Hagel (R-Ne) says Congress needs to assert its authority

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2798&u_sid=10465876

Hagel says Congress needs to assert its authority

BY MAGGIE O'BRIEN
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER


Republican Chuck Hagel, who's retiring from the U.S. Senate after a dozen years following the November election, says Congress needs to assert its authority to preserve the balance of power in the federal government.

Speaking to an audience at UNO this evening, Hagel said that in recent years, Congress has abdicated some of its responsibilities.

Sen. Chuck Hagel
Congressional leaders gave the White House too much power, especially in decisions regarding the war in Iraq, Hagel said. Instead, Congress should have used its "constitutionally mandated" responsibilities to make such decisions, he said.

"In the last few years, government has fallen out of balance and Congress has abdicated some of its responsibility," Hagel said remarks prepared for deliver to a "Democracy Matters" student forum. The event was presented by the UNO College of Public Affairs and Community Service.

"The essence of public confidence is transparency and accountability," Hagel said. "We have paid a high price for this, and have lost the public’s trust in their Congress’ ability to honestly address the challenges of our day."

Hagel also said the next president -- either Republican John McCain or Democrat Barack Obama -- will need to set partisanship aside and "make the Congress a partner in governing our country."

"Without that bipartisan consensus, we end up in the underbrush of political paralysis," he said. "We all have to take some responsibility for that. Bipartisan consensus must be the focus of leadership in any democratic institution that seeks to govern."

[Rabrrrrrr]

1. Let me decode that - "If the President is a Democrat, then Congress should do its job,

unlike what we did while we had a Republican president."

[kansasblue]

2. Been in the Senate for 12 mostly Repub. years, mentions it as he leaves and we get a new Dem Pres.

[BrklynLiberal]

3. Looks like a very accurate translation to me.

[TwilightGardener]

5. Actually, no--he's been saying this for at least a couple years. He was pissed

that the Chimp administration was behaving like a "monarchy" and that Congress was letting them get away with it instead of asserting its authority.

[LiberalFighter]

4. Consider this in the Constitution

IS * IS * IS * IS * IS * IS * IS * IS * IS * IS

Article I - The Legislative Branch

Article II - The Executive Branch

Article III - The Judicial Branch




NOT * NOT * NOT * NOT * NOT * NOT * NOT * NOT * NOT * NOT *


Article I - The Executive Branch

Article II - The Legislative Branch

Article III - The Judicial Branch

[mmonk]

6. Chuck knows and also is candid about bush's abuses of power.

[unkachuck]

7. chuckie....

....you took the words right out of my mouth....I hope Obama, Nancy and Harry steam-roller and railroad your repugs in the next congress just like bush, newtie, delay and lott hammered the Dems....

....it's only fair chuckie, it's our turn now....but you are free to seek some high-paid influence-peddling compensation from some government contractor if you wish....

....now go and be like Superman; and continue 'to fight truth and justice', the Republican way....