Democrats swore up and down in the recent election campaign that one of the first things they would do if they took control of Congress would be to adopt all 41 of the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. Now, according to the Washington Post, they've said they won't undertake the most important of those recommendations -- an overhaul of Congress designed to improve oversight of security issues.
"Of all our recommendations, strengthening congressional oversight may be among the most difficult and important," the commission wrote. "So long as oversight is governed by current congressional rules and resolutions, we believe the American people will not get the security they want and need."
But such an overhaul, enlarging the role of intelligence committees in the House and Senate, would come at the expense of powerful members of the armed services and defense appropriations panels in both houses. In other words, security is trumped by turf fights.
So instead of fulfilling their campaign pledge for reorganization, the Democrats want to study the idea some more. Let the backtracking begin...
Robert Reich points out in his blog that another major test in the "first 100 hours" will be to see if the Democrats follow through in their promise to end the ban on Medicare using their immense bargaining power to negotiate lower prices for prescription drugs. The big drug companies have one of the most powerful lobbies in D.C., so that will be another test of principle vs. politics.
When the GOP swept into power in 1994, I was optimistic that they would keep their promises to conduct government business in a more ethical and open manner than the previous Democratic majority. As we saw, however, it wasn't long before they caught up with, and in some ways surpassed the old regime in corruption. I'm not quite as optimistic this time around (a little older and more cynical, maybe), but I'm still keeping my fingers crossed.
I guess it is too much to hope that the politicians of both parties will give up their turf. Incredibly sad, and a miserable commentary on our democracy. There seems to be something in the air in D.C. that infects these people with delusions of grandeur, and isolates them from the rest of the country and reality.
Give them a chance to get into office, then be cynical.
what this country needs, is some glasnost,... and a whole lotta peristroyka!..i reserve the right to be cynical every day,Rich