#454, April 30 , 2007
COLUMBUS: Things are coming to a head, ready to reach a dramatic climax.
I’m not talking about American Idol; rather the tug-of-war between Congress and the President over Iraq. Congress passed a bill to give ’em money to come home on. The President wants the same money, but to keep ’em over there till they win.
President Bush might fool ’em and sign it. Not only sign it, but say to Senator Reid and Speaker Pelosi , “You want the troops home tomorrow? Fine. We’ll give you the honor of going over there to break the news, in person, to Al-Qaeda and the Sunnis, Syrians and Iranians.”
Of course it won’t happen. Republicans want to end the war, but not on a date picked by Democrats. And Democrats don’t want to wave a white flag unless a Republican is holding it.
So after the veto, the war of words will continue in Washington. But the only vetoes these birds in Congress are scared of is the ones back home.
Historic quotes from Will Rogers:
“A President just can’t make much showing against (Congress). They just lay awake nights thinking up things to be against the President on.” WA #430, March 22, 1931
“Isn’t the Presidency higher than Senator? Why, no. The Senate can make a sucker out of the President â and generally does.” Article on the 1920 Republican National Convention, June 8, 1920
(Exactly 75 years ago, a racially-tinged murder trial involving a U.S. Navy seaman and a native Hawaiian led to this commentary…)
“Well, about all you can see in the papers is Honolulu. The whole thing just proves that the islands haven’t got any use for the navy and the mainland.
Course I guess I am all wet, but I never have seen any reason why us, or any other nation, should hold under subjection of any kind any islands or country outside of our own. We say we have to have it to protect the Pacific. Why don’t we have to have the Azores to protect the Atlantic?
We are going to get into a war some day either over Honolulu or the Philippines.
Let’s all come home and let every nation ride its own surfboard, play its own eukaleles and commit their devilment on their own race.
Yours for remaining on the home grounds.” DT #1800, May 1, 1932