Nanci Pelosi – who has the safest seat in Congress – is marshaling her troops for a suicide charge:
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi urged her colleagues to back a major overhaul of U.S. health care even if it threatens their political careers, a call to arms that underscores the issue’s massive role in this election year.
Lawmakers sometimes must enact policies that, even if unpopular at the moment, will help the public, Pelosi said in an interview being broadcast Sunday the ABC News program “This Week.”
“We’re not here just to self-perpetuate our service in Congress,” she said. “We’re here to do the job for the American people.”
Yeah, OK. If you say so.
“A thing is not necessarily true because a man dies for it.” — Oscar Wilde
Dear General Pelosi- May your fanaticism result in a stunning loss in the final vote tally, as well as even worse casualties in November.
George Pickett thought he was right too, and his name is remembered for glorious failure in a frontal attack against a virtuous foe determined to defend freedom from tyranny.
Oh that we will long remember the names of those who defeat General Pelosi’s charge.
Where is a Joshua Chamberlain when we need one?
John, a few corrections, Pickett was trying to carry out an attack ordered by Lee and planned by Longstreet. Given that he had about 1700 yards of open ground to cover in the face of massed federal batteries and troops, it is kind of amazing that any of his troops survived.
Chamberlain? He had the smarts to listen to his junior officers. The real federal hero of Gettysburg was Gen. Buford. He set his defensive positions to hold the good ground, and bought time for Reynolds to move up. The really important battle at that same time was Vicksburg.
And, one last thing, the real tyrant, Lincoln, was victorious, and forever changed the balance between the several states and the central government. Forever after, the States will have to bow to the creature they created.
I thought Chamberlain ordered the surprise bayonet charge that saved Round Top. Never heard that it was a junior officer’s idea. Interesting.
My reading of Gettysburg had led me to think that most historians credit Chamberlain with the concept of and giving the order to make the bayonet charge.
Short blurb on Wikipedia: “Some historians have cited claims by Lieutenant Holman S. Melcher that he led or initiated the bayonet charge, although most credit Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain for the maneuver.”
Read “most” as “virtually all”, with the preponderance of evidence, especially contemporaneous, siding with Chamberlain.
Course, I could find some sources claiming that the Earth really is flat, or that we never really went to the Moon.
Actually, no. Longstreet was strongly opposed to that route, and repeatedly asked Lee to shift right, in order to take the Union left-rear.
And, no, you can’t blame Lincoln. Blame the Radical Republicans after the war, then the Progressives forty years later.
It is devoutly to be hoped that Ms. Pelosi will be looking for a new home, soon.
Oh, Longstreet was opposed to it, but when his CO told him in no uncertain terms “Do it!” he said “Yes, Sir!” and did the best he could.
Chamberlain seems to have consulted with his officers as to ‘what the heck do we do now?’ when their ammo was just about expended. So, likely after a few minutes of tossing ideas about, yes, he did say something like “Here’s what we do – we fix bayonets, charge down hill with a right wheel.” It wasn’t the sudden flash of inspiration that Ken Burns and others make it out to be. That said, he does seem to have been one heck of a battlefield commander. A cast iron SOB, but able to inspire loyalty, and with a good head for tactics.
I still have to put a lot of the blame on Lincoln. He could have foregone the revenue from the deep south and let those 7 states go. And not tried to land troops and supplies at Ft. Sumpter. He had the chance to evacuate it, but made the choice to push the issue with what was then as different country. Also, his ignoring the law and the Constitution and doing things like locking up state legislatures so they couldn’t vote on bills, having citizens arrested for voicing disagreement with his policies, etc set a precedent for an overly powerful executive branch, and federal government. And to think that just 12 years before he had said: “Any people anywhere, being inclined and having the power, have the right to rise up and shake off the existing government and to form one that suits them better. Nor is this right confined to cases in which the people of an existing government may choose to exercise it. Any portion of such people that can, may make their own of such territory as they inhabit. More than this, a majority of any portion of such people may revolutionize, putting down a minority intermingling with or near them who oppose their movement.”
Lincoln on the floor of Congress, 13 January 1848
Congressional Globe, Appendix
1st Session 30th Congress,
Joe, I agree that the issue of States Rights versus Federal Authority has become totally skewed and has to be rectified.
Seems as though most people do not even question the authority of the Feds to do as they will. Changing somewhat, but not fast enough for me.
Half a league, half a league, half a league onward.
This was a cry of deparation to get the lefts agenda through, no matter the cost. I wonder what the political commissars behind the troops will do to those who don’t go forward?
May we have more tyrants like Linciln.
You have one in Obama who has the same respect for our history and Constitution as did Lincoln. You’ve been force fed a bunch of lies in place of history.
QM, I have to say that about the only similarity I can see between BHO and Lincoln is that they are/were both males.
Lincoln wanted us to have a history, BHO wants the country to become Socialist (or worse) in my opinion.
Whom would those who wrote the Constitution believe had the United States best interest at heart? I don’t know the answer, though I sure have an opinion, and would love to hear a discussion by the Founding Fathers on the issue.
JFK was not a particularly good President (heresy to some, I know), though I wish he would have been allowed to live to see what he could accomplish. Wish the same about Lincoln. A lot of “what if’s”, but, “what if”.
I refer to their lack of respect for the constitution and the history of the country. Lincoln lied repeatedly and fed the northern people a bunch of lies. Lincoln and Obama are very much alike in the things that really matter. Obama would not have been possible without Lincoln’s tyranny and illegal war.
I happened to be watching the tube the other day and saw an advertisement for California. Something to do about their weather, culture, laid-back work ethic, must have had something to do with tourism or trying to re-populate the state with productive people. I didn’t pay much attention.
At the end the Governator urged people to come on over.
I’m pretty sure I did not see Pelosi, who likely has similar face recognition, in that ad. She might not be as appealing a person to those outside California.
Job security? She has it, so long as the Dems keep winning, which is not a likely scenario. Looking at the record for Congress so far, I’m not so certain she will remain Speaker for much longer, and the Blue Dogs know which side of the political spectrum butters their bread. Hint: you can’t go back to your district and brag about all the stimulus funds Pelosi sent your way if the people who elect you are against the stimulus. And the Debt. And the takeover of GM and Chrysler. And you had to sell your vote to get those funds. Ben Nelson is likely performing this calculus right now.
– Max
Having pondered further, and had a second glass of Schell Bock (http://www.schellsbrewery.com/), I have come to the conclusion that sexual harassment laws should not apply to congress. Truth being a defense against defamation, and Congress being populated mainly with whores (cue P.J. O’Rourke), I think congressmen should be able to trade sexual favors as well as cash and government grants to their districts in return for their votes.
Because at this point, we’re really just negotiating over price. Since we have to pay it, I’m kind of hoping to see less of our money and more sex as the medium of exchange.
Granted, it’s still we the taxpayer getting screwed, but this way at least *somebody* enjoys it.
– Max
Reminds me of the sketch Frank Gorshin used to do, John Wayne-style:
“Well, men, this is the Big One. We’re gonna assault that hill through the minefield, against innumerable machinegun nests, and fight hand-to-hand in the trenches against 30-to-1 odds. Now, I don’t need to tell ya that there won’t be too many of us comin’ back after it’s over, and I sure would like to be with ya on this one, but this *koff* *haaack* miserable cold I got…”
Now, that’s a real pep talk!
Ah, that would be, do a job “on” the American people.
Regardless of what happens,the WRINKLED UP OLD SHREW will retire with lifetime everything, benefits that you & I couldn’t get if we gave up our first born and she’ll write a book & charge $100 Grand a speech for her “insight” & knowledge of what is wrong with things…..
Hold on…..I just threw up a little in my mouth….Ugh!
Wrinkled? Her team of plastic surgeons will be insulted that you haven’t noticed he skin is as tight as a snare drum’s.
“We’re here to do the job for the American people.”
These people have no idea what the American people want them to be doing for them. These people have totally forgotten who put them in office to beging with – the American people.
Who have made it quite clear that overhauling healthcare isn’t their number one priority.
2010 – Dems are going to swell the unemployment lines, with themselves.
Remember “blip enhance?” I wish I could enjoy seeing the lemmings take a dive off the cliff. Unfortunately, it’s hard to unring a bell. Regaining the majority before the bill is effective is no guarantee that it will be overturned. If Congress passes legislation that repeals the bill, the president could veto the new bill, basically repealing the repeal.
Hows that hopey changey thing looking right about now?
“We’re here to do the job for the American people.”
Umm, Nancy would that be the American people who an overwhelming majority of, don’t want your house version of healthcare? Those people?
Nancy and her ilk know that once the new Congress is seated in 2011 there’s NFW that their agenda will get passed. So she’s trying to harangue the troops into passing it before it’s too late. She’s also well aware of the point that Navig8r brings up – once passed, the new Congress won’t be able to overturn it.
What’s amazing is that this is the first time in my 57-year-old memory that I can remember hearing a political leader tell their peers that they should do something that will likely cost them their seats. How appealing does she think that sounds? I happen to agree with the concept – that a representative should do what they think is the right thing to do and not sell out to the polls even if it costs them their seat – but coming from a party leader that sounds like the voice of desperation. I’ve also heard the commentary go along the lines of “You’ve already screwed the pooch by voting for the bailouts and the House bill, so you might as well go down with all flags flying.”
Somehow I don’t see any of this really convincing any of her back-benchers to follow along.
Oh, I dunno about the “safest seat” deal. If Nan can’t deliver something, I think her brain-damaged constituents may replace her – with someone even more clueless and unreasonable.
Hey, It’s a SF tradition. Sort of.
Is this where she uses the parachute that she spoke of a few weeks ago? Can I pack the chute? Please?
Youll probably have to wait in a veeeeery long line for that privelege.
Handkerchiefs, anyone???
Lessee. You need plastic cable ties around the canopy. That guarantees a streamer which will surely kill, if not instaneously by squashing flat. If the victim has enough presence of mind to cut away, well that’s why we have the reserve pack full of handkerchiefs. Get the hopes up, then dash them. I can be so cruel.
P.s. I recall reading that in the old Soviet Union, there were no parachute riggers. Everybody always packed his own chute, and had to sign a card saying so which went where the rigger’s card would go in America. Funny how they didn’t trust each other.
In some air-delivered Soviet units, they didn’t even have parachutes. Infantry reinforcing the units battling the Eighth Army outside Stalingrad rode the wings of low-flying (as in, no higher than 20 feet AGL) Tu-SB2s until they reached the “drop zone” — and then rolled off to land in the deep snow.
A surprising number of troops survived the drop and got into the fight…
Only if you promise to use tie wraps…lots of them….
I was thinking anvils. You know. A Wiley Coyote special. Or lawn darts.
I have got to stop reading while letting my mind wander, I thought for a second that her last line was ” We are here to do a job ON America “.
Original : We’re here to do the job for the American people
English Translation: BOHICA, American People.