Thursday, October 19, 2006

Department of Wishful Thinking

Here's another idea Democrats should take from the GOP and run with.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Majority Whip Roy Blunt (R-MO) sent out an email to the media alerting them to what will happen if the Democrats take over Congress this fall: “they will plot to establish a Department of Peace.”

Alas, I only wish the Democrats had that kind of succinct policy vision tied to a concrete plan.

Blunt seems to think a Department of Peace is some cockamamie idea. I guess the only thing more risible would be a Department of Alternative Energy and Conservation.

11 comments:

Courtney said...

It will go right next to the Department of Gay Marriage, which will be the most stylishly-decorated department of them all, of course.

Andy said...

That doesn't really need its own department, just an office somewhere. I propose the Department of Faith-Based Initiatives.

Courtney said...

Yeah, to think all these "Christians" use the concept of peace as a warning flag cracks me up.

Law Fairy said...

Don't forget the Department of Promiscuity and the Department of Abortion.

Oh, and the Department of Babs. Because really, let's just admit it, she's behind the vast left-wing conspiracy.

Anonymous said...

if bill clinton is anywhere near involved, it will be the dept of peice.

Andy said...

I guess we should add a Department of Spelling to our wishlist.

Jess said...

Risible--good word.

I agree with you. I wish the Democrats had a plan!

tully said...

Here's a brain-bender: Maybe the interest of peace is sought by ALL public officials, including those in the Defense Department. Maybe the Defense Department, the State Department and all other departments in our government, if they're doing their jobs right, will bring about peace because it is in their interest to do so. One thing is for sure- the last thing we need is another bureaucracy to step on the heels of existing bureacracies. The word is redundance- there is nothing that a Peace Department would do that existing departments don't already do

Andy said...

Well, LC, I am inclined to agree with you, pausing, of course, to note that under this President, the State Department and the Pentagon have not really done much to advance the cause of peace. And as I have commented before, my liberal heart tells me that bureaucracy is not the problem, incompetent partisan bureaucrats are.

But what really caught my eye about this quote was Blunt's dismissive and subtextually homophobic tone. This is exactly like when Cheney mocked Kerry for calling for a "more sensitive" war on terror. A Department of Peace -- which to me sounds like a wonderful idea -- is presented by a senior Republican as a laughable, impractical idea, and suggests that what Democrats really want to do in the face of global terrorism is to surrender.

tully said...

Has it yet occurrred to you, while your average American wants to take on these terrorists head on, that perhaps the Democratic leadership just wants to go back to the "good ole days" of Clinton when the worst thing that could happen was the President being caught with his pants down? Maybe they just want peace because peace is their "department"- it's what they're good at! Maybe subconciously all insider Democrats who want to maintain what was the status quo under Clinton do indeed want to surrender.

tully said...

"Has it occurred to you" sounds confronational. My apologies.