Posted by Joe Baker on September 26, 2003 at 08:39:53:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Making a living (and paying loans) posted by moot point on September 25, 2003 at 11:58:15:
Frankly, our system of government is more like a tent. You can put new fabric out every few years, and make it look somewhat different. Sometimes it can look butt-ugly. But as long as the framework is solid, the problems can be fixed the next time we change the covering.
The framework -- at least its design -- is so good that we mustn't risk tearing it down and starting over. We just need to replace the rottem members of our government with better ones, and brace it in places where it has been weakened.
The problem is that we have stopped following the blueprint. We have judges overstepping their bounds, and congress handing over to bureaucrats their power to regulate, while at the same time seizing the power from the state governments. The Senate (starting the Borking of Bork, but my Republicans did the same during Clinton's term) abuses its oversight to block Presidential appointments on political grounds, giving Presidents cause to abuse the interim appointment rules.
You might say (to keep this tuba related...naw, I don't guess it REALLY does that...) that most of our party differences are like arguing lacquer vs. silver, when we should be worried about the crushed leadpipe and missing valve.
In our current climate, I don't like to even think what would replace our tent if the framework fails. Bill and I disagree a lot on the tent fabric, but guys like us are going to have to find common ground to save the framework. And I'll vote for a Democrat or a Green that will uphold the constitution over a Republican who will not.
Joe Baker, who is wary of careless cynicism.