Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Out Of Control
I had planned a post today about Chris Newton's resignation (and now guilty plea) and how upsetting it was to see Republicans try to make such hay out of this, given their own issues with Tre Hargett's trip through the revolving door.
But I had a good talk last night with a buddy about how disillusioning all of the mess in our state has become. And then I looked at the Tennessean and saw their story about Kathryn Bowers travelling on a taxpayer-funded trip after her indictment. One of the guys quoted in the article put it well:
To watch, day after day, as legislators commit ethical breaches big and small is frustrating enough. It is a further frustration that neither party has seen this as a chance for anything other than political opportunism. Now, if you get hit, you have to hit back - that is politics. But Republicans need to accept the fact that anyone with two eyes in their head can see that Tre Hargett was utterly co-opted by the pharmaceutical industry. He shamelessly maneuvered and pushed through their bills at the same time he was interviewing for high-paying jobs with them! In the same way, Democrats need to acknowledge that while members of both parties were involved in Tennessee Waltz, the party had become far too complacent about the games being played by the party's leaders in the House and Senate.
The Democratic party is the party of the people. It is the party of the working man, and the party of those who pay their dues. Our party should fight harder than anyone against corruption, whether it is Chris Newton and Tre Hargett or Kathryn Bowers and John Ford. We believe in a government that should work hard for the people and serve the interests of everyone. Being tolerant of government corruption is simply unacceptable. We should demand more of our elected officials, whether they are Democrats or Republicans.
The last few months have exposed a problem in our state. While both sides have tried to make their share of political hay out of the mess, state GOP Chair Bob Davis seems obsessed with dragging Gov. Bredesen into the mud. Unfortunately for Republicans, Phil Bredesen has been about the only person not setting out to partisanize the issue. Instead of making accusations and calling for resignations, he's empaneled an ethics group that is making a real examination of the issues across the state and challenging the lobbyist-driven status quo.
The question now is, will Democratic and Republican leaders in the House and Senate set down their partisan guns and figure out a way to fix the problems? Will they agree to find a legitimate solution to people like Tre Hargett and Kathryn Bowers? Or will they choose to score petty partisan points at the expense of the people of Tennessee? I can only hope they'll straighten up and fly right.
But I had a good talk last night with a buddy about how disillusioning all of the mess in our state has become. And then I looked at the Tennessean and saw their story about Kathryn Bowers travelling on a taxpayer-funded trip after her indictment. One of the guys quoted in the article put it well:
"This woman has no scruples," said Jim Kyle ... "All this shows me is that Ms. Bowers has not learned anything at all. Any legislator who is being watched so closely and still behaves so badly must need medication."No, the problem is that she and every other state legislator, Democratic and Republican, is used to operating with total inpugnity.
To watch, day after day, as legislators commit ethical breaches big and small is frustrating enough. It is a further frustration that neither party has seen this as a chance for anything other than political opportunism. Now, if you get hit, you have to hit back - that is politics. But Republicans need to accept the fact that anyone with two eyes in their head can see that Tre Hargett was utterly co-opted by the pharmaceutical industry. He shamelessly maneuvered and pushed through their bills at the same time he was interviewing for high-paying jobs with them! In the same way, Democrats need to acknowledge that while members of both parties were involved in Tennessee Waltz, the party had become far too complacent about the games being played by the party's leaders in the House and Senate.
The Democratic party is the party of the people. It is the party of the working man, and the party of those who pay their dues. Our party should fight harder than anyone against corruption, whether it is Chris Newton and Tre Hargett or Kathryn Bowers and John Ford. We believe in a government that should work hard for the people and serve the interests of everyone. Being tolerant of government corruption is simply unacceptable. We should demand more of our elected officials, whether they are Democrats or Republicans.
The last few months have exposed a problem in our state. While both sides have tried to make their share of political hay out of the mess, state GOP Chair Bob Davis seems obsessed with dragging Gov. Bredesen into the mud. Unfortunately for Republicans, Phil Bredesen has been about the only person not setting out to partisanize the issue. Instead of making accusations and calling for resignations, he's empaneled an ethics group that is making a real examination of the issues across the state and challenging the lobbyist-driven status quo.
The question now is, will Democratic and Republican leaders in the House and Senate set down their partisan guns and figure out a way to fix the problems? Will they agree to find a legitimate solution to people like Tre Hargett and Kathryn Bowers? Or will they choose to score petty partisan points at the expense of the people of Tennessee? I can only hope they'll straighten up and fly right.
Comments:
Many TN Republicans have come out strongly swinging at all violators. I've taken on Hargett as well as Bowers in just the last couple days. And I've posted that the scandals hurt Republicans if they act as if it's just a Democratic problem.
You're right that it is not a left or right issue. Ethics is a people vs. the powerful issue. And on that note, I take a bit of issue with one item in your original post. The Democratic Party in the state of Tennessee is, sadly, no longer the party of the people. The question is, will the Republicans step in to fill the void?
You're right that it is not a left or right issue. Ethics is a people vs. the powerful issue. And on that note, I take a bit of issue with one item in your original post. The Democratic Party in the state of Tennessee is, sadly, no longer the party of the people. The question is, will the Republicans step in to fill the void?
# posted by 
: 12:23 PM
: 12:23 PM
I'd obviously disagree. I think that Democrats in Tennessee focus on important issues like higher education and TennCare that resonate with people across the state. Republicans have shown an unnerving propensity to address ridiculous topics like gay marriage and adoption. They gain support by appealing to people's base instincts, but fail to address the hard issues that our state must face.
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