Democratic Selective Memory

Let’s start with a fact which is beyond dispute: The Democratic Party has been in the majority, and therefore in control, of both houses of Congress since the 2006 elections. In most of the recent discussions seen in the media and by Democrats themselves, that fact seems to get lost.

Part 1. When discussing the current economic condition of the United States, President Obama and all his surrogates constantly remind us that “this administration inherited this crisis from the previous administration”.

More facts: Article I, Section 7 of the US Constitution states, in part: “All Bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives; but the Senate may propose or concur with Amendments as on other Bills.”
Article I, Section 8 of the US Constitution, states, in part:
The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;
To borrow Money on the credit of the United States;
To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;
To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States;
To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;
To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States;
To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;
To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings;--And
To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.

I deleted a number of lines which don’t have to do with finances. I think you can get the drift of these two sections of the US Constitution. The Congress owns the money and determines where it goes. How it is it, then, that the Democratic Congress has nothing to do with the current economic situation when they have been running both houses of Congress since 2006? It seems they forgot.

Part 2. The $410 billion omnibus spending bill which is currently under consideration contains about 8600 earmark spending projects. The current administration campaigned on and constantly disparage the placement of earmark spending projects. Their excuse for the current bill is that that Congress did not pass a budget at the end of 2008 for fiscal year 2009 and this is a leftover from the Bush Administration. Therefore, the earmarks in the bill are a product of the Bush Administration. Let me review: The Democratically controlled Congress did not pass a budget in the fall of 2008. The Democratically controlled Congress inserted about 8600 earmarks into the current bill. The Democratically controlled Congress raises the baseline spending in the budget by about 8%. Somehow, all of that is the fault of the Bush Administration. That is insane.

Part 3. When describing the housing downturn and banking crisis in the United States, Democrats blame the Bush Administration. The Senate Banking Committee, which regulates banks, is chaired by Senator Christopher Dodd, Democrat from Connecticut. Not surprisingly, Dodd received the largest amount of political contributions from Fannie Mae. Senator (at that time) Obama, received the second most. The House committee regulating banking and housing is chaired by Representative Barney Frank, Democrat from Massachusetts. When approached by the Bush Administration and Senator John McCain about increasing regulation of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac several years before the crisis, it was Barney Frank who prevented the increased scrutiny and declared boldly during a committee hearing that “There is no crisis at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.” The Securities and Exchange Commission was run by Christopher Cox, a Republican appointee. Let me review: The Democrats controlled both of the committees which regulated banking and housing. Therefore, one can argue that there is plenty of blame to go around, but to blame the Bush Administration exclusively is insane.

If you listen to MSNBC or other liberal media outlets, every day there is some story like: “Today a woman in Podunk, Missouri was run over by a toddler on a tricycle while searching for her lost cat. Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid stated today that lack of regulation of toddler tricycles by the Bush Administration is to blame for the accident.”

At some point, people are going to realize that the Democrats have run Congress since 2006 and will hold them responsible for their action and inaction.