Too Much Democracy?

The latest wacky idea to emerge from the Tea Monkeys is repeal of the 17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. To refresh your memory the 17th Amendment changed the way U.S. Senators are selected to office. Prior to the 17th Amendment U.S. Senators were chosen by state legislators and not a vote of the people.

Why this? Why now? Some folks believe repeal of the 17th Amendment would weaken the stranglehold of the special interest. As if corporations and labor unions don’t wield any influence at the state level. Others believe that repeal would lead to a more conservative Senate which would block things like stimulus packages and healthcare reform. Someone with my political leanings might view this as yet another attempt by the tea movement to deny voting rights to minorities and the working class. Remember this is the same crowd that cheered Tom Tancredo’s suggestion of brining back “Jim Crow Era” voting restrictions.

So what would this change mean for America? Right now Democrats control 27 state legislatures, republicans dominate in 14 with 8 state houses divided. In Nebraska the legislature is technically non partisan. Assuming an even split between the 8 divided states that would give democrats a 62-38 majority or filibuster proof plus 2. 5 of the 8 states with divided legislatures have democratic governors which could boost the democratic majority to 64. Under the pre 17th Amendment system there would be no Scott Brown, Chuck Grassely or Mitch McConnell. It is likely that there would be no traitor Joe Lieberman as well. The bottom line is that the U.S. Congress would be getting more things done. There would be public option health insurance. Instead of begging the Germans and Chinese to share their “green technologies” the U.S. might be leading the way. Who knows? We might have federal regulators who actually do their jobs instead of spending their days viewing porn on the internets.

Annie Get Your Gun

On April 19th gun enthusiast from all across the country descended on Washington DC to celebrate the lives and times of Timothy McVeigh and David Koresh. For our younger readers McVeigh and Koresh were mass murders who committed their acts of terror one year apart on April 19. One would think that an event celebrating the virtues of the second amendment would be held on March 19th Wyatt Erp’s birthday or on any other day not associated with white radical Christian terror. Imagine the outcry if Muslims assembled for a gathering in NYC on September 11th. It wouldn’t matter what the gathering was about the mere coincidence would be enough to cause Rudy Giuliani’s head to explode.

Party like it's 1859

On April 15th in Boise and other cities across this nation there will be a series of anti-America rallies a.k.a. “tea parties.” Allegedly these gatherings will consist of folks opposed to taxes, spending and big government. In Boise the tea monkeys will assemble in a public park paid for by taxes. The monkeys will then march down streets and sidewalks escorted by police officers all paid for by…anyone…Bueller… taxes. Marchers will then descend on the steps of the Idaho Capitol, a facility built, remodeled and maintained with tax dollars. Oh and let’s not forget that this rally will take place on April 15th, a Thursday, a day when a majority of us who pay taxes will be working. Or to put it another way, the majority of the tea marchers will consist of the unemployed and retirees. Chances are that one of those misspelled “Obama is a Marksist” signs will have been paid for with the proceeds from a government check and carried by someone with a Medicare card in their pocket.

A Tale of Two Cities

Two stories on the evening news highlighted the danger of ignoring history.  The first was a story about an African American U.S. Park Ranger by the name of Spirit Trickey-Rowan who leads tours at the Little Rock Central Historical landmark. On September 24, 1957 Spirit's mom, Minnijean Brown was one of nine students escorted by troops from 101st Airborne past angry mobs and a defiant governor into the building, fulfilling a court order to desegregate the school.

The second story came out of Nashville Tennessee, home to the national tea party convention.  Addressing delegates Grand Wizard Tom Tancreto declared that Obama was elected because "...we do not have a civics, literacy test before people can vote in this country." A reference to a practice used in the old south to keep black folks from voting. 

Maybe I shouldn't get too upset.  Slap a science question or two on that test and watch the democrats pick up 98 seats in the senate. But I have to remind myself about a failed Austrian painter who was initially  looked upon as clown but went on to become chancellor of Germany.