Anyone else think that Congress has their priorities all fucked up? I mean, we're still AT WAR, our soldiers have been torturing people, and when that came to light we started shipping those prisoners out to third-world countries to be tortured. Republicans AND Democrats have completely dropped any and all discussion of social security.

I just heard on Air American that they voted to give Bush even more tax cuts for the wealthy than he had asked for and most of them didn't even know that they had done that.

Now they spent 11 hours talking about whether baseball players, most of which are no longer playing, used steriods (as if you didn't know) and now they're going to dedicate a whole day to stick a law into the middle of a domestic dispute in Florida that will immediately be flipped by the Supreme Court as unConstitional.

Can they drop this petty shit and deal with some real issues again?

Kids, high school, and college athletes taking steriods isn't much of an issue.

I have thought that of Congress for ages. It was my impression that the were supposed to be representing the wishes and needs of the people within the geographic locations they "represent". It seems more like they have some set of agendas of their own completely disconnected to the needs of the people who elected them into office.

I've always felt that the Senate seems to be the group who has to hold Congress to the letter of Congressional and Federal law. I don't know if they are any more effective in representing the people in the states who elected them, but at least they seem to be a "stop gap" to Congressional whims.

That's my impression anyway, I could be wrong.

Also, where are all the "fresh new out of college types in some sembelance of "touch" with reality" candidates for some of these jobs? I mean, I know those jobs are relatively "thankless", but still, just as one example, Ted Kennedy isn't going to live forever, and he works his ass off - who on earth could possible replace him?!? I'd like to see the current Mayor of San Franciso become a Senator.

c-

I agree. Restated, it IS an issue, but I hardly see why the Federal Government needs to hold hearings regarding the MLB. Its a business, if the owners and coaches and players want to be doped up, why is that a Federal Government issue? Their simply junkies. Just make the shit illegal and start throwing their asses in jail as part of the failed "War On Drugs" program. That will send a strong enough message.

The Federal Govt has stepped a few time into sports when they have seen wrongdoings. FDR stepped into college football and said to make it safer. If not he threatened to shut it down.

Safety and health of the residents of the country is a priority whether or not its in a business or not. Congress let MLB make their own decisions but when they failed to make any significant changes to their drug testing program, they stepped in.

Lack of WMD's, Abu Ghrab, Enron, Halliburton, Gannon-Gate, NO NOTHING! Congress is so fuckin' off track words cannot describe. FUCK YOU CONGRESS!

I'm not saying they can't have a hearing on MLB. Hell, it's got a very lucrative exemption to anti-trust laws and should be monitored closely. I'm criticizing the timing. There'll be plenty of time for working on a steriod issue after other, more important, like war, the deficit, and social security, get dealt with.

The country is not ready for Newson. Too bad, he is one of the few politicians who makes good sense these days. He's got the balls to stand up for what he believes as he has proved with his position on same-sex marriage. I'm sure we are going to hear from Newson at a national level in the future.

Understood.

c-

I 100% agree with your observation in its entirety, and it is too bad, because we really need a FLEET of guys like him to kick some major ass on many many levels.

c-

I stopped reading at this point . . .

Why? Don't you think all the lies leading to war, the missing WMD's, the Abu Ghrab's and Guantanamo torture tactics, our sending of prisoners to other countries to be tortured is grounds for an investigation over steroid use in baseball?

Are you denying that we tortured people, or do you not care if we tortured people?

Because it's not the substance of the post, it's the characterization of the things brought up. At times I feel it's just not worth arguing with some people on this board -- they can be so completely paranoid, irrational or partisan (stress this) that they can never acknowledge or appreciate an opposing view point. The vitriol they spew is so baseless or embellished that I can't help but stop myself before seeing a thread through. Some times I feel like I'm reading a column by Dan Rather.

Well, at least this guy's got his priorities straight:

Link

yay for tx legislature!

Another reason I'm glad I don't live in Texas.

To state the obvious, of all the things to concern a government body, cheerleading should not be one of them.

Why must we continue to be out of touch with reality. Let's touch on three things right now.

#1: Enron. When did this scandal occur? Oh yeah, 1999. Was action taken? Yes. Were reforms made to the SEC in response to Enron, Adelphia, Tyco, and other accounting scandals? Yes. It's so funny too, because in terms of scale, Enron was not the worst. In fact, it wasn't that bad at all. But we all focus on the Enron. Gee. I wonder why. It was many moons ago that I posted a few articles about the Fannie Mae scam. None of you seemed to care, because you're ignorant and don't care about things that don't look bad to the Bush administration. But hey, that's your world.

#2: Halliburton. I remember some time ago, a valued member of those forum posting an article which outlined the truth of the Halliburton thing. First of all, Cheney is fully divested. Second of all, those contracts were awarded to Halliburton when CLINTON was in office. It was a big NYT article...huge, it took up a whole page. I think this was two years ago now, maybe one. On top of it all, KBR is the only company on the face of the earth that provides many services that the military requires in places like I'm at now.

#3: Oh the torture thing. You morons. Again, when are you going to pull your heads out of your asses and realize that nothing we have done to those people is TORTURE! Humiliation? Perhaps. Torture? Never. I've said this time and time again, but sleep deprivation, light deprivation, barking dogs, stacking naked people on top of one another, leashing a man, taking photos...none of that is torture. None of it. It's funny too, because I can't recall anybody endlessly complaining about Islamic Fundamentalists complete disregard for the rules of warfare. Nope. What is of paramount importance is naked people in Abu Graib prison. Furthermore, it should not be of congresses concern period! It is not a congressional matter. It is a military matter. A pentagon matter. It is the pentagons job to correct such problems, and they are, and have done it. People have been indicted, people have been charged, people have been SENTENCED! Court Martial proceedings are occurring and investigations are on going. But it's easier for you guys to just...ignore all that because it gives you aimless fodder at Bush.

Whatever...nuts to this.

We're all too beneath your enlightened view of the world man. I think it's clear that you've outgrown the board, and should find somewhere else to post.

Does not labelling those things with the word 'torture' make them acceptable?