Democrats: Govern with Humility
At no other time in my adult life have Democrats controlled the White House and both the U.S. House and the Senate, the former with a massive majority. When Pres. Bush was in office, he enjoyed Republican control of both the House and Senate, and Republicans overplayed their cards, particularly in overstepping in the Terry Schiavo case and in pushing through Iraq War legislation. Democrats should pursue progressive policies but also work with Republicans on key bills. Pres. Obama should include Republicans in foreign and domestic policy talks, and Republican leaders should be seriously consulted on major bills in congress. Democrats must govern with humility and truly not be hyperpartisan, as their predecessors were.
Chris Christie's Shameful Actions as U.S. Attorney for New Jersey
Do you, reader, know who Chris Christie is? He's a former Bush-Cheney "pioneer," that is, someone who raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for that uber-conservative presidential team. And now he's the Republican dream candidate for governor against Jon Corzine in 2009.
His tenure as U.S. Attorney has garnered praise (and deservedly so) for his role in convicting corrupt politicians, mostly Democrats such as Sharpe James and Wayne Bryant. But Christie abused the office of U.S. Attorney when he awarded a
no-bid contract to former Bush Attorney General John Ashcroft. Unfortunately, Christie, who was supposed to be nonpartisan
as U.S. Attorney, also used his office to further the Republican agenda, whether it is his attendance at Republican events or his endorsements of Republican candidates; he also participated in a
controversial college t.v. show that the college in question wouldn't air because it was too partisan.
Christie got his position as U.S. Attorney because of his fundraising for Bush-Cheney, not because of his merits, which is the definition of quid-pro-quo. He also went after Democratic politicians, including a subpoena to Bob Menendez shortly before the 2006 senate election, that never amounted to anything. Christie has abused the office of U.S. attorney and should not be lauded as some type of "reformer" or ethics-minded politician.
