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The liberal Christmas wish list
By Chris Walker
The only things legally stopping the Republican lawmakers from passing whatever law they want are the upcoming elections and the filibuster rule, which was in danger of being destroyed earlier this year by conservatives.
During Thanksgiving break, my family asked me what I wanted for Christmas. “I don’t know,” I said to them. I have a limited desire for material items this holiday season, with the exception of a digital camera.
But it did give me some inspiration: my 2006 Political Wish List. It’s a list of things I would appreciate having happen in the next year or so.
No. 1: Troop reductions in Iraq: We need to start to bring our soldiers home. Now that we know Iraq never really posed a large threat to America — at least as large as the Bush administration made it out to seem — we need to take a serious look at when our men and women can start to come back to us. “Supporting the troops” doesn’t mean keeping them in harm’s way.
No. 2: No activist justices on the Supreme Court: Conservative justices don’t bother me. In fact, I was pretty content with the nomination and subsequent appointment of John Roberts as Chief Justice. He is a man who respects precedent, and that is very honorable in my eyes.
What we don’t need are any justices who will totally blow away precedent. Now we have a new nominee for the court: Samuel Alito. The public doesn’t know very much about this man, but it is my hope and wish that he will respect precedent as much as Roberts does. If he won’t, then he doesn’t belong on the Supreme Court.
No. 3: Democrats to win Congress in November ’06: It sure would be nice to have a few checks and balances remaining at the federal level. Right now, Republicans control all three branches — the executive, legislative and judicial — of government.
The only things legally stopping the Republican lawmakers from passing whatever law they want are the upcoming elections and the filibuster rule, which was in danger of being destroyed earlier this year by conservatives. A Democratic-controlled Congress would be most beneficial to the American people.
No. 4: The firing of members of the Bush administration who were involved in the Valerie Plame leak. Press Secretary Scott McClellan had originally told the press that anyone in the administration involved in the leak of CIA operative Valerie Plame would be fired.
Now, as Karl Rove and I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby have both admitted to being leaks, no such firings have happened (to be fair, Libby did resign, but Rove still remains in his job). This is the time for this administration to keep its promises and fire Karl Rove.
So, those are my wishes for the next year, but I know many Americans who want to see change in this country share my hopes/wishes. Hopefully, they will come true.
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