Senator Byrd: Reckless Administration May Reap Disastrous Consequences

This Administration, now in power for a little over two years, must be judged on its record. I believe that that record is dismal. In that scant two years, this Administration has squandered a large projected surplus of some $5.6 trillion over the next decade and taken us to projected deficits as far as the eye can see. This Administration’s domestic policy has put many of our states in dire financial condition, under funding scores of essential programs for our people. This Administration has fostered policies which have slowed economic growth**. This Administration has ignored urgent matters such as the crisis in health care for our elderly. This Administration has been slow to provide adequate funding for homeland security. This Administration has been reluctant to better protect our long and porous borders.

(** Remember the 30% import tax on steel back in 2001? That helped no one in this country except people who had controlling interest in US steel companies, and hurt the rest of us because increased steel prices trickled down to other sectors… Eat your “trickle down economics” out Reagan.)

Calling heads of state pygmies, labeling whole countries as evil, denigrating powerful European allies as irrelevant — these types of crude insensitivities can do our great nation no good. We may have massive military might, but we cannot fight a global war on terrorism alone. We need the cooperation and friendship of our time-honored allies as well as the newer found friends whom we can attract with our wealth.

After visiting Washington Square in Philly there was no longer any doubt in my mind that I was 100% proud to be American. Our forefathers fought against [then-British] imperialism and blind use of power and to create a society where we would be free to openly question our government. Now it appears that we are becoming the very thing that we opposed. Let us never forget that it was our forefathers that taught us that it is un-American to not question the acts of our government. Horray Byrd!