who is keeping score?

Something really interesting is happening in the world of political jargon right now, and has been for several weeks. Democrats in congress are being accused of merely “trying to score political points” by attempting to set a timetable to end the increasingly un-popular war in Iraq. These accusations come directly from the President and Vice President, as well as many other high-ranking officials. In fact, President Bush himself has said the words “trying to score political points” countless times when referring to Democratic (and some Republican) members of House and Senate who voted in favor of the recent spending bill with a troop pull-out date included in its pages.

Does the President forget that congressmen and senators are representatives of the will of the people? It is the job of a congressman (or woman) or senator to vote in a manner that they feel will get them re-elected next time around. By seeking re-election, they are submitting to the will of the voters in their district. That is the basis of a congress and a senate.

So maybe Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney are forgetting that it is the job of the House and Senate not to follow the will of the executive office, but rather the will of the people who elected them to their positions. “Scoring political points” with the voters is the point.

And maybe Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney also forget that they, too, are elected officials - charged with submitting to the will of the American public. Very possibly, they forget that they are officials elected by the general public, not kings. Let’s just hope the voters remind them of that in 2008.


Also at: web.mac.com/aploporto