A House controlled by Democrats, Continued

In a September 17, 2006, column Nolan Finley concluded that a take-over of the House of Representatives by the Democrats would be a boost to the GOP's chances in 2008:

John Conyers may turn out to be the best friend a Republican presidential candidate could ask for in 2008.

With Democrats licking their chops in anticipation of reclaiming a majority in the House in the November elections, the Detroit congressman is in line to assume the chairmanship of the high-profile Judiciary Committee.

[...]

It's no secret what we can expect from a Chairman Conyers.

Once he settles into the big chair, he'll fulfill his promise to bring articles of impeachment against President George W. Bush, based on a shoebox full of conspiracy theories downloaded from the Internet regarding the start of the Iraq War.

[...]

Even if the saner heads in the Democratic Party can wave off Conyers from pressing his vendetta against Bush, he won't be deterred from his lifelong passion: reparations for slavery.

If you think the Iraq War is divisive, wait until a bill requiring all Americans to write checks to some Americans to pay for the sins of past Americans hits the floor of Congress.

Conyers may be the most, uh, eccentric of the Democratic chairmen-in-waiting, but not by much.

Also in line to lead committees are Charlie Rangel at Ways and Means, who'd extend welfare eligibility to all Americans except maybe Bill Gates and Warren Buffet. New Ager Dennis Kucinich, who wants a Department of Peace and would head the national security, emerging threats and international relations subcommittee -- they'll love him in Paris. And Big Labor's fox in the henhouse would be George Miller at Education and Labor.

It might be fun watching Nancy Pelosi try to spin the antics of this group as representative of rank-and-file America.

If nothing else, voters will have two years to see what extremism in politics really looks like.

That should work as an inoculation -- exposing voters to a little bit of the disease to prevent a larger, fatal attack.

“When I become chairman of the Ways and Means Committee,” he said Thursday night in front of the Hudson River School paintings at the New-York Historical Society, “we will have power over the entire tax system, Social Security system, pension system, Medicare and all international trade.” (ed: note the "When")

[...]
Mr. Rangel, clad in a gold tie clip, opal rings and a colorful handkerchief, intends to bring more than a change in style to the chairmanship. Experts in tax policy predict that if the Democrats win, Mr. Rangel will radically change the way the federal government levies America’s wealth.

The understatement of the year:

“It is a bad thing,” said Republican National Committee spokesman Aaron McLear. “Taxes across the board will be raised.”

"Mr. Rangel will radically change the way the federal government levies America's wealth."   I'm sure President Bush will have something to say about that, but at best our tax system will not be reformed and will probably get not only more expensive but more complex as well.  And the Fair Tax will be off the table, no doubt.

Many conservatives are unhappy, to put it mildly, with the Republicans in Congress.  They want to teach the Republicans a lesson by sitting home on November 7. I hope that doesn't happen. As poster NewKid said last night at Lucianne:

Get angry,
DON'T GET STUPID

And as I said last night on Lucianne:

House Republicans got the message from the base on the Immigration bill and stopped it. They stood up to the President, which is no small deal. And again, the majority of Republicans in the Senate voted against it, too. If we keep the pressure on, we can make a difference.
We have two choices here.  The Democrats or the Republicans. It should be a no-brainer, for anyone with a brain.

NewKid said it better, I think.  Don't Get Stupid.

***Update 10-19-06***  There's a good post at TimChapmanBlog on what to expect from a Democrat controlled House. A rundown on the liberal to-do list.

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