BCT Editorial – 9/28/08

This page was last updated on September 28, 2008.

Lap dogs no more; Editorial; Beaver County Times; September 28, 2008.

The editorial subtitle is “Next Congress must reassert its important constitutional role.”

Before I begin, “lap dog” is used frequently in Times editorials and is leftyspeak for a Republican member of Congress (or sometimes just anyone) who agrees with a Republican president on an issue. A Democrat member of Congress who agrees with a Democrat president on an issue is simply doing the right thing. <g> Democrats have been the majority party in Congress for nearly two years. What stopped them from providing the “oversight” the Times says we need?

Likewise, the definition of “oversight” varies. When Congress opposes a Republican president’s policies, that’s “oversight.” When Congress opposes a Democrat president’s policies, that’s “obstruction.”

Also, when the Times uses the term “co-equal,” that really means Congress is really “more equal” when a Republican is President.

I could be wrong, but I believe the Times is trying to conflate “oversight” by Congress of the Executive Branch with oversight of government-sponsored enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to confuse the issue. Confusing the issue would be to the Times advantage because it would help mask the central role of Democrats in making sure there was insufficient oversight of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

In 2001, President Bush’s 2002 budget (his first) raised an alarm about government-sponsored enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Testimony before Congress by Treasury Secretary Snow raised the alarm again in 2003. Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan also raised alarms in 2003 and 2005. Led by Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT), and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Democrats resisted all efforts to reign in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. During a 2003 hearing, Mr. Frank said, “These two entities -- Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac -- are not facing any kind of financial crisis.”

Mr. McCain raised an alarm about Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac back in 2005/2006 and cosponsored legislation to increase oversight. Democrats blocked that legislation.

In a recent interview, Bill Clinton said Democrats for years have been “resisting any efforts by Republicans in the Congress or by me when I was President to put some standards and tighten up a little on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.”

Don’t take my word for it. Check it out yourself.

The editorial rants, “Instead of seeing Congress as co-equal to the executive branch, they [Republicans in Congress] were little more than lap dogs for the Bush White House, treating the president as if he were a prime minister and they were parliamentary members of his party. Their loyalty was to Bush and their party, not their branch of government and their constitutional responsibilities.” At the risk of repeating myself, Democrats have been the majority party in Congress for nearly two years. What stopped them from providing the “oversight” the Times says we need?

The editorial concludes with “It’s about checks and balances, separation of powers and congressional oversight of the executive branch.” If you’ve been following Times editorials, you’re aware there is no such thing as “separation of powers” when a Republican is President.