By Jerry Burke
For those of you keeping score at home, the Republican Party has had control of both houses of Congress, the presidency and a slight edge on most issues in the Supreme Court for the past four years. On Election Day, its margins in Congress widened, and the president won a majority of the vote.
And what have the Republicans done with such awesome power? Have they stuck to their smaller-government guns and slashed wasteful spending? Have they pushed through tough anti-terrorism laws to prevent another Sept. 11? Have they finally removed the stink of Clinton's "evil" from the halls of power?
Well, not exactly. But last week, they did manage to work out a couple of things just in time to head back home and enjoy a safe and happy Thanksgiving with their families.
First, they passed a $388 billion must-pass spending bill, setting aside funds for foreign aid, energy and ... a presidential yacht. Hey, if you're going to spend more than 40 percent of your presidency on vacation, you might as well float a bit.
OK, well, they almost, kind of passed that bill. Turns out there was a single sentence in the 3,000-page pork-filled bill that said something about the chairmen of the appropriations committees and their staff assistants being able to examine the individual income tax returns of anyone they want.
So while the Republicans search for "some staffer" who "slipped [the line] into the bill," let's see what else your government did before the break. Well! Looks like our national debt ceiling was lifted another $800 billion. Just in time for the holidays! There's nothing worse than shopping at Macy's and being told the $7.384 trillion limit on your credit card has been reached.
Ah, a rule change! Looks like that silly 1994 law designed by the GOP to strip (rightfully so, I might add) Democrat Dan Rostenkowski of his leadership positions in the House after he was indicted on corruption charges is no more! I mean, with thrice-rebuked Republican House Majority Leader Tom DeLay about to face the same charges, we certainly can't judge him by the same standards as everyone else, can we?
But unfortunately, with such a busy schedule, there was one bill the majority just couldn't get together on. While you're slurping your cranberry sauce Thursday night, don't forget to raise a glass to the 126 days that have passed since the 9/11 Commission's recommendations were made.
In that time, our leaders have managed to implement none of them. Now, before you reach for your liberal-bashing mallet, look elsewhere for a scapegoat. Turns out that GOP leaders are assigning blame to the Pentagon and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld for the bill's demise. Seems Rummy doesn't want to cede budget control of his super-secret "intelligence" agencies to the commission-recommended national intelligence chief.
Thanks, you turkeys! For all your election-season talk about protecting the American people from "inevitable" terrorist attacks, you sure have given me a warm feeling in my heart this holiday season. I just can't tell if it's heartburn or the sheer awe of your collective incompetence eating away at my common sense.
Comments? JBurke@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 234.
