Bush and the VETO

Now that George Bush has lost control of his government what is he to do? What choices does he have to further his political agenda? How can he get anything done with the Democrats in control of both the House and the Senate? The answer is he can't get anything done unless it is what the Democrats want and his only option is the veto.

Bush may well be presented with legislation he fundamentally opposes. Like Bill Clinton in 1995, faced by a GOP Congress, Bush's only chance to win is by playing defense against a Democratic Congress. After the Republicans took over Congress in 1994, Clinton vetoed 37 bills with only two of his vetoes over-ridden.

Expect the same from Bush. It will be veto, veto and more veto. The first six years of his presidency he had total control of the government. Whatever he wanted he got. And that is why things are so bad right now. The supposed "checks and balances" of the system were not in place. He had absolute power guaranteed to him by having a Republican majority in both the House and the Senate. They both just rubber stamped everything and anything he wanted.

The only exception was when both the House and the Senate voted for Stem Cell research and Bush vetoed the bill. To date it is his only veto but rest assured that now it will not be his last. He will now start turning out vetoes like signing statements.

Of course he won't admit to this. He won't face the reality that this is his only option. On Wednesday morning upon hearing the election results he picked up the phone and called House speaker-in-waiting Nancy Pelosi to invite her to lunch. "They had a very good conversation. He congratulated her on their wins,” deputy White House press secretary Dana Perino said about Bush’s call to Pelosi the morning after Democrats took control of the House in Tuesday’s election.

Bush also spoke on the phone with Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell, the No. 2 Republican leader in the Senate; House Majority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio; House Majority Whip Roy Blunt, R-Mo.; and Rep. Rahm Emanuel, the House Democratic campaign chief.

“He told Emanuel congratulations on a good race. It was a good effort and he’s looking forward to working together,” said White House spokesman Tony Fratto.

Huh! - What? - Come again! - Excuse me! - Pardon me! - Please repeat that!

"He’s looking forward to working together.” Yeah right! With who? It won't be with the Democrats.

He insulted them for the last six years and turned down every single idea they had. Not a single idea was good enough for him or his administration. And now "He’s looking forward to working together." Pardon me but I think I will take the under on this one.

What he is looking forward to is breaking in his new pen. The one that he will use to sign all of those vetoes. The only togetherness this man is looking forward to is being put in the same class as Bill Clinton. Together they will both be seen as uncompromising men that could not work well with others. Clinton and the Republicans and Bush and the Democrats. Together they will both have had a worthless last two years.

And if anyone disagrees with my opinion I have only one thing to say - your opinion is VETOED!