indiana house democrats walked out of the legislature yesterday, breaking quorum in protest over some of new-governor mitch daniel's bills. in response, bush-buddy daniels likened them to terrorists. here's a quote:
Indiana's drive for growth and reform was car-bombed yesterday by the Indiana House minority. Any pretense notwithstanding, it is clear that this cynical action was planned from the start of the session.
I have done all I could since arriving in office to work for change on a bipartisan basis. I have spent hours reaching out in meetings large and small. I have seen that bills the Democrats said they objected to were set aside. I have accepted a raft of changes in bills I proposed personally. Even through yesterday, I offered additional compromises, but every time, the goalpost was moved.
I have done all I could since arriving in office to work for change on a bipartisan basis. I have spent hours reaching out in meetings large and small. I have seen that bills the Democrats said they objected to were set aside. I have accepted a raft of changes in bills I proposed personally. Even through yesterday, I offered additional compromises, but every time, the goalpost was moved.
ah, the old "i'm trying to be bipartisan but f'n al qaeda over there pulled a 9/11 on me, suicide-bombing my economic platform and beheading indiana's chances for progress" routine. that old chestnut.
i'd expect that kind of invective from a bill o'reilly or an ann coulter, but from a sitting governor? and one who's only in his third month in office?
the walkout is a classic defense tactic used by minorities in legislatures when they want to make a stand: to say that they refuse to allow the majority party to simply railroad bills through the legislature without consulting anyone else. you might remember the story of the texas democrats who fled their home state in protest against an outrageous redistricting plan. in fact, just last year, when republicans were in the minority in the indiana house, they walked out when the democrats wouldn't let them vote on their precious gay marriage ban (never mind that gay marriage is already technically illegal here: they need an honest-to-god ban).
if likening the opposition to terrorists is what daniels calls "bipartisan", you have to wonder what he'd do if he weren't trying to work with the opposition.
