A SOLUTION TO HIGH DISAPPROVAL RATINGS FOR CONGRESS-- REMOVE STENY HOYER AS LEADER

Pledging allegiance to their corporate donors

With Bush's approval ratings around 20%, Republicans always point to Congress' being even lower. And although "Congress" is a kind of unfocussed entity in the minds of many and easy to disapprove of, it is interesting that a new Fox poll shows that Democrats disapprove of Congress more strongly than Republicans do! (23% of Republicans say Congress is doing a good job and only 18% of Democrats agree.) Many Democrats are especially angry that whenever the House passes much needed legislation, a band of Republican extremists in the Senate, lead by Mitch McConnell, can block it, something that has become a weekly-- if not a daily-- occurrence.

Another reason Democrats disapprove so strongly of a Congress led by their own party may have something to do with headlines like this. There may be more Democrats that want to defend the Constitution than rape it but because a corrupt, sleazy scumbag like Hoyer is the Majority Leader and in cahoots with Bush and the Republicans, Democrats in general get associated with this kind of betrayal. Yesterday and earlier this morning, posts here included representative quotes from Democrats in the House, in the Senate and from candidates strongly opposing Hoyer's sell-out. But unless he is removed as Majority Leader, it all looks like... a game.

Republicans are on the floor of the House praising the Hoyer-Bush bill to tamper with the Constitution. Jay Inslee (D-WA) just reminded them that "July 4, 1776 was pre-9/11." I don't quite know if I understand where Nancy Pelosi is on this outrageous bill, but I suppose we'll be finding out this afternoon when every Democratic member of the House has to go on record as either a defender of the Constitution or... someone like Bush and Hoyer.

Many North Carolina Democrats have had their spirits buoyed in recent days as they saw Larry Kissell's polling numbers overtake those of rubber stamp Republican incumbent Robin Hayes. Hayes, of course, is for warrantless wiretaps against American citizens and Hayes wants to reward his criminal campaign donors with retroactive immunity. Kissell, an American history teacher, is fundamentally appalled by this approach. Larry: "The Fourth Amendment doesn't exclude lobbyists. The 'right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures' means George Bush and the other Washington politicians can't grant immunity to law breakers no matter how much they give to campaigns." And Larry has made it clear that the problem in Washington is Washington politicians-- on both sides of the aisle. More representatives like Larry will go a long way towards making those congressional approval ratings rise.