Unserious People in Deadly Serious Times

Charles Rangel (D-NY), who will now be the chairman of the House Ways and Means committee, has proposed the “Crack-Cocaine Equitable Sentencing Act,” which would eliminate mandatory sentencing for crack-cocaine convictions.

Barbara Lee (D-CA) wants prophylactics distributed in prisons. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) wants a federal grant program against bullying in schools. Cynthia McKinney (D-GA), gone but not forgotten, wanted a special collection of Tupac Shakur’s government records at the National Archives. Robert Wexler (D-FL) wants a new tax on everybody in order to preserve Social Security “forever,” while John Dingell (D-MI) wants everybody covered by Medicare. Barney Frank (D-MA) wants Medicare and Medicaid to pay for incontinence garments. Jim McGovern (D-MA) wants to defund the Iraq War immediately, and Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) wants a Department of Peace and Nonviolence. What exactly would this department do?

After yesterday’s election disaster, I decided to e-mail my senators, who are, unfortunately, Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer. They each have a standard e-mail form, along with a list of topics. Not once in Feinstein’s list of 32 topics, nor in Boxer’s list of 42, is the word “Terrorism.” With that in mind, I asked each of them what they thought was the most important issue facing America today and if they really believed that terrorism was a threat to America. I wonder what kind of response I’ll get, if any.