JUMPING UGLY

It seems like only yesterday when we read about the Republican Majority Senate Judicial Committee refusing to consider many of President Clinton^Òs nominees for judicial appointments. We heard the Democrats cry, "unfair" but we never heard them threaten other Senators.

Fast forward to the recent Cheney/Bush nominee, Judge Charles Pickering, who WAS given a hearing by the Democrat Majority Senate Judicial Committee. It voted to refuse to recommend him for confirmation and all hell broke loose.

Led by Senator Trent Lott, looking like a candidate for a coronary with bulging eyes and blood vessels, the Republicans jumped ugly at Leader Daschle and the Democrats. Threats flowed like beer at a fraternity keg party. "You will pay for this," promised Lott. Then Republicans halted the work of three committees: Judiciary; Governmental Affairs; and Health, Education, Labor and Pensions in reprisal.

Ooooooou! Is that some kind of a terrorist threat? Let's look at the record: the current Senate, which shifted from Republican to Democratic control in the middle of last year, has confirmed 41 judges. The Senate under Republican control confirmed 73 during the last 2 years of the Clinton administration.

Senator Harry Reid has written about the threats and accusations coming to Democratic Senators: "People who are Democratic members of that committee have been receiving phone calls since last night saying: You did this because you are a Jew; you don't like Baptists; you are Catholic; you don't like Baptists. This is really a big stretch."

Even the Court-appointed Dubya Bush joined in with the acrimonious Republican chorus commenting that the committee vote -- "hurts our democracy." Say what?

Reid replied: "George W. Bush is President of the United States, not King of the United States. He is President Bush. He is President George, not King George." http://www.truthout.com/docs_02/03.19A.King.George.htm

Not to be outdone by the Repugnant Senators, Deputy Secretary of Defense, Paul Wolfowitz, surfaces from time to time as hawk-in-chief. He justifies the necessity for attacking yet another country and then claims again that 9/11 was all former President Clinton's fault. He gives wolves a bad name.

Reasons for invading Iraq are piling up right on cue. We are told now that Iraq was behind the tragic events of 9/11; that our spies have noticed an increased communication between the evil doers of evil, and Iraq is holding an American airman prisoner from the first Bushie war. Opportunistic, ain't it?

Interesting to note that Wolfie doesn't mention that our "patriotic" U.S.A. arms merchants still continue to supply the countries the Bushies call the evil axis with tons of arms and ammunition. "The better to kill us with, grandmother?"

However, the nastiest person we heard this week had to be Chris Matthews, the guy who has a TV program, just so he can hear himself talk. He jumped really ugly on the Democrats because of their Pickering defeat. He insisted that Democrats are controlled by The National Organization for Women.

"It's all about abortion," he screamed, declaring that it was the only agenda item Democrats have and how stupid it was. Then after many more ugly accusations in the same vein, his tone softened as he turned to the subject of the pedophilia problem of priests.

"Of course," he admitted, "pedophilia is a terrible thing, but it was understandable." He pointed out that these poor men had to go without sex and that was unnatural, would create problems for them and we should understand that they weren't really responsible. So very forgiving of him.

Now wouldn't you think Chris might be just as understanding toward the Democrats? They could not countenance Judge Pickerin's leniency toward terrorists who burn crosses on their victim's lawns so they voted him down. Chris's attacks on women's reproductive rights are always loud, constant and ugly. He is right up there with Neil Horsley of the Nuremberg Files for stirring up the knuckle dragging Neanderthals who terrorize women's clinics.

Matthews appears to think pedophilia is different if priests practice it. He may have every right to sympathize with the problems of his religion. However, Maureen Dowd, also a catholic, is honest enough to see the warts. http://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/20/opinion/20DOWD.html

twanda@gendergappers.org       

2002-012

Copyright 2002 Renee T. Louise and Ruth M. Sprague, Ph.D. These articles may be republished for noncommercial use only, provided that they are copied intact, and that this copyright notice is attached. Address all queries to: twanda@gendergappers.org.