Letters to the Editor
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Partisan politics as usual
Today I listened to the debates from the Senate re. the bipartisan immigration bill. Some 100 ammendments are up for consideration. Most of the senators who spoke including McCain and Specter, spoke glowingly of the bill and it's bipartisan birth. Respect and congratulations were circulating the hall in a spirit of amicablity.
Then Mr. Frist spoke. He said there was alot of partisan politics going around today and coming mostly from the "other side of the aisle". He said if an up/down vote were taken, the bill would lose, but the "other side" wouldn't allow an up/down vote. He was probably pushing for it so his own bill could come under consideration. The "other side of the aisle" was mentioned at the beginning, middle, or end of at least every other sentence. Then he accused the "other side" for not taking faster action in bringing the ammendments up for a swift vote.
I was struck with how quickly the mood could change back to partisan politics as usual and how shallow it seemed. We've been through six years of partisan politics. Many Republicans up for re-election are distancing themselves from Bush and taking a more moderate stand on issues.
The Christians are quiet having been embarressed time and again with the ultra-extreme views of leaders such as Robertson and Fallwell. It's as if the train ride to the White House that swept them all up on a cloud of glory, has gone farther than they intended. Do they really want to end abortion for rape or abuse victims, or to save the mother? Do they really want to give up contraception?
The good but incompetent Dr. Frist, has proven that he is ill-equiped for his position. But maybe he does less damage in the Senate than he'd do practising medicine.