The ‘Do Nothing’ Democrats In Congress
October 17, 2007, 10:12pm
When Democrats were in the congressional minority in 2006, they trotted out the familiar “do nothing” label to attack the Republican-led Congress and President Bush. Now Democrats control Congress and the label is on the other partisan lapel.
Bush didn’t actually use the phrase “do nothing” in a press conference today, but he certainly embraced the spirit of that slam that dates all the way back to the days of President Harry S Truman after World War II.
“We’re now more than halfway through October, and the new leaders in Congress have had more than nine months to get things done for the American people,” Bush said. “Unfortunately, they haven’t managed to pass many important bills. Now the clock is winding down, and in some key areas, Congress is just getting started.”
He criticized Democrats for failing to craft a bill on the State Children’s Health Insurance Program acceptable to him, for its resistance to his ideas on conducting anti-terrorism surveillance without warrants, and for failing to send Bush any of the annual appropriations bills to sign before the beginning of fiscal 2008 on Oct. 1. Other complaints covered housing, trade, veterans affairs and judicial nominations.
Bush further chastised Congress for voting on a “counterproductive” resolution to condemn the long-defunct Ottoman Empire for the mass killings of Armenians beginning in 1915.
See the full transcript of Bush’s question-and-answer session with reporters here, or listen to the audio of the press conference.
Categories: Podcast of the Week, White House, Health, Terrorism, Law & Judiciary, Budget, Trade, Foreign Affairs, History, Veterans Affairs, Intelligence, Children
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