The 110th Congress

On the radio, on TV, and in face-to-face conversations I have with people, I keep hearing the same thing: What have the Democrats done in the Senate all year and how can I support them?

Now, I know government can be confusing, especially when you're talking about a government. body that dictates a 56-44 vote is a fail even though it appears to be a majority win. But here's one thing everyone should recognize and understand the Senate is slow by nature. That's what it was put in place for, to act as a damn. The founding fathers wanted safeguards against one branch of government taking control over the entire system, so they split things up, creating separation of powers. So, they put a damn in the middle to spread things out over a span of time, so that the government could take a step back from itself(a reason why senators serve 6yr terms)and have the ability to police itself, to act as the grown up in the system. I won't go into every rule and protocol, but I will say that it's no accident why they are there. It is to slow down governance to a pace where everyone can take a breath and look into great detail the business that lay in front of them. It's not a bad idea, but when faced with the need for change and progress, the Senate tends to look like the bad guy who's fighting against that change.

Republicans had control for 12 yrs and did everything they could to expand on the Reagan idea of lesser government and bigger business, but ended up fighting against the Clinton Administration for bigger government. You can say they lost there way during the second half of those 12yrs and then forgive them; take them at their word that they have seen the light. But can you really look at the democrats and say, 'you haven't done a thing, why should anyone vote for you in the election?' Remember, this is the Senate we're talking about. How much can be pushed through a 'dam' in one year? With a president unwilling to work with the new majority, can this 'democrat's haven't done a thing' really be the winning argument?

Believe it or not, but legislation has in fact been enacted and signed into law over the year. And I want to be fare and give credit where it's due. Most if not all of these accomplishments would never have been passed if it weren't for the few republicans willing to work with their ''friends on the other side of the isle'. But many of these things never passed in the GOP Senate and met an up hill battle in the 110th.

Let's look at what has been accomplished:
* $43.1 Billion in benefits and increased pay for veterans, and takes care of the VA.
* The enactment of the 9/11 Commission Recommendations
* $110 million for port security
* $ 100 million for Rail/Mass Transit
* $285 million for E.D. detection systems in air ports
* A minimum wage increase to just over $7hr
* $400 million for states to cover for Child Health care-SCHIP program until the reenactment.

All of the above never stood a chance in the 109th, and took a Democratic majority to get it done. Whatever the pundits say, 2008 is going to be a good year for the Democratic Party and for America.