The Election Nightmare
I say nightmare because as a Republican the results of the 11/7/06 were totally preventable. The republicans have done a lot over the last 12 years, unfortunately what they have not done is keep the house in order, at all levels. All thought the Iraq war is, was and still is a huge marketing nightmare it is a situation which must be resolved. President Bush should have dumped Rumsfeld 18 months ago. At least this would have shown that he is open too and willing to accept change. When many of the senior officers within the Pentagon and on the field call for a change in strategy you must listen and make the appropriate adjustments. When the war is brought to you live everyday by the liberal media (Yes, I am bias to the media I mean how many times are you going to show the same house blown up nad the same child holding a doll) you have to adjust.
The Mark Foley was totally horrible in that it was a he said, he said. Who knew what, when did they know it and why was nothing done about it. One thing is certain Mark Foley was doing this longer than 12 years ago, but it came to light during the current Administration and the current Congress and neither took aggressive action to bring swift accountability and correct the situation, by censure or expulsion.
At the local level the mud from both sides was thicker and more of it than I have ever seen in my political life. There has to be a better way to run an election, there is a total waste of money by all concerned. Thus I have recommendation; of course it would never be implemented because of the monies at stake, who gets what and when. How about this:
1. Those running in a Primary election cannot send out literature, make unsolicited phone calls, have cable or radio spots 6 weeks before the Primary election date.
2. Those running in the General election cannot send out literature, make unsolicited phone calls
have cable or radio spots 8 weeks before the General election date.
3. If you are running at the local level, Council, Mayor your budget cannot exceed 10 times the amount of your pay. (25K)
3. If you are running at the County level your budget cannot exceed 15 times the amount of your pay. (525K)
4. If you are running at the State level your budget cannot exceed 20 times the amount of your pay. (1.5 Mil)
5. If you are running for President you cannot exceed 50 times the amount of your pay.
(25 Mil)
There is only one down fall to the above. If adopted the politico's would increase their pay proportionately to pay for their elections.
I do look forward to 2008, becasue I really don't see any front runner's from either party. Too bad I'm prohibited from running because of the HATCH ACT. I'd make one phone call to Tony Soprano and have him put in the fix. (.25 cents)
posted by Pacman @ 3:26 PM
2 Comments:
As a republican I agree with many of the things you say here. However, I disagree with the Rumsfeld replacement for one big reason. He was trying to change the way the pentagon fights.
Rumsfeld is more in tune with the 4th generation warfare, (apparently women and children first) but the pentagon is determined to maintain a cold-war mindset. Rumsfeld did the things he needed to do to try to make the changes in the procurement process and in the very way the military mindset operates. Witness the complete stupidity by the general when those four contractors were killed in Falluja, he sent the army in and arrested 10,000 people. This was bad because the population was incensed over the insurgent actions and were going after the insurgents themselves till the army arrived and started terrorizing the neighborhood. In the USA, the civilians control the military, not the other way around, remember Kent State, those soldiers followed orders like they are supposed to do.
That being said about Rumsfeld, the president fired him at the wrong time anyway.
As far as the Foley, Abramoff, Ney, Cunningham and so-on scandals, I'm fairly convinced that the whole thing could have been weathered if the president hadn't held his party up as the moral choice. In this case, many people from the religious circles were upset at the apparent hypocracy.
The good news is that after the democrats take over, and don't accomplish very much, the republicans look better again. It is hard to look good for long because they only print and talk about mistakes.
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