MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR:
So This Is What Bush Meant About Being a Uniter

On Tuesday, June 22, the Senate of the United States convened to vote on the Defense of Decency Act, which passed 99 to 1.

Then its members posed for a group photo. During this session, Vice-President Dick Cheney (who, in that role, is also president of the Senate) lashed out at Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt) for remarks he had made criticizing Iraq contracts won without competitive bidding by Halliburton, the company Cheney headed before becoming vice-president. Leahy responded that he didn't appreciate the vice-president's charges that Democrats are "anti-Catholic" because they have blocked confirmation of a few of the Bush Administration's most extremist judicial nominees.

Apparently demonstrating what Republicans mean by "Defense of Decency," the man who is a heartbeat away from the presidency replied, on the floor of the United States Senate, "Fuck yourself."

Personally, I was neither shocked nor surprised. After all, isn't that exactly what this Administration has been saying to the American people for more than three years now? "You want health care? Fuck yourself." "You want good paying jobs? Fuck yourself." "You're opposed to giving huge tax cuts to millionaires who don't need them while millions of working people get nothing? Fuck yourself." "You want truth about wmd or why we invaded Iraq? Fuck yourself." "You want to know what big donor corporate executives devised the country's energy policy? Fuck yourself." "You want federal funding for education programs? Fuck yourself." And on, and on, and on.

What did baffle me was that President Bush did nothing to rebuke his veep for exacerbating the partisan divide this president had promised to end. After all, wasn't this the president who came to town vowing to "change the tone in Washington" and promising to "deliver" on reconciliation and unity in Congress and to "give America a fresh start" with bipartisan cooperation and mutual respect?

Indeed he was. Here's one example – a speech given by candidate George W. Bush on April 20, 2000:

To renew hope in the American dream, to lift the spirit of our great country, to meet the challenges of this new century, we must change the tone of Washington, D.C.

The Clinton Gore administration has been the most relentlessly partisan administration in our nation's history; but sometimes some in our party have responded in kind.

Americans have seen a cycle of bitterness: an arms race of anger. But it does not have to be this way. We are not all the same. I will set a different tone. I will restore civility and respect to our national politics.

There's a clear choice in this campaign: the status quo, or positive change. My opponent is an integral part of an administration that has waged the same old Washington blame game.

But I will run a campaign of ideas. As President, I will work with Republicans and reach out to Democrats, as I have in Texas. I will treat the other party with respect.

I will unite our nation, not divide it. I will bring Americans together. And this is what it will take for our country to usher in a new era, an era that will stand in stark contrast to the last decades, which have said, "If it feels good, do it," and if you've got a problem blame someone else.

Vice-President Cheney to Fox News:

I felt better after I had done it.

As President, I will work with all Americans to usher in the responsibility era where all citizens know they are responsible for the choices they make and accountable for the actions they take. A period in which each of us . . . must love our neighbors as we would like to be loved ourselves.

Vice-President Cheney to Fox News:

I think a lot of my colleagues felt that what I had said badly needed to be said, that it was long overdue.

I am confident that with the right leadership, we can change our culture so America can fulfill its promise for every citizen. And I know this begins by having a President who will uphold the honor and dignity of our nation's highest office.

Sen. John Edwards at State Convention:

Where I come from, we say a fish stinks from the head down.

Together, we can restore respect to our national politics.

"Big Time" (President Bush's nickname for Cheney; those who don't know the reference, send me an e-mail and I'll explain) is unrepentant, defends his attack on Sen. Leahy and his language, and claims widespread support among Republicans for his outburst. It's a good thing these folks have made achieving civility such a high priority for this Administration and the president has demonstrated such leadership on this issue.

In that same April, 2000 speech, George Bush condemned this very kind of conduct and decried "eight years of excessive partisanship and finger pointing. Eight years of attempts to exploit fear and foster division, all to score political points."

He then declared, "eight years is a long time and eight years is enough."

In his case, four years is enough. If he can't even restrain his own vice-president, he cannot deliver on the promises he made to the American people, and he and his Administration should go now" before they do any more damage to in this country or indeed, the world.

(I apologize if anyone reading this article is offended by my repeated use of the "F word" in this article. But I suppose if the vice-president of the United States considers it "appropriate" to use this term on the floor of the United States Senate on the very day the Senate is passing the Defense of Decency Act, there can't be anything wrong with my simply reporting accurately and quoting him.)

Gerry Birnberg
Chair, Harris County Democratic Party
June 28, 2004

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