Wednesday, November 3, 2010

All Over But the (Please No More) Shouting


Okay, the mid-term election is mostly finished except in a few tight races. I don't have much to say about it except these observations.
  • People in my district returned someone to Congress who sees himself as an heir to Ted Kennedy. A wealthy man, who purports to speak for the poor. Very big on social programs (with much fanfare and press), very small on accountability for them.
  • The candidate who opposed him was so opaque as to be scary. So my choice was between the devil I knew and the potential devil I didn't. Or a write-in.
  • Interestingly, the people who who have gritched and moaned about the incumbent apparently don't care enough to get out and vote for something different. I feel like John the Baptist sometimes (lonely voice crying in the wilderness)
  • The following statement applies to ALL political parties:  I DETEST when a sitting President goes out to campaign for the party that he purports to lead. Once elected, a President represents ALL the people and while he pursues the agenda he feels he needs to do, any actual campaigning for individuals really offends me. It bothered me when either Bush did it, Clinton did it and Obama did it.
  • Article II of the Constitution States the President's Duties:
The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States; he may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any Subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices, and he shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.

He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law: but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments.

The President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session.

  • I don't see anything in there about "continues to lead the political party that placed him in office."
  • I would be so happy to find ANY candidate who can be gracious in victory as well as defeat. I'm hearing a lot of crowing from both sides. That sows the seeds for future ugliness.
Okay, that's all for now on this.  My kids have been out of school for 2 days, and NaNoWriMo is in full swing. I woke up this morning in a panic thinking I needed to post for Microfiction Monday...heh, heh...I have since realized it is Wednesday.

Back to NaNoWriMo.  Word Tally at present: 6666


3 comments:

Mary said...

1. I love that word "gritched". I may have to steal it!
2. It bothers me a bunch when the President hits the campaign trail for his party. Who's running the country?
3. We had a similar situation near here with 2 candidates for the House: Lots of mudslinging in that one. One was accused of voting liberally, the other was accused of hitting his ex wife then putting a gun in his mouth. (The latter one won.)
4. Today is "Monday" for me, too...only 3 work days this week! LOVE IT!

quilly said...

Wow, the elections really did stress you out1 I only misplaced one day. you shorted out on a full half-week!

It bothers me when the president campaigns, too. I remember how shocked I was when Clinton did it. It somehow felt like betrayal.

DM said...

One must remember George Washington's 1796 Farewell Address when he said,
“However [political parties] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion.” Old George was prophetic. Those guys with the wigs were so correct and like all children we ignore the advice of our parents until it's sometimes too late.