by Michelle Malkin
In 2006, the minority party in Congress issued a dire report on the
"unprecedented erosion of the democratic process." Democratic Rep.
Louise Slaughter, then the ranking member of the House Rules Committee,
authored the scathing document. She blasted the majority Republicans'
violations of "procedural fairness," short-circuiting of debate, and
late-night meetings "to discourage members and the press from
participating" in legislative deliberations. My, how history repeats
itself.
Fast-forward to 2009. The Imperial Congress has returned. The
oppressed have become the oppressors. Democrats have met the enemy of
deliberative democracy, and it is they.
Three years ago, the Democrats complained of House Republicans
rushing through conference reports "before members could read them."
Sound vaguely familiar? They urged their colleagues in power to "spend
more time on major, substantive legislation" instead of ramming things
through. Deja vu, anyone?
The Slaughter report pleaded for more transparency and public
access: "Regular order should be the rule, not the exception." Instead
of meeting late at night or early in the morning, the Dems called on
the majority to operate "during regular 'business' hours so that
members and the press can attend and participate."
Three years later, Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is
jamming a 1,900-page health care takeover bill through Congress for a
hasty Saturday vote while members of her own party revolt against
strong-arm tactics. Upward of 40 pro-life Democrats have objected to
the plan's government subsidies for abortion. Majority leaders evaded
sunlight by keeping a compromise amendment on the matter out of the
version of the bill made available to the public. As of Thursday
afternoon (fewer than two days before the scheduled vote), Pelosi had
yet to decide whether to permit an abortion ban amendment to her health
care bill.
http://townhall.com/columnists/MichelleMalkin/2009/11/06/the_death_of_deliberative_democracy