The Storm That Rocked Washington, DC
I just finished reading something rather interesting. Today, Dean Barnett -- co-blogger extraordinaire at Hugh Hewitt's site -- posted one of his quirky FAQs on the immigration deal. Let me cite a couple of things that he wrote:
What were the Republicans thinking? Didn’t they know this immigration bill would outrage their base?
In a word, no. The storm occasioned by this dreadful bill has caught Washington completely by surprise. Both Democrats and Republicans have no idea what hot-button issues immigration and securing the border are. Or at least they had no idea until the middle of last week.
Insulation in the Beltway goe a long way with this point. Those in Congress can barely relate to their constituents, let alone have their finger on our pulse. This nation is facing a daunting task with immigration reform, but what is most telling about this draft they concocted is that their idea regarding enforcement and security have turned out to be nothing more than lip service. There are too many loopholes in this bill that can bypass those promises; guarantees that have been emphasized as "triggers" to be met before one aspect of regularization goes into effect.
How could they have been so blind?
... Most congressmen don’t interact with the base as much as bloggers do. They don’t know what you’re thinking. Believe it or not, they thought you would greet the arrival of this immigration bill with unbridled enthusiasm. A certain prickly presidential contender even wagered his campaign on it, which was probably the most foolish gamble any human being made since my last trip to Foxwoods.
Mr. Barnett is correct. They do not interact with the base nearly as much as bloggers do. Thomas and I talk to many people in a week to gauge their reactions to certain things. (This deal, forexample, has many of those in the GOP's base in Mesa, AZ hopping mad.) We can relate better to the people because we are two amongst the "little people" that Congress didains. Yes, they are not fond of us, like it or not, because we too often stick our noses into their business. The "imperial" Congress acted as though they were above the law over the William Jefferson affair, and likewise Trent Lott did himself no good when he lashed out at the PorkBusters. A succinctly as I can possibly say this, Congress would prefer we sit down, shut up, and take what they feed us. They are just as astonished by our reaction as they have been when we have reacted overr other things, such as the war funding.
I would also like to point out, and concur with my husband, when it is said that John McCain is finished. He had little to stand on as it was from the numerous gaffes over the last six years or so. This is the back-breaker. Add up all of his faults, and they blot out his hawkish record on the war like the moon passing in front of the sun for an eclipse. Add those to his blow-up with John Cornyn, and the hand grenade he lobbed at Mitt Romney today, and you have a masterpiece painted of a tragedy. A bitter old man that has undone himself, in view of all those present, and he is blaming everyone but himself.
Does anyone not pulling a paycheck from Capitol Hill like this bill?
I don’t think so. The progressive blogs (or Nutroots, if you will) have been collectively silent on the issue. They have yet to utter a peep on the matter, other than to make fun of John McCain’s temper.
The general public is melting down the phone banks and switchboards on Capitol Hill telling congress to fix this thing or kill it. We are not happy with it at all. We understand, it seems, more about this bill than the Senate does. We have seen the picture-perfect analysis presented by Hugh Hewitt, and his subsequent advice on amendments to the bill.
Congress needs to understand this simple message from the "little people" they would rather ignore: We are not stupid, and we are wiser than you give us credit for. We have seen what you have decided, and it is ugly, and it will be brutal on this nation. It will not stop the problem, nor will it correct the mistakes made.
Marcie
What were the Republicans thinking? Didn’t they know this immigration bill would outrage their base?
In a word, no. The storm occasioned by this dreadful bill has caught Washington completely by surprise. Both Democrats and Republicans have no idea what hot-button issues immigration and securing the border are. Or at least they had no idea until the middle of last week.
Insulation in the Beltway goe a long way with this point. Those in Congress can barely relate to their constituents, let alone have their finger on our pulse. This nation is facing a daunting task with immigration reform, but what is most telling about this draft they concocted is that their idea regarding enforcement and security have turned out to be nothing more than lip service. There are too many loopholes in this bill that can bypass those promises; guarantees that have been emphasized as "triggers" to be met before one aspect of regularization goes into effect.
How could they have been so blind?
... Most congressmen don’t interact with the base as much as bloggers do. They don’t know what you’re thinking. Believe it or not, they thought you would greet the arrival of this immigration bill with unbridled enthusiasm. A certain prickly presidential contender even wagered his campaign on it, which was probably the most foolish gamble any human being made since my last trip to Foxwoods.
Mr. Barnett is correct. They do not interact with the base nearly as much as bloggers do. Thomas and I talk to many people in a week to gauge their reactions to certain things. (This deal, forexample, has many of those in the GOP's base in Mesa, AZ hopping mad.) We can relate better to the people because we are two amongst the "little people" that Congress didains. Yes, they are not fond of us, like it or not, because we too often stick our noses into their business. The "imperial" Congress acted as though they were above the law over the William Jefferson affair, and likewise Trent Lott did himself no good when he lashed out at the PorkBusters. A succinctly as I can possibly say this, Congress would prefer we sit down, shut up, and take what they feed us. They are just as astonished by our reaction as they have been when we have reacted overr other things, such as the war funding.
I would also like to point out, and concur with my husband, when it is said that John McCain is finished. He had little to stand on as it was from the numerous gaffes over the last six years or so. This is the back-breaker. Add up all of his faults, and they blot out his hawkish record on the war like the moon passing in front of the sun for an eclipse. Add those to his blow-up with John Cornyn, and the hand grenade he lobbed at Mitt Romney today, and you have a masterpiece painted of a tragedy. A bitter old man that has undone himself, in view of all those present, and he is blaming everyone but himself.
Does anyone not pulling a paycheck from Capitol Hill like this bill?
I don’t think so. The progressive blogs (or Nutroots, if you will) have been collectively silent on the issue. They have yet to utter a peep on the matter, other than to make fun of John McCain’s temper.
The general public is melting down the phone banks and switchboards on Capitol Hill telling congress to fix this thing or kill it. We are not happy with it at all. We understand, it seems, more about this bill than the Senate does. We have seen the picture-perfect analysis presented by Hugh Hewitt, and his subsequent advice on amendments to the bill.
Congress needs to understand this simple message from the "little people" they would rather ignore: We are not stupid, and we are wiser than you give us credit for. We have seen what you have decided, and it is ugly, and it will be brutal on this nation. It will not stop the problem, nor will it correct the mistakes made.
Marcie
posted by Syd And Vaughn | 5:26 PM
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