I think bad news is worse on a busy workday (having a lot more of those lately…time for a new job, one in which my office-monkeying is strictly ceremonial, and my schedule actually consists of nothing but surfing the internets and playing free cell). I have precious little time to engage with the outside world, and when that engagement consists of getting depressed, it’s just that much harder to make it through the day.
I bring this up because of the news that the Senate has rejected, almost precisely along party lines, a Democrat initiative to begin exploring the morass of corruption and toadyism that is the state of military contracts in Iraq reconstruction.
What surprises me a little, in a bad way, is that this isn’t about hiding who stole what from which taxpayer for how long – which would be unpleasant enough – it’s about making sure those damn dirty Democrats get that we’re not setting no goddamn timetable for getting out of Iraq. And unsurprisingly, the mainstream Dems have responded by rolling over and admitting that they don’t really want “out,” they just want to make sure that someone is thinking about getting out sometime ever.
Which calls to mind something Ezra Klein posted yesterday about the Democrats’ new agenda:
Make Health Care More Affordable: Fix the prescription drug program by putting people ahead of drug companies and HMO’s, eliminating wasteful subsidies, negotiating lower drug prices and ensuring the program works for all seniors; invest in stem cell and other medical research.
Lower Gas Prices and Achieve Energy Independence: Crack down on price gouging; eliminate billions in subsidies for oil and gas companies and use the savings to provide consumer relief and develop American alternatives, including biofuels; promote energy efficient technology.
Help Working Families: Raise the minimum wage; repeal tax giveaways that encourage companies to move jobs overseas.
Cut College Costs: Make college tuition deductible from taxes; expand Pell grants and slash student loan costs.
Ensure Dignified Retirement: Prevent the privatization of Social Security; expand savings incentives; and ensure pension fairness.
Require Fiscal Responsibility: Restore the budget discipline of the 1990s that helped eliminate deficits and spur record economic growth.
Like most of his commenters, I believe that the agenda is lacking in both substance and aggresive flair, and I just want to make sure everyone notices the lack of anything related to the war. Any war.
With an opposition party like this, who needs friends?