Wait and get it right

Minot Daily ^ | November 30, 2004

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

Sometimes congressional gridlock is a good thing, because it stops Congress from doing something foolish. Such is the case with "intelligence reform," which the 9/11 Commission and its allies have tried to rush to passage in a lame-duck congressional session. Earlier this month, advocates appeared to concede defeat, although President Bush unfortunately has signaled a willingness to sign almost any bill that reaches his desk.

Certainly there is room to improve America's intelligence-gathering activities and especially the manner in which information is put to use by the military and domestic security agencies. But reshuffling the bureaucracy in a hurried manner seems more likely to do harm than good, especially in the midst of a hot war. The Department of Homeland Security sadly has become a case example of how bureaucratic rearrangements can prove to be a distraction from actual execution of a mission. If some sort of big intelligence "reform" really is necessary, then certainly it is important enough to wait to get it right.

President Bush, however, has become part of the problem in the political rush to pass "intelligence reform." After initially raising appropriate concerns, in recent days he has signaled a willingness to sign almost any intelligence reform bill that reaches his desk. He did much the same thing with campaign finance reform and the hideously expensive expansion of Medicare, with disastrous results.

Congress may meet one more time before Christmas in another lame-duck session. It should limit its business to those things that absolutely must be done. Intelligence reform, if any legislative "reform" is needed at all, should wait until next year.

[cvq3842]

The same people who criticize the Patriot Act for being passed too quickly and without sufficient debate seem to be criticizing Congress for not passing this immediately.

(Not my point - a caller to Laura Ingraham made it Monday on her show. But a very interesting irony.)

I get the feeling the Democrats don't know what the heck to do with themselves, so they just opose or criticize whatever the Republicans are doing.

About this time last year, I said that once the Democrats have a presidential candidate, they will have a counter-program or proposal regarding Iraq, etc. Turns out I'm still waiting to hear it. I SITILL don't know Kerry's position on Iraq. I bet he still doesn't either.

Somewhat of an aside, but I don't see the logic in the complaint about timing coming in this crowd.

But when I start looking for logic in some of these politicians I get a headache. :)