In reading through some of the diaries this morning a lot of hay is being made from the Washington Post article talking about how the Democrats are not going to immediately implement one of the 9/11 commissions recommendations regarding structural reoganization in Congress. Now before getting worked up over this and running a PR campaign, or worse opening up with both barrels on thos we just elected let's take a look at what a structural reorg would look like.
First there are 435 members of the house and 100 members in the senate. That means there are a grand total of 535 members in congress. There are multiple committees for intelligence, defense, Homeland Security and other such oversight arms and appropriations arms within Congress and anyone who has ever been involved in even a departmental reoganization knows that it takes time, and often panels or sub-committees to achieve the goal.
Yes, the Democrats ran on a platform of implementing the 9/11 commissions recommendations and they are taking the first step. Getting a panel together to go over the situation and come up with the best means of implementing it. "Structural reorganization" is not a plan to be implemented. We all saw what a cluster-fuck the department of Homeland Security was, the reason, it was rushed through.
What we are seeing, for the first time in 6 years is open government. The party in control has not even been sworn in and already they are showing their openness by not making backroom deals with regard to who gets what appointment and where. Unlike the republicans who slammed through everything and never showed so much as even a hint of real dissent there is now a party in charge of both chambers that is willing to open up about the fact that not everyone is going to agree on everything 100% of the time.
I thought that was something we wanted when we used to hope that Specter wasn't going to be a shill and bend over for the administration and party leadership or when there was still a little glimmer of "maverickness" (is that a word?) in the asshat McCain. Yes there were the kerfluffles over Murtha and Hoyer and yeah there was a brief kerfluffle over Hastings and there will be one over Boxer to be sure but if anything Pelosi has played the cards right. She's been shrewd in playing things like a chess game.
From the outside some are going to take this as a sign of division and the wurlitzer that is the MSM will continue playing the same stupid tune until the smoke grenades clear and they find out it was...nothing.
The stories have died. No matter what angle they have taken Pelosi has already shown that they are making much adieu about nothing. Yes expectations are high and the MSM is going to go after whatever meat it can simply because it has no clue what to do. But if the elections on Nov 7 proved nothing else, they proved that Americans wanted representatives who represented them and their beliefs not just ones who toe the party line 100% of the time like the Republicans did (just look at Chaffee).
A reorganization of congress and the various committees per the 9/11 commissions recommendations will take time and take a plan if it is to be real and meaningful. Rather than jumping in head first and realizing the pool isn't deep enough thus cracking open their skulls and producing a crappy re-org the dems seem to want to take the time to get it right and they deserve that chance.
That doesn't mean we should be lax, we need to hold their feet to the fire, but don't let go full bore with that flame thrower just yet. Swearing in is still a month away. Let the MSM read into things whatever they will. They'll either keep getting burned when they realize they were making hay about nothing and if they don't figure it out then let them keep getting burned. They were wrong about a lot of things, they'll continue to be wrong.
Let them howl all they want, there's work to do and a government to restore, one that is open and receptive, and that is happening. I wish it could happen over night but it can be all the sweeter to watch the MSM and the critics eat pie when it finally does, even if it takes time.