The Democratic Party Is On Probation!

November 09-2006:

TO:
talktohugh@aol.com
Links:
http://my.opera.com/BringBaka/
http://360.yahoo.com/derryck_sylvester
http://internationalpoliticalissues.blogspot.com/


The Democratic Party Is On Probation:

The winds of change have blown away the Republican control of the House & Senate. But the White House is still in the hands of a Republican president, who still has veto powers, and is responsible for all foreign policies.
So what are we expecting in the next two years from the Democratic majority in the House and Senate to achieve?
Mind you, the war in Iraq & Afghanistan is still in progress. The war on terrorism as espoused by George W. Bush is still the administration's principal agenda. And the national concern for the deaths and injuries of thousands of US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, is still a crucial concern on the minds of all rational thinking Americans.

However, the Democrats have promised to bring back "Civility and Democracy" to the administration in Washington. And to set the stage for some major concerns that they (the Democrats) have to bring to the fore. But at the same time, the American people chose to give the Democratic Party the chance to make things right. Or at least set the stage for making things right in terms of strategy, resource deployment, and eventual withdrawal of our armed forces from Iraq and Afghanistan.
This mandate was endorsed by constituents from both political camps in a Real & Big way!

There are those who feel that proceedings to IMPEACH George W. Bush, Vice President Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, and other suspects, under the suspicion of complicity for torture, and other acts against humanity, in a time of war. This view to my mind is unhealthy, and irrational at this time, because it could (if acted upon at this time), may create a climate of national division, and a crisis of political management. And remember, that the Commander In Chief of the US armed forces is the sitting president. So to make moves in the aforementioned direction, would create a void of responsibility for the overseeing and management of those who are entrusted to conduct these wars.

Furthermore, if such action is pursued by the Democrats, this may very well impede the benefits and political support they have currently received. And may further impede them from getting the necessary support and votes across the board in the elections of 2008! Even though such concerns may have validity, this may not be the time politically, to move in that direction just yet. What is vitally needed in both houses currently, is for them to engage in bi-partisan co-operation on bills and policies that would appease the commonweal, in those areas that are considered crucial to national development and re-conciliation.
For example, the Minimum Wage question, the Immigration issues, the Healthcare issues, the Border Security and Policing issues, National Security, Individual Privacy, Freedom of the Internet, and Disaster Pre-paredness considerations.
Furthermore, we now have a female Speaker of the House Of Representatives.
* How will she be received by the Republicans?
* How much influence could she induce unilaterally, on bills that promotes the democratic agenda, and who or what gets her attention and priority?
These will be the concerns of Republicans in Congress and the Senate in the next two years left to them, before the 2008 national elections!

Finally, I sincerely hope that The White House administration willingly allows access to the Democrats, on issues that they may not necessarily agree upon. But accommodates compromises, and the sharing of responsibilities and accountability on both sides. For after all, both parties are accountable to the American electorate.

Derryck S. Griffith.
Educator-Advocate & Blogger.
New York City.