A fundamental problem in Congress’s ability to lead
Without straying too far from our environmental theme, the behavior seen in the House of Representatives today is a perfect example of the pettiness, partisanship, and incompetence currently running throughout our government. Regardless of why our financial system got into the current crisis (read: greed by bank executives and private citizens, as well as a failure of regulation), economic experts all believe that a wide scale government bailout is necessary to prevent a crash of our financial institutions and economy.
So, we have identified a problem, as well as a painful, yet necessary solution.
Enter Congress. Instead of coming together to vote in favor of what is currently the best proposal on the table, (which was developed as a result of marathon negotiations between all the parties involved) Congress failed to pass the legislation, thereby sparking a drop in the Dow of 778 points, or nearly 7%.
Some of the more shining moments seen on the House floor today included: Rep Paul Broun (R), Georgia, in describing the bill as “a huge cow patty with a piece of marshmallow stuck in the middle of it,” made sure to add that, he is “not going to eat [it].”
And Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R), Michigan, in proudly defending our very way of life, noted, “And it was no mistake that, during the 1917 Bolshevik revolution, the slogan was, ‘Peace, land, and bread.’ Today, you are being asked to choose between bread and freedom.”
Unfortunately, children and misguided ideologues were not the only politicians on the House floor today. Speaker Nancy Pelosi made sure to poke the Republicans in the eye by making a sharply partisan speech just before the vote on the bill. Regardless of the lack of maturity seen by Republicans who may have voted against the bill due to Pelosi’s statements, her partisan comments could easily have been saved for after the vote and were instead gratuitous and unnecessarily provocative. Additionally, it is no inconsequential fact that all of the House is up for re-election this November.
It is evident that both parties and their leaders are responsible for the mess today, and can now add their names to the ignominious list of people responsible for the worsening financial crisis.
It does not take much of a stretch to draw an analogy between Congress’s failure today and our government’s inability to act properly with our current energy crisis. The responsibility for our addiction to oil runs throughout our society, from our leaders, to corporate executives, to ourselves as citizens. Yet the environmental and national security danger resulting from our over consumption of oil is clear, and the solution is apparent. Yet, instead of coming together to put forward a comprehensive and meaningful solution, our “leaders” continue to play petty politics and consequently threaten the continued health and prosperity of our country and the planet.
It is quite disconcerting to see that Congress’s inability to effectively lead is quickly becoming the rule instead of the exception.
- Similar Posts:
- Bailout includes pork and goodies like tax breaks for dirty energy
- Detroit’s protector, Rep. Dingell, being challenged for his chairmanship
- While wind and energy credits stall, automakers seek $25 billion in loans
Comments
Please contribute to the discussion by leaving a comment below. No need to agree with the post or other commenters, but please be constructive and respectful.
