Political Hypocrisy On All Sides

It's not red, blue or purple. Political hypocrisy comes in all colors and flavors served up regularly for our country and world to see. Sometimes one has to laugh about it to keep from crying. A few noteworthy items of late...

Item 1: The Great Unasked Question

A politician proposes new spending plans, tax cuts, government hiring programs. What is the reaction of the main stream media and those who populate Washington?

If the politician in question has the letter "R" beside their name, as in Republican, the hue and cry rises from shore to shore: How are we going to pay for this?

If the politician in question has the letter "D" beside their name, as in Democrat, the reaction is the sound of silence.

President-elect Obama has proposed nearly $1 trillion more in spending, nearly 600,000 new government jobs and $300 billion in tax cuts. Amazingly not a single politician, pundit, journalist, or talking head has asked the How are we going to pay for this question.

Why not?

Item 2: Practice what you preach

A politician appears to win a tight election by a narrow victory and in the acceptance speech calls on the opponent to "do the right thing" and step aside. Unfortunately, the narrow victory requires a recount, which appears to overturn the original outcome. The original winner, instead of accepting defeat and stepping aside, now threatens to file lawsuits.

Thank you, Sen. Norm Coleman, for providing a fine "red" example of hypocrisy. When you were winning it was all well and good to expect Al Franken to just step aside and forgo filing any lawsuits over the election.

Now the tables are turned and instead of graciously accepting the will (and abject stupidity) of the people of MN, you are going to file a lawsuit over the recount. A margin of victory of 200+ votes is small, but if certified by the state, it is final. Do the right thing, Sen. Coleman, and be gracious in defeat. In six years you can try again.

Item 3: Lester Maddox Redux (sans the Axe Handle)

If you are too young, you will need to Google "Lester Maddox" to understand this item. (Go ahead -- the blog will be here when you get back.)

Sen. (Dingy) Harry Reid pulled a "Lester Maddox" in slamming the door in Senator-designate Roland Burris' face yesterday. The only thing missing was the infamous axe handle, but given Reid's and the Democrat Party's record of hypocrisy an axe handle is superfluous. Reid and the Dems are very pro-minority -- well, at least as long as the minorities in question keep their place, if you know what I mean.

It appears that Senator-wannabe Burris was getting a bit too uppidy for Sen. Reid, so Reid had to put Burris in his place. At least on behalf of the current all lily-white Senate, that is.

Of course, there are "Rules" to uphold and the lack of a signature on some paperwork is an overwhelming affront to the dignity and decorum of such an august body.

Nevermind the fact that Reid made it abundantly clear to the IL governor that replacing a black male senator with another black male was unacceptable. He might be able to tolerate a woman, but a black man would simply not do.

Once again Democrat hyprocrisy on display in all its glory.

My prediction: Burris will be sworn in and seated before the end of this week. Reid's iron grip is already crumbling with Sen. Feinstein leaving the fold. A couple of meetings today and I expect an announcement in time for the evening news.

The Senate Dems really should look for a new majority leader. Reid is nothing but an embarrassment.

Hyprocrisy... we're all guilty at one time or another. It's just that some displays are so blatant.

UPDATE: CBS reports: "Senate Democrats plan to accept Roland Burris for President-elect Barack Obama's vacant seat.Burris was scheduled to meet Wednesday with the Senate's top two Democrats -- Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada and assistant leader Dick Durbin of Illinois -- on Wednesday, a day after his paperwork was rejected at the opening of the 111th Congress. Senate officials in both parties, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly for Senate members, said there is a growing expectation on Capitol Hill that the saga will end with Burris being seated. "