When you’re the 419th 401st most powerful member of the House of Representatives, chances at the national limelight are few and far between. You must carefully weigh which, of the many pressing issues facing the body politic, you can expend your limited political capital advocating for. You don’t get many chances to shine; you gotta make ’em count.
So it’s sorta fascinating, in a gruesome car wreck kind of way, to see Rep. Dave Reichert (“Conscience Driven Independent™”-WA) in the pages of The Hill’s Congress Blog on Friday, taking a bold stance against the impeachment of President Bush:
As one of the nine Republicans crossing party lines yesterday on the vote moving Rep. Dennis Kucinich’s impeachment resolution to the Judiciary Committee, I cast my vote not to hold hearings, but to move the bill off the House Floor so the House could focus on more important issues….
There are less than 30 legislative days left in the Congressional calendar. And this is what we are voting on? No wonder the country has lost faith in Congress. There are so many things that we need to take action on and impeachment votes that are guaranteed not to pass is not one of them.
Now, it’s pretty hard to argue with the assertion that members of the House of Representatives should, you know, do stuff. Although a reasonable observer might add that, with fewer than 30 legislative days left in his fourth year of Congressional service, Sheriff Dave has thus selected as good a time as any to start. Had he actually started to do anything.
Plus, to be sure, no matter how many high crimes and misdemeanors the Bush cabal has committed — and they are undoubtably legion — genuine impeachment, based on a full accounting of those crimes, at this point isn’t even physically possible; Republicans and Democrats alike have so run the clock out on Bush’s second term without mounting any sort of serious investigation of their crimes that at this point none could be conducted in time. Politically, it’s preposterous to think it could or would happen anyway. Neither party’s leadership is interested in turning over that rock.
So why is Reichert wasting his time writing about it?
More to the point, why is Reichert wasting his miniscule influence defending a widely reviled administration he’s supposed to be independent of? (Except for fundraisers.) (And his voting record.) And why does he think it’s a waste of time to investigate some of the crimes that have helped create those crises (illegal wars, soaring energy costs, an economy crippled by deregulated and corrupt financial dealings) he’s failed to help address for four years?
And if crimes leading to multiple crises crippling the country aren’t worth tying up the House’s time, why did his party think impeachment over lying about a blow job was worth bringing Congress to a full stop for over a year?
You’d almost think Reichert was using a meaningless vote to try to score exactly the sort of cheap political points he was allegedly deploring, on behalf of an administration he is allegedly independent of. But then, that’s exactly the sort of expediency-driven political hackery we’ve come to expect from the Seattle Times’ favorite “moderate.”
Rubberstamp Reichert was born 2 generations too late. He would have made a superb candidate for the Reichstag, circa 1936.
I think everyone will be surprised at how badly Big Hair gets beaten this time.
Why Work For A Cheap Labor Conservative?
Here’s what cheap labor conservatives do to their employees:
1. Get free work by making them work off the clock.
2. Get more free work by deleting hours from their time records.
3. Bully, abuse, and intimidate them.
4. Get them to work harder by promising raises and promotions that never materialize.
5. Fire anyone who even thinks of joining a union.
6. Make each employee do the work of 2 people.
7. Constantly increase workloads and speed up production.
8. Get even more free work by giving them so much work they have to work during their breaks to keep up.
9. Don’t provide safety training or equipment.
10. If a worker gets injured on the job, blame the worker and contest his workers’ comp benefits.
11. Change shifts and hours without notice.
12. Lay people off without notice.
13. As soon as someone has worked long enough to qualify for company benefits, lay him off and replace him with a new hire.
14. Did I say make them work off the clock?
15. Make them pay for their own uniforms, equipment, training, and charge them exorbitant parking and locker fees.
16. Fire anyone who talks to a state or federal labor law investigator.
17. Discriminate against everyone so you can’t be accused of singling anyone out for discrimination.
18. In case I forgot to mention it, make them work off the clock.
Why would anyone work for these sons-of-bitches? I don’t! You don’t have to, either. Just go to your Fairy Godmother and ask her to change you into a rabbit so you can live in a hole and dine on grass, which costs nothing! That’s what I did. Now I’m financially independent and don’t have to work anymore. No one else should do any work, either.
Reichert is a traitor, and anyone who votes for him is a traitor too.
If you get caught smoking a joint in your own home, the government will confiscate your home.
I think if an employer gets caught violating labor laws, the government should confiscate his business.
What’s good for the goose, is good for the gander.
In some companies, if you sign a union card, managers will plant drugs in your locker then call police and have you arrested and charged with a crime.
Why should anyone let himself or herself be abused like that, simply for wanting better pay and working conditions? No one has to work for a company like that. The entire community should boycott their hiring office and boycott their stores so they’ll go out of business.
Some employers treat shoplifters better than their employees.
Why should we buy anything from companies that send jobs abroad? Screw ’em! If they give our jobs to foreigners, we should give our business to foreign companies.
Now we have two HA Happy Hooligan ignoramouses pulling their puds over The Darcy. Pathetic, and happy spanking. 8==)
(P.S. There’s a shiney discarded beer can on the side of the road about halfway thru the 520 Darcy is mesmerized by and curious about.)
GEE SPEAKING OF WRECKS WONDER HOW THE LAW SUIT AGAINST HER IS GOING.JUST ASKIN
PU @ 10
Is that the one filed by Loan Luehrs in King County Superior Court No. 08-2-06920-6SEA against Darcy Burner? Looks like it got SETTLED out of court, and was dismissed accordingly on April 23, 2008:
Court: King Co Superior Ct
Case Number: 08-2-06920-6
Sub Docket Date Docket Code Docket Description Misc Info
1 02-25-2008 SMCMP Summons & Complaint
2 02-25-2008 *ORSCS
JDG0042 Set Case Schedule
Judge Christopher A Washington, 08-10-2009ST
3 02-25-2008 CICS
LOCS Case Information Cover Sheet
Original Location – Seattle
4 03-07-2008 AFSR Affidavit/dclr/cert Of Service
5 03-11-2008 NTAPR Notice Of Appearance /defs
6 03-20-2008 CS Confirmation Of Service
7 04-23-2008 ORDSMWP
EXP0001 Order Of Dismissal With Prejudice
Ex-parte, Dept
Good thing for Darcy that Farmers came through on settling out of court. And perhaps also good for Darcy that Ms. Luehrs is not a registered voter :)
I would be more interested in the lawsuits against David Reichert, which are much more prolific than those against Darcy Burner.
Such as King County Superior Court No. 06-2-04733-8, a nice long protracted lawsuit filed on February 6, 2006, which resulted in a judgment against the King County Sheriff’s Office on June 24, 2008, after a somewhat lengthy trial in front of Judge Glenna Hall in late March and early April 2008.
#3 Is lib speak for not allowing the guvmint leeches and lawyers extort money from your business. Speaking of unions, when are we going to see a union for fair wages for democrat political volunteer??? Can a liberal ever not be a hypocrite? …..Wait that is like asking if a one legged duck can swim straight… Nevermind.
So no one here is impressed that DR voted with Dennis?
Is anyone impressed with Dennis?
Is McD’s vote more meaningful than Reichert’s?
Theater of the Supersilly.
Remember when the Bush regime said we don’t need a timeline for removing troops from Iraq? Now they think a timeline is okay. Talk about hypocrites.
Remember when the Bush regime said we’d leave Iraq when the Iraqi people told us to? Now that they said they want us out, the Bush jackbooted henchmen are putting pressure on them to shut up. Talk about hypocrites.
Remember when the Bush regime protected brother Jeb Bush by stopping any attempts to drill for oil off Florida’s coast? Talk about hypocrites.
Want to do something?
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/.....ier21.html
Take care of our veterans.
Remember when the Bush regime said we don’t need a timeline for removing troops from Iraq? Now they think a timeline is okay. Talk about hypocrites.
Ah that is called winning the war…. of course that is something that you dems will never understand so there is no need explaining.
Remember when the Bush regime protected brother Jeb Bush by stopping any attempts to drill for oil off Florida’s coast? Talk about hypocrites.
Yeah but if you dems wouldn’t have blocked ANWAR we would be pumping oil right now. I am sure America remembers that based on the 9% approval rating for democrat congress. hehheehe
Two problems with your ANWR spew, dog. First, I do recall Republican control of both houses and the Presidency for a period. And the reason they did not allow drilling? Ans second if there were additional oil flowing from Alaska, it would be following the rest which already goes to Japan.
Nice talking point, though.
Two problems with your ANWR spew, dog. First, I do recall Republican control of both houses and the Presidency for a period. And the reason they did not allow drilling? Ans second if there were additional oil flowing from Alaska, it would be following the rest which already goes to Japan.
Nice talking point, though.
A slim margin with some defectors. We all know which side was which, of course your side was wrong again as usual.
Ans second if there were additional oil flowing from Alaska, it would be following the rest which already goes to Japan.
And not drilling has done what???? Well nothing. More empty rehtoric from the left.
Gee, do you buy that “slim margin with some defectors” for the current Congress? The current margin is slimmer, and Senator Joe sits on one side and votes on the other.
ANWR is a drop in the bucket. Mass transit, fuel efficienct and alternate energy are the path out of this mess.
@17 “Yeah but if you dems wouldn’t have blocked ANWAR we would be pumping oil right now.”
Nope, if we Dems hadn’t blocked ANWR, we would be pumping oil by about 2020 or thereabouts. But I don’t expect you to know that, because you’re just a stupid dog.
@19 “And not drilling has done what????”
Not drilling has protected the most important arctic wildlife herds on the planet, that’s all. Of course, I don’t expect you to care about wildlife habitat, because you’re only a stupid dog. And it must be recognized that some wildlife is more valuable than others. For example, I think it’s okay to destroy all dog habitats, starting with yours. Dogs should become extinct. They’re fucking useless.
@20 But K, don’t you know that wingnuts believe oil is a renewable resource that will last forever?
No need to argue with a dog. Best bet is just to kick it in the teeth. That’s all it understands. And of course most dog’s don’t have much of an IQ. This one’s too fucking dumb to know the truth.
By the way the 9% approval ratings for Congress are for the REPUBLICANS in Congress.
Not drilling has protected the most important arctic wildlife herds on the planet, that’s all. Of course, I don’t expect you to care about wildlife habitat, because you’re only a stupid dog.
Yeah just like we destroyed the carribou heards with the Alaska pipeline. Of course I wouldn’t expect you donks to know that since your memory span is about as long as a mechanical calculators.
Want more proof of dems total lack of memory
ByeByeGOP
By the way the 9% approval ratings for Congress are for the REPUBLICANS in Congress.
07/20/2008 at 8:54 pm
This guy actually thinks the approval rating for congress has gone up since 2006. hhehehehehehe
20 But K, don’t you know that wingnuts believe oil is a renewable resource that will last forever?
07/20/2008 at 8:54 pm
Compared to social security (remember you donks said that 35 years is an eternity) we will never run out.
Hey yet more proof…my God… Too easy. heheehehe
26 Continued
Actually I don’t blame dems for not taking responsiblity for their actions given they fail at everything they do.
Is it illegal to kill a dog in Seattle?
re 13:
“…fair wages for democrat political volunteer???”
Look up the word ‘volunteer’ and get back to me on this crisis.
Maybe we need to figure a fair wage for all the rich-bitch Republican wives who volunteer 20 minutes serving pressed turkey to the homeless on Thanksgiving?
“Perception is reality.” Mark something or other
Well at least Big Hair Dave did one thing right – in fact the first thing he’s EVER done right in Congress – he voted to let the impeachment bill hit the floor. America needs to know that the traitor George Bush is nothing but a petty crook, running a criminal enterprise and anyone who supports Bush is themselves a crook.
If there are open impeachment proceedings when Poopy-Pants leaves office, he can not pardon anyone connected with the impeachment.
That’s in the Constitution. Let’s see how successful he is with defying the Constitution when he is out of office.
Attorney General John Edwards is going to ROAST them all!
“Criminal proceedings, anyone?”
“Yes! I believe I will! With a little ‘Cheney-in- -the-Hague’ sauce on the side!”
fair wages for democrat political volunteer???”
Look up the word ‘volunteer’ and get back to me on this crisis.
And why would “I am not for cheap labor” democrat allow volunteers again…. Oh that is right, it is that Hypocrite thing again…. Nevermind.
re 33: Caught with your pants down again. When will it all end?
You are as pathetic as George Will’s bald-spot.
re 33: Caught with your pants down again.
No, not exactly. That would be more like imposing a minimum wage (eyeman initiatives) for republican signature gatherers and yet still turn a blind eye to your own political volunteers. Now go get some pants idiot. hehehehee
Interesting! I read elsewhere on another blog that, by sending Kucinich’s impeachment resolution to the Judiciary Committee, it will now become an open and TELEVISED event. Ala Nixon, IIRC.
It may be too late to burn shrub at the Impeachment stake, but it might open more of the corruption to the viewing public. Won’t add more gloss to his so-called “legacy”.
Treasury Secretary Reassures Public Everything Will Be Fine!!
Things must be pretty damned bad and about to get worse because Bush’s treasury secretary spent Sunday making the rounds of TV pundit shows.
Secretary Paulson kept emphasizing 3 points:
1) Deposits up to $100,000 are government-insured;
2) Federal regulators are on the job and hard at work; and …
3) The government is going to bail out Freddie and Fannie.
Cripes, he sounds eerily like a New Deal Democrat … wasn’t so long ago that Busheviks called people like him “commies” …
They must be expecting a run on the banks tomorrow morning.
Meanwhile, as the Bush Inflation accelerates, Congress is considering a bill to require companies to pay workers twice a day to give them a chance to spend their money before it becomes worthless.
Meanwhile, as the Bush Inflation accelerates, Congress is considering a bill to require companies to pay workers twice a day to give them a chance to spend their money before it becomes worthless.
07/20/2008 at 11:48 pm
Where is Carter when you need him. Geeeesh.
The fact that guvmint is bailing out Freddie and fannie doens’t bother me that much since it was guvmint (democrat congress) who put them there. Cleaning up after the dems again. What else is new.
I do blame GWB though for the current credit colapse of the mortgage industry just like I blame him for the “Valarie Plame” fiasco and other misteps. Yes getting rid of your political foes is brutal and not “Christian”, but also allowing them power is not right either. Liberals are meant for the arts and other unneccesary endeavors and should be kept as far a way from politics as possible.
40 – Shit-eating Republican curs like Doofus will never accept that the economic collapse of this country is happening on their chimpanzee’s watch.
They’ll blame it on Clinton until their last dying breath.
17. JBD
We “won” the war against the State of Iraq back in 2003. Since then we’ve been an occupying army maintaining our power by killing and maiming the citizens of a country who wants us to leave. We kept up our occupation so that friends of the US Bush regime could loot with impunity and so that other friends could reap a return on investment without worry that the angry and hostile Iraqi people might make things difficult for American security and multinational corps.
42 JBD
Don’t worry, we are returning the favor and will be just as brutal with you losers.