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Preparing for George W. Bush as President
Posted
01-15-2001
As the Bush Administration’s cabinet nominees face the confirmation
process, it is very interesting to watch the reaction by Republicans to any
Democratic opposition. The indignation by Republicans over any criticism is
amusing. After eight years of nothing but bitter, partisan attacks on not
only Democratic cabinet nominees, but also the President, his wife, family,
and friends, do the Republicans really think that every one of their
nominees will waltz through confirmation?
Labor Secretary nominee
Chavez is already gone. Her problems weren’t only with Democrats, but from
her less-than-straightforward answers to Bush’s nominating team. The
treatment of Chavez in regard to domestic help was similar to what
Republicans did to Zoe Baird (a Clinton nominee in 1992) for not paying
payroll taxes for domestic help. Is it petty? Yes, but Republicans created
that level of scrutiny, and it now cuts both ways. It is ironic that Chavez,
as a news commentator, actually criticized Baird for the very thing she was
doing and that eventually helped end her nomination.
The other Bush Cabinet
nominees that will face stiff opposition are Attorney General nominee John
Ashcroft and Interior Secretary nominee Gale Norton. Ashcroft is a
lightening rod of controversy for his extremist views on race and
reproductive freedom. Ashcroft will probably get nominated because of the
collegiality of the U.S. Senate, but a lot of interest groups will turn up
the heat. Ashcroft sponsored legislation that not only would have outlawed
abortion, but also would have made illegal IUDs and birth control pills.
Will he uphold the law, as it stands now, that guarantees women access to
abortion clinics? We shall see.
Ashcroft’s also has a less
than stellar view of racial issues. He assassinated the character of a black
Missouri Supreme Court Justice during his nomination hearing for a federal
judgeship. The man never was confirmed but Ashcroft’s actions ultimately
cost him what little support he had from minorities in Missouri. When he ran
against the late Mel Carnahan, he was soundly defeated. Also, Ashcroft has
granted interviews to hate groups for their magazines and now, if confirmed,
will be responsible for ensuring those very groups don’t violate the civil
rights of other Americans.
Gale Norton is a disciple of
James Watt. Need I say any more? She is the person George W. wants to
safeguard our natural resources. I can almost hear the oil drilling start in
the Arctic. She has recently been a lobbyist for lead-based paint
manufacturers. It will be interesting to see how her confirmation hearing
goes. The activities of the Interior Secretary seem more focused on western
states primarily because so much federal land is in the west. But as a
nation, we have an obligation to ensure that natural resources are protected
and preserved for future generations. Why does it so often seem that a
certain segment of the Republican party, that want certain land for hunting
and fishing, don’t seem to care about other land and animals? It truly is
puzzling.
It is interesting to see
people like Linda Chavez, who so actively participated in the politics of
personal destruction, whine about it when they are on the other end of the
process. It’s very similar to the members of Congress, who attacked Bill
Clinton’s indiscretions at the very time they were doing the same thing. Why
do they so often feel the standards only apply to Democrats?
The final tally is in. Al
Gore won the popular vote by 539,840, yet we are going to have G.W. Bush as
our President. Only in America can the person with the most votes not win.
Life goes on, but I hope Republicans appreciate that what goes around will
now come around. If Bush isn’t scrutinized like Bill Clinton, then it will
prove once and for all that there is no such thing as a "liberal media". |
