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My personal musings about anything that gets on my radar screen--heavily dominated by politics.

2005-12-23

Is It Possible To Be Prophetic and Completely Wrong At The Same Time

One of my odd little self-assigned projects of late has been a re-reading of the Federalist Papers. With the contentious debate over Supreme Court nominees since about July 1st, it seemed to me germaine to know exactly what the views of the Founding Fathers were on the Judiciary and the Senate's role to confirm judges. Of course, in the process, I'm getting a retty solid tutorial in American government, the use of language, and persuasive argumentation.

But I digress. . . .

Consider these words of James Madison in Federalist #58:

Those who represent the dignity of their country in the eyes of other nations, will be particularly sensible to every prospect of public danger, or of dishonorable stagnation in public affairs.

And then consider the recent behavior of Senate Democrats.

It seems to me that Madison foresaw the need for members of the legislature to be not just sensible, but, perhaps, alarmed at potential dangers to the country, and also that the potential existed for zero-movement political games.

Unfortunately, James Madison never met the modern Democratic Party.

Sensible to public danger? Hardly. Why else would the Homeland Security Department have been held up because of Union protections; the Patriot Act demagogued and then "killed" in a time of war with a shadowy and clever enemy; and the Defense Appropriations Bill blocked--stagnated--because some Senators would prefer to continue shifting billions of dollars a year to the middle east oil cartels rather than look for oil right here at home.

Perhaps James Madison knew a better class of politician. Harry Reid, or Thomas Jefferson? Nancy Pelosi, or Alexander Hamilton? Howard Dean, or Andrew Jackson? Yeah, I agree . . . not a very favorable comparison.
Posted by: Michael / 12/23/2005 01:29:00 AM

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