US News
Giddy Democrats make history at Congress takeover (Roundup)
By Tony Czuczka Jan 4, 2007, 19:53 GMT
Washington - Democrats took the reins of power in the US Congress on Thursday in a festive mood, electing the first female speaker of the lower house and vowing to press President George W Bush for a US retreat from Iraq.
An afternoon of swearing-in ceremonies at Washington's white-domed Capitol building capped the shift of power set off by elections in November, which cost Bush's Republicans their majority in both chambers for the first time since 1994.
Nancy Pelosi, a left-leaning lawmaker from San Francisco, became speaker of the lower House of Representatives, the first woman in US history to hold the nation's third-highest public office.
Democrats in the 435-seat House shouted her name, cheered, whistled and even danced at their seat as Pelosi won the post on the strength of her party's 233-202 majority.
Pelosi, 66, mouthed 'Thank you' and kissed supporters after her election before striding to the podium and accepting the House gavel from Republican John Boehner, the House's outgoing majority leader.
'This is a historic day,' Boehner told the chamber. 'Whether you are a Republican, Democrat or independent, today is a cause for celebration.'
A huge cheer rose from the Democratic seats as Pelosi raised the gavel high, waved it in the air and cited 'a spirit of renewal and hope' in US politics.
'I accept this gavel in the spirit of partnership, not partisanship,' she said.
For Bush, the arrival of the new Congress marked the start of potentially tough times. Democrats vowed to confront him over Iraq and a critical social issues.
'We're not going to be a rubber-stamp Congress. That's going to be the big change. We will provide oversight for Iraq,' James Clyburn, a leader of the new Democratic majority in the House, told Cable News Network (CNN).
While Democrats say their victory showed that Americans want a way out of Iraq, new majority leader Steny Hoyer admitted that his party is unlikely to seriously hamper Bush's role as commander-in-chief of the US military.
But the Democrats plan to open hearings on the administration's Iraq strategy as early as next week and will be using Congress as a stage to hammer Bush for a war he has admitted the US is not winning.
Bush has consistently rejected Democratic calls for a timetable to disengage US forces from Iraq. Instead, he reportedly plans to announce a boost in troop strength this month to help quell sectarian killings in Baghdad and other hot spots.
Seeking a hopeful start, the Democrats plan to use the new House's first 100 hours to pass popular measures such as raising the minimum wage, promoting stem-cell research for disease cures, lowering prescription drug prices for the elderly and enacting ethics reform.
The domestic focus partly reflects a lack of unity among Democrats about how quickly to leave Iraq and the fact that Bush holds broad powers to set foreign and military policy.
Bush has struck a more humble tone since the election and has pledged to work with the Democrats, but he bluntly reminded lawmakers of his power to veto legislation and his opposition to new taxes.
'If the Congress chooses to pass bills that are simply political statements, they will have chosen stalemate,' he said in a commentary published Wednesday in the Wall Street Journal.
The comment incensed Democrats, who called it insulting and accused Republicans of using Congress for political posturing on socially conservative issues such as gay marriage when they were in power.
Yet Democrats are likely to face pressure from their own left wing to deliver on their calls for an exit from Iraq - a fact underscored when anti-war protester Cindy Sheehan, whose son died in Iraq, disrupted a celebratory Democratic news conference in Washington on Wednesday.
Pelosi is not exactly a household name for most Americans. But as House minority leader since 2003, she played a key role in setting the Democratic agenda and election strategy.
A Roman Catholic mother of five, she represents one of the most left-wing districts in the US and has been vilified by Republicans as a tax-happy left-winger - a label she rejects.
Pelosi, who calls herself 'very strong' but shies away from the label 'tough,' has called the US-led invasion of Iraq a mistake - a view shared by a majority of Americans.
As Democrats prepared to take over, signs of conflict emerged even before lawmakers assembled under the white dome of the Capitol building to take the oath of office.
Republicans complained that despite Democratic pledges for more legislative transparency, they were kept out of the drafting of the first package of measures Pelosi wants the new House to pass.
Meanwhile, Republicans signaled they would resist the planned increase in the US minimum wage - the first in a decade - unless it is offset by tax breaks for small businesses.
And while the Democrats have a 16-seat edge in the House, they won only a minimal 51-49 majority in the Senate, limiting their room for manoeuvre.
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-AgenturCOMMENT
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Older Talkback
page: 1
I lean more Dem. then Rep., but I'm hopeful that the Dems will work with Republicans for the good of the nation. I agree with the Republicans desire for tax breaks for small business. If they combine their ideas; for a higher minimum wage AND tax breaks for small business, I think that could really help the country. While I agree that Iraq was a bad mistake, a similiar spirit of working together to solve the problem is what we really need right now.
Whatever . . . let's just see what those Democrats can do. They haven't said anything that all Americans didn't already know. They're quick to say changes are needed blah, blah, blah BUT they have said NOTHING about how they plan to fix anything. I'm waiting . . . .
Partisanship appears to still be alive and 'sick'
to Terance: Message #2
You don't need to lie. It's clear you're a Republican who is trying to get your message of fair play across, since the loss of the house. Too bad Republicans couldn't have considered the minority Democrats in the recent past.
...and Im refering to the rhetoric from Capital Hill and not the comments here.
When Moon is in the 7th house, and Jupiter aligns with Mars
Then peace will guide the planets, and love will steer the starts.
Thanks goodness the Dems have brought the Aquarian age to life....
The narrow margin of victory by the Dems is hardly a resounding call for change. Pelosi's 'show off' by putting up her hands in a fighting pose was not at all in good taste and today was not the day for it.
I hope Bush is getting his VETO Stamp inked up.
Woops! ...maybe it is here in these comments too. Oh dear when will we ever learn?
Hopefully important issues will finally be addressed. We hear more about gay marriage than we do about global warming! Come on people.
The Dems have 233 seats and the Republicans have 202. That means a 31-seat advantage--not 16.
Could you hire a writer who can do basic sums, please? Cheers.
Global Warming?...What do you think the US congress can possibly do about this?
the planet has been cooling and warming for millions of years.
Remember, Greenland wasn't always a block of ice...
It is a sad day in deed to see a far left leaning house speaker the likes of Pelosi. In her politically correct view of the world where confronting the radical Moslem extreemists, Rouge Nations like Iran and North Korea, and securing our borders will be the downfall of this country.
If the country elects an equally left of center president in the upcoming presidential elections we will see a attacks in our contry that will dwarf what we experienced in 911.
Mark my words. Radical Islamists view our politically correct politicians with disdain and a sign of weakness; they only respect one thing...Power.
Their ultimate goal is an Islamic world. I wonder what Ms. Pelosi will do when she is required to wear a veil and be subserviant to some relegious leader.
Right now we have the lowest unemployement in history, more people are able to own their own homes (the American Dream, Right?), and we are helping another nation be free from 'A weapon of mass destruction' (Sadam himself!!!). No, I don't want anymore of our boys and men to die, but we are giving back here to an aspect of the world's society. I hope the democrats don't get too self absorbed with their agenda and loose focus on the good of where we already are. There is always room for improvement, but it is amazing how fast the 'waters can get muddy'...Remember Septmeber 11th??? Let's not forget!
The Democrats HAVE said how they would fix things. Before the campaign and after. I just hope they follow through. It will be nice to finally see some oversight for what several CIA official (and State Dept officials) have called 'misleading' statements leading up to the war. They claimed the Bush administration used intelligence the officials claimed wasn't verified, and cherry-picked through intelligence, disregarding anything that didn't agree with. Anybody who has read the investigative reports by TIME, Newsweek, US News and World Report, and The New York Times knows about all the comments made by mant intelligence officials over the last 3 years. Richard Nixon's counsel, John Dean, believes Bush should be impeached for the comment about 'uranium from Africa' in the State of the Union address. He claims by knowingly lying to Congress and the American people, Bush, at the very least, should be impeached. One of many impeachable offenses from Bush & Co.
Narrow victory? What Bush calls a 'thumping' is now a 'narrow victory'... gotta love those Republicans!
Well its taken 12 years for thr Repugnants to screw things up this badly...I trust the Democrats will be more deliberate and compelling in making things right.....the only good Republican is a defeated Republican
It doesn't matter who is in power. Nothing is going to change.
America is a two party state. Both parties are sponsored by the same oil and military corporations.
War for Profit Policy will continue under the disguise of of FREEDOM and spreading Democracy!
755,000 Iraqis dead and 3000 of our soldiers gone! What is Peloci going to do? Nothing!
Enjoy the blood money while you can, it is a very finite source!
Negroponte is moving to diplomacy at State and the election seems to have changed matters. For the U.K. and the U.S., news about how the U.S. handles reform is important to security balance in Eurasia and the Middle East. Here's an interesting analysis on TPM Cafe:
http://warrenreports.tpmcafe.com/blog/mike7woodson/2007/jan/04/intellig ence_reform_issues_do_not_succumb_to_ongoing_whiplash
Vowing 'to press Bush for a RETREAT from Iraq'? 'Staged withdrawal' would be a far more
accurate term. Having the wisdom to disengage from military intervention in another country's
civil war is hardly a 'retreat.'
The USA is beginning to heal already. A lot of work to be done because the damage is immense.
Now if bush will get that much needed brain transplant. A human, adult, educated brain please.
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stephenJan 4th, 2007 - 20:33:31
Bravo! Let the healing begin.........
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