Idaho Mountain Express: Democratic deadweights Pelosi, Reid must go

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Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Democratic deadweights Pelosi, Reid must go

By PAT MURPHY

The first act of congressional Democrats after the November elections—regardless of who wins the presidency—should be to dump House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

Failures is too charitable a description of their lifeless tenures. They're embarrassments to the institution and their party.

Pelosi is the worst. She assumed leadership of the House Democratic majority waving the gavel of authority, vigorously vowing to rule as the first U.S. female speaker with the iron hand of a stern grandmother of seven.

Instead, she's been a perpetual no-show, scarce as hen's teeth when President Bush and Vice President Cheney and their acolytes ran roughshod over the Constitution and blew off empty Democratic complaints. Pelosi decided if she played nice with Bush, and promised he need not worry about impeachment, he and the Republican minority would return the favor. Instead, Bush implemented ruthless policies—torture of detainees, illegal wiretaps, corruption of the Justice department—while Pelosi dropped out of sight.

On occasions when she appeared, properly color-coordinated in her splendid wardrobe, Pelosi whined that she was helpless to oppose the Bush-Cheney machine because Democrats lacked a super majority. She repeated meaningless rote—phrases such as "this is unacceptable" or "this cannot stand." The White House snickered and continued trampling over Congress.

Watching her last Sunday on ABC's "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" was painful proof she's just not up to the speaker's job. Her answers were a tasteless mixture of stumbling, fumbling and pure uncertainty. Her schoolgirl yearbook smile was no help.

Despite GOP obstructionism, a Democratic speaker could've used verve and dogged determination to inspire Democrats and Republicans to honor the public trust and oppose Bush when required and stand courageously tall while fighting losing battles, something that thrills Americans and draws respect.

Reid? Pathetic. He assumed his post without any expectations and lived up to them grandly. Lacking energy, eloquence, conviction and believability, Sen. Reid is an aging hanger-on who was appointed as an honorarium, not for any hopes of dynamic leadership.

Culprits in this debacle are Democratic members of the Senate and House who named them and tolerate their dreary stewardship while the Bush White House makes fools of the Pelosi-Reid majorities.

If McCain wins in November, Pelosi and Reid would be no match for a White House stuffed with brass-knuckled Bush-Cheney holdovers.

And if Obama wins, Pelosi and Reid would hardly be the ones to overcome Republican opposition and push through an Obama agenda.

Replacing most of Congress—now approved by only 14 percent of voters—would also help.

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The comments below are from the readers of mtexpress.com and in no way represent the views of Express Publishing Inc.

Mike – Omaha

08/10/08 - 18:18

Ok Comrade liberals. Pay attention. When a subject is broaches, for instance, John Edwards affairs: That has nothing to do with McCain divorcing an ex wife.
Try to stick to the subject at hand and Not attack OR compare to someone else.
I realize this tactic is in the Liberal/Socialist handbook, but try to reason thru this. Please.

Thanks.

Reply to Mike

Pat

08/11/08 - 10:58

So McCain's past behavior doesn't matter???
Why's he get a pass?
He's the one who'll do or say anything to get elected.
The McCain of 2000 wouldn't even vote for the 2008 version.
From voting against Bush's tax-cuts for the wealthy to wanting to make them permanent or sucking up to the religious right he used to call agents of intolerance, he's had more flip-flops than a Chinese sandal factory.

Mike – Omaha

08/08/08 - 15:52

Ah Mr. Murphy. Cant wait to see your comments about John Edwards and his pulling a Bill Clinton? I didnt do it?? I did do it but..........??
Libs should love this. Sex doesnt matter right? Affairs outside of the wife doesnt matter. Personal life should be seperate from professional life right?
yeah sure. Past behavior is a great indicator of future behavior.

Reply to Mike

you know who

08/08/08 - 19:55

Mike, obviously don't know much, make that anything, about McSame's marital history.
Then start throwing stones.

Reply to Mike

Pat

08/09/08 - 12:43

Mike, you never heard how, following her car wreck and subsequent surgeries, McCain dumped his first wife?
Then 5 minutes after his divorce was final he married Cruella...and her money.
Maybe you should turn off Faux News and check it out.

Mike – Omaha

08/08/08 - 09:55

Dont own guys Ryan. Only brains.
Its always doom and gloom with Liberals. Country isnt broken. Its never been perfect or even close, even for the first days. But the rest of the world certainly looks to, envies America. Its the greatest there is. One of the only true free countries on earth. You worry or obsess about the wrong things.
the Left is taking away personal freedoms ALL in the name of personal freedoms. That is something you should worry about.
Liberalism doesnt solve problems. They find more problems. IE: The Great Society. That didnt work out did it. 30 TRILLION dollars later and poverty still is greater than it was. Throwing money at the issue isnt the only answer to solve, and thats clear now.
We wont even mention attacks from the left. Its always FEELING, I FEEL, instead of THINKING.
and yep, if America is so TERRIBLE, as you say, then try Canada. Mexico, Somewhere. Give props to the USA, instead of attack.

Reply to Mike

Ryan – SV via PDX

08/08/08 - 16:13

That's quite the freudian slip, Mike. You own guys? You a Ted Haggart supporter? The left hasn't taken away any of my personal freedoms, it's the RIGHT that has screwed things over. Trillions in debt, a fake war, using executive privilege to commit crimes. Screwing over your wife is one thing, but screwing over AN ENTIRE COUNTRY is another.

This money you're talking about wasn't used to make things better in this country, genius. It was used to make oil companies richer and fund a completely wrong war.

Mike, please, for the love of all things holy, do yourself a favor and watch something other than Fox News and go buy a Howard Zinn book. You might learn something. Your arguement is so weak that you base open minded thinking and rejection to the current status quo as liberalism. Your false sense of patriotism is laughable.

Mike – Omaha

08/07/08 - 14:59

Ahhhhhhh Mr. Obamas latest comment is a classic showing of Liberalism.

A 7 year old girl asks Mr. Obama why he wants to run for President.
Mr. Obama answers.....Because I want America to be what is used to be.

So hes saying AGAIN and AGAIN and ONCE MORE that he doesnt like his country, that its broken and needs fixed and in his arrogance, HES the one to fix it.

So my question is this. If the USA is such a bad place, why are the libs still living here? Why havent they left with the Baldwins and the Penns of the world??

Of all things to say to a 7 yr old. That America sucks. Very classy and very stupid.
His mental disorder is a very very bad thing.

Reply to Mike

Ryan – SV via PDX

08/07/08 - 18:08

Mike,

Wake up, America is broken. 2/3 of us are over weight, moronic evangelicals who have no idea that they're rights are constantly being violated by the regime that is currently in place. One could say that liberals are more inclined to solve problems and more patriotic than your average, uneducated red-state suck face, as you seem to be a prime specimen, Mike. LET'S BUY GUNS AT WAL-MART!!!

Dissent is the highest form of patriotism. I love this country like crazy, but it's full of baby-brains. People here are completely disconnected from means of production, how their food is prepared and practically brainwashed by the media. This country is in a huge state of decline, and if you can't see it, you might as well off yourself.

I know you live in Omaha, Mike, but you don't have to fit the stigma that Mid-Westerners are tards. You're not helping the cause, you're part of the problem. I know you're just going to retort, "If you don't like it, why don't you move!?" Derrrrrrrrrr...

Pat

08/07/08 - 12:54

The right-wing hate in the comments below is staggering.
Tim you sound like the very people who murdered Daniel Pearl...and you don't even see it!
I feel sorry for you guys.

Reply to Pat

concerned citizen – ketchum, id

08/08/08 - 22:11

u have a lot more hate than anyone who posts here . and u represent this newspaper!!!!!! u should be ashamed of yourself for promoting divisivness.

Reply to Pat

Pat

08/09/08 - 13:35

Don't hurt yourself, but you think there might be more than one Pat in the Wood River Valley...or on the Internet?
Again, read comments below, especially Tim McFall's.
Don't waterboard me for saying this, but I've never read anything like that from Mr. Murphy.
He's a much smarter, better person than the people making those kind of posts.
And, yeah, I still feel sorry for you guys!

Ryan – SV via PDX

08/06/08 - 16:13

Wow, watch Fox News much, people?

Mike – Omaha

08/06/08 - 09:51

May the Lord help us and our country. Especially after reading this trash.
Glad the rest of the common sense conservative thinkers have appeared on the scene of this man from the Express who tries in vain to pass off his mental disordered thinking.

Robert Eubanks

08/06/08 - 04:24

Forrest Gump always seemed to come up with the best possible outcomes even though he had the IQ of a moron. That was pre-ordained as that story came from a well written script. While the stated outcome from this opinion is admirable, the reasoning based on liberal spew is appalling. Forrest had a script to assure his outcome, this author only had the chance that even a blind squirrel will find a nut every now and then.

Russ

08/06/08 - 04:11

Wow, you hooked me with the title but lost me after the second sentence. Intellect is obviously lost in the basis of this article, even though its stated, desired, result would benefit all. You liberals really are a funny lot aren't you?

KPD – Holywood, FL

08/06/08 - 01:11

Gawd you liberals are such infantile hacks. You get it right about the Reid and Pelosi, then you hurl baseless slanders instead of substantive arguments over Bush and Cheney and the GOP. Faux intellectual rubbish.

BTW you forgot to call Bush's mom a big fat whore and Cheney's mom ugly.

Schoolyard girls fight with more intellect and verve than the aging hippie malcontent that penned this article.

Reply to KPD

Mr. Jones

08/17/08 - 22:46

Dude, you ain't wired right, go back to hollywood Ca. Then you can live with schoolyard girls and get owned!

Tim McFall

08/05/08 - 23:59

I agree they should be dumped, but not for the same reasons as you give forth. Like you they are anti-American leftist communists that instead of walking around free should be swinging from a limb of one of the trees that surround the capitol. Because of communists like you who have forced your warped leftist views there are 10's of millions more dead than in any war perpetrated by conservatives. If it wasn't for Bush you ignoramus, you probably would have been dead by now because you care more for the enemies of America than you do for the American people. I wait gleefully for the day when traitors like you are brought to justice for your crimes and are hung for your crimes against humanity. My one wish is that you receive the same 'respect' than Daniel Pearl received from his 'freedom fighter' captors. you deserve it.

Tim McFall

08/05/08 - 23:52

I agree they should be dumped, but not for the same reasons as you give forth. Like you they are anti-American leftist communists that instead of walking around free should be swinging from rope from a limb of one of the trees that surround the capitol. Because of communists like you who have forced your warped leftist views there are 10's of millions more dead than in any war perpetrated by conservatives. If it wasn't for Bush you ignoramus, you probably would have been dead by now because you care more for the enemies of America than you do for the American people. I wait gleefully for the day when traitors like you are brought to justice for your crimes and arer hung for your crimes against humanity

Reply to Tim McFall

Real American

08/11/08 - 21:50

Threats of violence from right...again.
Think like me or else?
Tim, take your meds, please!

Reply to Tim McFall

Mr. Jones

08/17/08 - 22:41

Tim Mcfall, I know you usually throw back a 12 then you write down all of your really immature comments. Try just a six pack, Never mind! you fake irish!

Think About it now while you finish off the next six.

InsuranceTeaseDOTcom

08/05/08 - 23:21

Nancy has demonstrated a certain amount of acumen, in that she didn't wish to appear to eager to jump into the Oval office, and thereby the hot seat, for being the one to facilitate the ousting of shrubby boy and his puppeteer Cheney.

Well enough is enough. Sac the criminals or be taken down with them! What will it be Nancy? Or do you want to be associated with them for all history?

Interesting choice. I don't envy you, but I do expect you to do the right thing. Though I don't know why, you haven't thus far.