Lou Dobbs writes an article that is featured on cnn.com every Wednesday. I look forward to these articles just so I can write a scathing letter to good ole Lou. He comes across as the kindly benefactor looking after the rights of America's middle class and working poor, but his rhetoric is slamming Democrats, and doesn't nearly tell "the rest of the story."
Today's article was about the "do-nothing Congress" and, while he is critical of Republicans, he asserts that the Democrats are allowing it to happen, which they may be in a way, but not in the context that he portrays it.
The Democratic Party has played a major role in helping to pass legislation that is grossly injurious to middle-class Americans and their families. This Congress, Republican-led with complicit Democrats, has cut $13 billion in college-student aid
In fact, the Senate voted on an Amendment to the FY 2007 budget proposed by Senator Kennedy which would:
support college access and job training by: (1) restoring program cuts slated for vocational education, TRIO, GEAR UP, Perkins Loans, and other student aid programs; (2) increasing investment in student aid programs, including increasing the maximum Pell Grant to $4,500; and (3) restoring cuts slated for job training programs; paid for by closing $6.3 billion in corporate tax loopholes
Lou went on to say that the Democrats were complicit in approving:
an unconscionable bankruptcy law written by credit-card companies that is nothing less than a federal government heel in the neck of American families bankrupted by catastrophic illness and crushing medical bills
...when in fact there were several amendments, all voted against by the Republicans:
To protect servicemembers and veterans from means testing in bankruptcy, to disallow certain claims by lenders charging usurious interest rates to servicemembers, and to allow servicemembers to exempt property based on the law of the State of their premilitary residence. (Kennedy sponsored)
To exempt debtors whose financial problems were caused by serious medical problems from means testing. (Durbin sponsored)
To exempt debtors whose financial problems were caused by serious medical problems from means testing. (Kennedy sponsored)
To preserve existing bankruptcy protections for individuals experiencing economic distress as caregivers to ill or disabled family members. (Corzine sponsored)
To exempt debtors from means testing if their financial problems were caused by identity theft. (Nelson sponsored)
To discourage predatory lending practices. (Durbin sponsored)
To provide a homestead floor for the elderly. (Feingold sponsored)
All of these amendments failed in the Senate, and a few Democrats in each case voted against the measures, but even if they had ALL voted FOR them, the Republican majority would have won. What is it that Lou wants from the Democrats? Now I admit that I want the Democrats to stand up and scream bloody murder about what's happening in our government and so far, we haven't heard too much of that, but they have made an effort and I'm willing to give them that.
I'm penning my letter to Lou right now. I know nobody else will ever see it, but I think he should know that we're not all as stupid and uninformed as he thinks.