Operation Cleansweep got some press today and yesterday in the Post-Gazette. I was also happy to note that Jay Costa, the senator for many eastern suburbs and parts of Eastern Pittsburgh, has a couple rivals for the Democrat ticket.
Power to the People! 🙂
I tuned into a program that talks to state lawmakers and discusses various issues they’re debating. It’s interesting, because it’s so easy to forget that there are people intensely focused on the needs of a single city or county. But while I conceptually like the program, I was dismayed to see how much they talked about party politics. When they talked about a spending bill or initiative with bipartisan support, it’d always be couched in the form of, "This issue is so obvious that even that party is willing to look at what we’ve proposed," as if people were shocked–shocked! I say–that the two parties could agree on legislation.
To stop myself from rolling my eyes, I began replacing that party with "Hitler." The show became much more entertaining when I imagined them saying, "I’m working on a spending bill that will cut 50 million from this program. That’s a savings we need so desperately that even Hitler will support it!" Because really, that’s what it sounded like they wanted to say.
I’m pretty sure most people want to pass good, sound legislation. Can’t we do that without all the partisan bickering, especially when the parties agree for once?
These floors are dirty as hell and Dignan’s not going to take it any more!….er…Actually, he’s sick of his psycho representative, Cynthia “Don’t you know who I am?!?” McKinney, and is intent on getting her out of Congress, even if it means running for office himself.
I must confess that what little I know about McKinney came from news reports about her kurfuffle with police. Politics aside, I admire a fella who decides to light a candle instead of cursing the darkness. Government shouldn’t be like the weather – something much discussed but ultimately beyond our powers to control. More citizens should get involved with their government, if only locally.
Hmm…that’s good advice. Maybe the physician should heal himself…
Apparently, Dick Cheney isn’t the only politician who thinks he’s a rock star.
Via the Natural Family Planning Discussion Board, here's a classic example of the general public's ignorance regarding NFP:
"How long is the Legislature of Nebraska going to do the bidding of the Vatican as expressed by the paid lobbyist of the Roman Catholic Church — Greg Schleppenbach — and the mouthpiece of the same church, Sen. Mike Foley?"
"He was supposedly elected to represent the best interests of the citizens, not the agenda of the Roman Catholic Church. His latest bill shows where his loyalties really lie — not for women but for his church. He is against any form of birth control. He would have women have babies who do not have the resources to care for them."
"If a woman does not have the financial resources to take care of a child, then the state must help with food stamps, welfare, Medicaid and a host of other services. Are the citizens of Nebraska compelled to support the agenda of the Roman Catholic Church as put forward by Foley and Schleppenbach?"
"Natural family planning does not have a successful track record. Birth control and condom use are far more effective. The state should be subsidizing those methods in the search to cut state expenditures."
"Sen. Ernie Chambers is the only person who always stands between Nebraska and the domination of our lives as dictated by the Vatican."
"If the rest of the Catholic legislators want domination of the Vatican over Nebraskans, then back Foley and Schleppenbach. If you think that one religious belief system should not be dominant in state law and practices, then send Foley and his Roman Catholic agenda to the wastebasket."
Ruth C. Snyder, Lincoln
I feel as though I can almost hear this woman snearing.