the Rush, Democrats?

If it seems like congressional liberals are in a rush these days, you're right. They want to shove the national energy tax, health care socialization, and everything else down the throats of America this year. Why? It may be their last chance.

Election years produce little of controversy or value in Congress. This is the "please forget what I did last year and re-elect me" time. Roll up the pork barrel and spread it thick. Try to make people forget just how badly Congress has done on the whole since 2006 when the Democrats came to power along with Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. So try to shove all the crap in before 2009 ends and hope people forget before November of next year.

Congress has some of the lowest approval ratings in the history of polls right now. Senator Arlen Spectre (formerly R, now D, PA) has emerged as the face of Democratic fear. He tried to seize the tide of history by switching to the Democratic Party when they seemed to be in the ascendancy. Now, according to a poll conducted by Franklin and Marshall College and published by the Philadelphia Daily News, only 28% of Pennsylvanians believe he ought to be re-elected. This, remember, is a Democratic state. Only a short time ago, he posted a still anemic 40% re-electability number.

Democrats in Pennsylvania have seen their share of hard times. Like West Virginia, coal provides a substantial part of their total number of jobs and helps their state balance the budget. Proposals coming from Washington will only raise their electric bills and send them out of work, just as in West Virginia.

What will happen to Spectre? Probably his new "friends" will find some up and coming young guy to support in the primary who might have more charisma and less baggage to a fight with Pat Toomey. Just like Robert Byrd, the liberals will use him and toss him aside when they are done milking his name.

The party of the working man trying to put people out of work and raise their bills. The party of compassion tossing aside the elderly like garbage. This does not reflect the ideals of most Democrats, at least in our area. But the actions of liberal leadership have put their party at odds with the needs of their faithful.

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By the way, much appreciation (if this holds up) to the West Virginia congressional delegation which decided to oppose the radical energy policies of Pelosi and Reid. However, the fact remains that so long as Democrats control Congress, we will be subject to radical whims cooked up in san Francisco mansions. We need a Republican Congress to return sanity back to policy making.

Ahem, Waiter, This Is Not What I Ordered

Imagine going to a restaurant one day. You eat there often and like the steak. Every time you go there you order steak and today is no exception. However, instead of a robust, tasty, juicy, tender steak, the waiter calls an audible and brings the tofu and vegetarian platter. He explains that the chef decided that he does not care for steak anymore and this has less fat. You have no choice, the dinner is completely unpalatable to you, but you are forced to eat it anyway. How disgusting!

This is precisely what Arlen Spectre did to a very large number of people. He presented himself as a Republican, part of the majority, called upon and received the support of President Bush to get reelected, and has now switched to the Democratic Party.

Had he done this in 2002 or so, Spectre could present this as a matter of conscience. At this point it looks like nothing more than sheer opportunism. Believe me, he will end up in a position of power in the Senate eventually, after the passage of an appropriate amount of time.

In his last go round, he faced a very difficult primary opponent. Perhaps he fears the infamy of losing a primary as an incumbent. In any case, he now faces the strong possibility of losing in the general. The formidible party network that got him elected will now be used against him.

Changing parties in midterm is fundamentally dishonest. Spectre has to live with his newly won reputation as a turncoat. Best of luck with that.