Comments on: Why Nancy Pelosi Filibustered NRN

By: wrensis

wrensis — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 13:45:00 +0000

WASHINGTON — Democrats promised big changes when they took power on Capitol Hill in 2006, and they delivered — when it comes to making over the cafeteria.
Since taking her post, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has pursued what she calls “greening the Capitol” through a smoking ban and the introduction of gourmet foods in the lunchroom.
But the health kick has elicited grumblings from colleagues in Congress. Gone are the days of meatloaf and Jell-O, replaced by mahi mahi, brie and baguettes.
“I like the food we had before,” House Minority Leader John Boehner said Wednesday morning. “I like real food, food we can pronounce the name of.”
The new cafeteria has eco-friendly coffee cups, napkin dispensers that dispense one napkin at a time and elaborate recycling centers stocked with biodegradable straws.
But staffers complain those straws melt in their coffee — and as they pick from choices such as fresh fruit, pan-roasted Chesapeake rockfish with yellow pepper relish and leg of lamb with almond couscous, the griping quietly draws on.
“This is silly feel-good crap by a bunch of do-gooders. … We should be worried about the housing crisis, the unemployment rates and the national debt,” one high-level Democrat said.
“I really don’t like Nanny Nancy telling me what I can and cannot eat for lunch,” one Republican aide said via e-mail. “If I want to eat unhealthy, I should have that choice.”
A sample lunch on Capitol Hill might include a couple wedges of brie and cheddar, a few grapes, a strawberry and saltines.
“The health nannies’ arbitrary ban on legal and heavily taxed products bodes ill for the future marketing of Mountain Dew and moon pies,” Republican Michigan Rep. Thaddeus McCotter said.
Not everyone is appalled by the fruit and cheese fare.
“A big jump from high school cafeteria to fancy-pants gourmet,” said Caryn Schenewerk, staffer for Arizona Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. “I just wish my pay improved.”

By: Larue

Larue — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 07:56:13 +0000

*G*

Spot on hoss.

Thanks for saying it.

By: Larue

Larue — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 07:45:13 +0000

Concur.

She, and too many of the dem’s we erected in ‘06, have failed.

Across the board.

On TOO many of the issues, they were obviously complicit, and accomplance’s to, the deeds done. And so they backed legislation to protect themselves.

Now, as to HOW to fix this, given November ‘08 is pretty well in the bag, I go no clue.

Any Buehler?

By: Spike3905

Spike3905 — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 02:57:57 +0000

“They hire their staff, but get the lists of approved people and referrals from him.

It’s not a secret.”

Sorry, but someone is feeding you a line. I was a chief of staff in the House for a Member of Congress for many years and that’s not how it works.

By: Adie

Adie — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 00:21:13 +0000

in re: 84/85 p.s., i tried reading higher, backwards. egad. are u o.k. Pach? sounds as if loonies are on the prowl and out for blud, but then i’m on a strict diet and kinda loony meself rt now.

tis/twas a full moon. please take care.

By: Adie

Adie — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 00:13:51 +0000

Oh, and Amen!

By: Adie

Adie — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 00:11:30 +0000

omg. i thot i’d start easy by working the thread backwards.

Pachacutec, you are an absolute TREASURE! ;->

By: Pachacutec

Pachacutec — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 22:33:30 +0000

We do all simultaneously, but we’ve been fighting the leaders, but we’ll only get better leaders when the people who can vote for and empower and choose the leaders are better.

Politics is about machines. We have to recognize and diagnose the machine to beat it. We fight on issues but we’re not doing organized candidate recruitment.

By: Pachacutec

Pachacutec — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 22:31:23 +0000

Then don’t. This ain’t my first time writing. I have a track record.

By: Aviva

Aviva — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 21:40:19 +0000

Pach, at some point don’t we have to start thinking not just in terms of primaries, but in terms of promoting leadership in the caucus?

We can primary Steny, and Rahm, and Pelosi, but if the next person in line leadership-wise is just another Steny clone, we’re right back where we started.

At what point do we start fighting for our leaders in the caucus? When do we start putting our dollars into someone like Barney Frank so that they can start moving up in the ranks?