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The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 9, 2008

Do-Nothing Congress

After reading former Sen. Bob Graham's article "How To End The Gridlock In Politics" (Commentary, Feb. 3), I would enjoy offering my viewpoints concerning Graham's bullets.

Since the attacks on 9/11, there have been no attacks in the United States. Neither side of the aisle wants to secure our borders with a wall. What did Graham accomplish regarding national and homeland security when he was in office?

Millions of Americans did not have health insurance when the Democrats controlled the Senate and the House for 40 years. What has the current Democrat-controlled Senate and Congress accomplished since November 2006?

The newly elected Senate and House vowed to lower gas prices during their campaigns in 2006. So far nothing has been forthcoming. Contractors are hamstrung by the rules and regulations eliminated any chance to drill for oil or build new refineries or nuclear plants.

I could go on, but I think I made the point we have a do-nothing Senate and House.

DOUG PAXTON

Valrico

Just Listen To Voters
Bob Graham has it all wrong. He and a lot of politicians, mostly on the left, think we can solve all of America's ills if we just try to get along. He and other social do-gooder politicians are touting this approach because they fail at jamming things down the throats of the American people.

Graham, Clinton, McCain, Martinez, W and a lot of other politicians think the American taxpayer and voter should just roll over when they come up with a really swell program like universal health care or amnesty for 20 million illegal aliens. I don't want to just get along with everyone on these issues.

Graham and his fellow politicians had better stop pandering to the shrill left and start listening to the taxpayers whom they serve. By the way, the American public is still waiting for Congress to build the fence and start protecting our border as they voted to do. Did they really think we would forget this?

MIKE WRIGHT

Valrico

Put Them On Lockdown

Fixing Washington is simple: Lock down Congress for one year, meaning no one works less than five days a week and remains in Washington full time until at a minimum the following are fixed: security, budgets, education, energy, Social Security, Medicare, immigration, health care and tort reform.

These have been debated for the past half-century, so the arguments have been exhausted; now we need action. If these issues are not resolved within 12 months, Congress should resign and return its salaries and benefits.

Any member of Congress running for the presidency should resign from Congress at the time they express their intentions. We need full-time legislators, not campaigners.

JOSEPH O. PAOLETTI

Tarpon Springs

Democrats Started It
Bob Graham does a wonderful job of discussing the end of gridlock in politics - if you are wearing "blue bias" glasses!

Even worse is his reference to the five Republican and four Democrat presidents since 1945 who championed bipartisanship. Since there have been six Republican presidents, I'm guessing - or welcoming him to correct the record - that he considers George W. Bush the outsider.

Aside from reminding the blue-partisan ex-senator that Bush tried and tried to find common ground and bipartisanship early in his administration with the other side, he was not only rebuffed, he was ridiculed and demonized as no other president.

May I remind Graham that it was his party that turned "Borked" into a verb, his party that calls anyone that disagrees with them a racist, homophobe or right-wing nutcase.

How we get past this I don't know, but I suggest that those of us not wearing those blue glasses are not about to forget just because a Democrat - be it Obama, Clinton or McCain - is elected in 2008.

TOM MORENO

Tampa

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