This is the kind of story that has to drive politicians nuts:
It was a solemn pledge, repeated by Democratic leaders and candidates over and over: If elected to the majority in Congress, Democrats would implement all of the recommendations of the bipartisan commission that examined the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
But with control of Congress now secured, Democratic leaders have decided for now against implementing the one measure that would affect them most directly: a wholesale reorganization of Congress to improve oversight and funding of the nation’s intelligence agencies. Instead, Democratic leaders may create a panel to look at the issue and produce recommendations, according to congressional aides and lawmakers.
Because plans for implementing the commission’s recommendations are still fluid, Democratic officials would not speak for the record. But aides on the House and Senate appropriations, armed services and intelligence committees confirmed this week that a reorganization of Congress would not be part of the package of homeland-security changes up for passage in the “first 100 hours” of the Democratic Congress.
I didn’t vote for the Democrats because I like their agenda, and I am under no illusion that the Demcorats are the party for me. But I intend to at least wait until they take office to start blaming them for things they have or have not done.
Mr Furious
Come on, John. Haven’t you heard? It’s all Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats fault now. Everything…
Zifnab
I can kinda understand why they’d put the brakes on this sort of thing. Heavy reorganization of the governing body in charge of heavy reorganization is messy, and I’m betting they don’t want to get bogged down or try and do some quick and messy DHS-style fix that fixes nothing.
Let’s see if they follow through with the rest of the recommendations. Then we can handle the big one.
Pb
Hmm. I don’t see how this:
Is necessarily inconsistent with this:
That is to say, they aren’t implementing it… yet. Of course, as John Cole mentioned, they aren’t in the majority yet either. There’s just no story here–I guess that’s why it’s on page A07–slow news day? Or just another hack over at the WaPo? Maybe if he keeps it up, one day he can get John Solomon’s job with the AP…
Paul L.
You say that like it is a bad thing.
The dems scream about the Bush Administration and Congressional Republicans Fail to Implement the 9/11 Commission’s Recommendations and it get pointed out that they will not Implement one of the 9/11 Commission’s Recommendation.
So when is a fair time to bring this up?
After the first 100 hours/ 6 months
Krista
I have to laugh, really. The hard-core righties let Bush et all get away with long-term gross incompetence, but start shrieking if the Dems don’t do everything promised within the shortest timeframe known to man, before they even take office. Yeesh…
Bruce Moomaw
Actually, I don’t think it was unfair at all for the Post to run that story right now. It says, after all, that “Democratic leaders” have ALREADY decided that, once the Dems take power, they will take their own sweet time about implementing that important recommendation by the Committee and may never do so — contrary to their repeated promise during the campaign. This story is entirely legitimate, and may in fact be the sharp stick needed to poke the Dems into fulfilling their promise after all.
One can certainly argue, of course, that they shouldn’t jump into reorganizing Congress on such an important subject until a panel HAS decided the best way to do so. But in that case, why didn’t they either simply say in advance that they would do that, or get the panel rolling before the election?
Jay
Hmmm. Sloppy, sensationalistic writing with Democrats instead of celebrities as the subject; non-statements about nothing whipped up into an airy froth, vague accusations of wrong doing…
OK, who let the gossip writers take over the newsroom?
neil
Not that Par R disagrees with what they’re doing, he just wants to bash them over the head with it.
norbizness
I still can’t believe that the Democrats haven’t put forth a comprehensive plan to avert the civil war foretold by prophet Orson Scott Card.
Pb
Maybe the Congressional janitor had their closet reserved.
John D.
Well, at an absolute minimum, after they clear the 109th Congressional business bequeathed to them. I’d grant them the time to implement all the other recommendations as well, and let the effects shake out of that reorganization as well. So, late 2007 will be when I start taking note of their success or failure to implement that particular provisio again.
dreggas
John,
I made a similar point Here.
It seems that everyone expects everything to happen overnight now that the dems are in charge but given that they have yet to be sworn in and the amount of time effective structural reorganization takes it’s no surprise that they are talking about getting a panel together.
After all look at the last recommendation for a reorganization of departments, DHS. That thing is a bloated clusterfuck.
The dems aren’t saying they will not implement this recommendation, they are saying they are going to get a panel, or committee together to get it done, and hopefully done right. Let the wurlitzer spin and let the right eat pie, just by taking these initial steps the dems are doing more than the republicans did.
TenguPhule
It’s a SOP Washington Post hitpiece. Complete with ‘aides’ being quoted, incomplete information, drooling about ‘problems in the Democratic Party’ and people being quoted out of context.
From what I can decipher from in between the GOP semen stains in the article, it sounds like the Democrats are putting priority on what they actually can do first, rather then what pie in the sky people want them to do first.
These ‘reporters’ need to be weaned off of George’s hind tit.
Kimmitt
Clinton Rules are in effect, y’all.
DougJ
How come none of you is talking about that Russian spy who Joe Wilson poisoned with the yellow cake he stole from Niger? That’s the real scandal these days.
Jay
I can just picture the headlines if the Democrats did get bogged down in this business:
Democrats pass the buck on minimum wage increase.
Democrats “reorganize” while war wages in Iraq.
Why can’t Democrats prioritize?
Nancy Pelosi fiddles in Armani suit while Iraq burns.
John D.
Carefully note who is quoted in the article.
If you ask me a question, and I refuse to answer it in any fashion, I can accurately be said to “not speak for the record”. That phrase does not mean that the unnamed Democratic officials (also note: not Congressmen, officials) said that they had decided not to do this. The only people who appear to have said that are “aides on the House and Senate appropriations, armed services and intelligence committees”. Are these aides for the incoming people, or current aides? Can you think of a reason why current aides may wish to give this impression?
I can.
Now, it could very well be that the new ranking members have decided on this course of action, and frankly, I’d support it — for about a year, as long as it gets done by the 110th Congress. I’m merely pointing out that a newspaper can print a story that is literally true in every word, yet totally misleading by omitting key details. Am I saying that the WaPo did this? Of course not. I have no evidence for it. I’m merely saying that “wait and see what they do” is the ONLY course of action that makes a lick of sense. The new Congress has not even been seated — it seems silly to castigate them for unannounced, unproven, and undone events.
KC
Well, to me this proposal doesn’t sound unreasonable. After all, wasn’t one of the issues after Katrina that the Homeland Security Agency was cobbled together from different agencies in a sloppy manner, to the denigration of FEMA? Changes like this need a little thought behind them and none of this means that the Dems aren’t going to act on the recommendation.
Pb
But on the other hand, it wouldn’t surprise me at all. I request that the chair enter into the record Jonathan Weisman’s past history…
scarshapedstar
And they haven’t caught Osama yet, either!
Zifnab
The age-old “Why haven’t Democrats done anything about it?” complaint just goes to reiterate who exactly is the party of responsibile people. Why, it was barely half a Friedman ago when Republicans wanted to know why Pelosi was letting Mark Foley molest pages. And let’s not forget the Republican response to Iraq, “I don’t see the Democrats with a better idea.”
Just expect the complaints to get louder, shriller, and more inane before ’08.
Gregory
And a lonely vigil it must be.
Matt S
The Democratic pledge to implement ALL of the 9/11 Commission recommendations was always going to be dicey because any time you make a promise that sweeping, you’re going to end up hemming and hawing and compromising after awhile.
It’s a bit like the SATs or GREs (dork alert): you’re taught to immediately cross out any reading comprehension answer that uses absolute terms like “all”, “always”, “never”, etc.
Had the Democrats said, “we’re going to do a much better job implementing the 9/11 Commission recommendation than the Republicans did” then nobody would have even noticed this little flap.
Then again, not much of a story yet.
Zifnab
Had the Dems been in any way more precise about when and how they would impliment the reports before the election, Republicans would be all over them about “flip-flopping” and being “not any better than the Republicans”. We live in simple times, when the public apparently can’t swallow more than a three word phrase. I’m amazed the Dems choose to use the word “impliment” in their campaign promises at all. That’s alot of syllabols.
In the past 6 years, my respect for the general American public has dipped considerably. Rove and Co, would have used any ambivolance as a wedge to make the Dems look weak, and America had a high chance of buying it, if ’02 and ’04 were any indication.
If you don’t like being talked to as if you were a child, then stop voting like one.
cleek
did the Dems “pledge” to do this in their ‘first 100 hours’ ?
it would sure be nice if the WaPo could’ve given some actual quotes of Dems pledging to do what everyone says they pledged to do.
Pb
cleek,
Here’s what Pelosi pledged:
Nikolay
Just like they had decided that Hastings will be the Chair of House Intelligence? You know, as reported by Washington Post.
cleek
Pb, thanks.
yup. that’s a pledge alright :)
Andrew
Of course the terrorist-loving MSM is avoiding the real story.
Luckily, there is one man willing to confront the yellow cake threat.
Bombadil
I thought you were going to link to Michael Richards. Hasn’t he been yelling, “Niger, Niger, Niger!” all this time? Someone has to keep it in the forefront.
capelza
Exactly!
Zifnab
Hahaha. That’s so bad, its good.
Steve
This morning I read an article in the local paper about the restaurant on the Upper West Side that was, apparently, the diner featured in all those episodes of Seinfeld. The restaurant is decorated with all these pictures and paraphernalia from the show, and the reason for the news story was that the owner is stubbornly refusing to take down a big picture of Kramer that’s up on the wall. “It’s a picture of a fictional character,” he says, “what do you want from me?” (It doesn’t seem like anyone has actually complained, mind you.)
So here we are, in week two of the Michael Richards saga, with Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton deciding whether they’re ready to accept apologies, and the press demanding that people explain why they’re not taking down pictures off the wall, and so on and so forth.
And it occurs to me, we live in a country where George Bush gets reelected, yet we’ll spare no expense to hold Kramer accountable. Isn’t it great?
Pb
Well, on the plus side, George Allen didn’t get reelected. Maybe the Dubya oppo research guys should have focused less on the TANG story and more on his frat boy antics? What a country.
DougJ
The trouble is that Kramer was shrill. If he had said the racial epithets in a quieter, more politie fashion, then it would be fine. He wouldn’t even have to apologize, IMHO. But it is a thousand times worse for a washed-up comedian to be shrill in a half-empty nightclub than it is for 600,000 people to die in a civil war in Iraq. At least those people are dying quietly, aside from the screams of those who are tortured to death.
Shrillness is the enemy here. As always.
Pb
Nigga, please?
Zifnab
If he could have said them on AM Talk radio while making exaggerated body gestures to a web-cam audiance, and said the guys he offended weren’t really suffering from Parkin… I mean black, he could come back on air and say it again a few more times when only his loyal radio-crew was listening.
But if he’d shown one of his nipples while saying it the FCC would have fined him a cool $350k and all future Laugh Factory performances would be required to have a five second delay and a *bleep* button.
God bless America.
jenniebee
Is there any serious, thinking person who likes the idea of the main legislative body of the most powerful nation in the world deliberating “a wholesale reorganization” of the way it does business in less than 100 hours? Really? Seriously?
And Chris Matthews says it’s the Democrats who aren’t the grown-ups here? Puh-leze.
The Other Steve
I’m incredibly disappointed that we have not already pulled our troops out of Iraq.
It’s been a month since the election, what hte hell have these guys been doing?
Jake
Yeah, those Democrats take forever to do anything. And I’m still waiting for my pony!
The Other Steve
Yeah, what’s up with that?
Where is my frickin pony!?
demimondian
And where is my flying car? We were promised flying cars!
Jake
Thank god, I’m not the only person who remembers that commercial. It has been on my mind a lot since I watched part of Back to the Future II.
Aaron
On November 8, 2006 the American people reorganized the house intelligence committee.
They replaced a dysfunctional apparatus, with a (hopefully) functional one.
I would say “mission accomplished” but the chimperor has drained it of all meaning.
A
Punchy
There goes DougJ, throwing around the N-word again for political gain…