New Political Landscape

The perfect political tsunami was brewing in America ─ disparity between growth in productivity and gross domestic product on the one hand and growth in wages for the average American worker on the other, Sino-U.S. relations and geopolitical realignments that could start crystallizing after the 110th Congress was sworn in in January 2007, if the Democrats swept the Republicans out.

I reflected on my 2005 U.S. book tour and the numerous radio interviews and callers who repeated their frustration with America’s policies that were emphatic about “America needs a change” and decided to see if We the Maids would clean house ─ and thankfully we started.

The concerns I raised and anger I voiced in Custom Maid Spin and Custom Maid War about hypocrisy, sex, corruption, lobbyists and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan thankfully resonated and registered with voters.

America is starting to wake up to the fact that international and national politics have an impact on their life and reject the popular truism that “all politics is local.” It is inter-local. Americans are not fools. They are just slow in making up their minds. That allows political opportunists and their financial backers to exploit their lapses.

Now that Congress is controlled by Democrats after their acrimonious mid-term-election gain of 30 seats, and a 233-202 House Majority, it can take back the control of national policy, spending and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq ─ and can get America back on track before the 2008 presidential elections when partisan mudslinging starts all over again. Congress must re-assert its strong legislative oversight of the executive branch of government.

The Democrats promise to “drain the swamp that is Washington” by introducing stronger ethical guidelines is wishful thinking that hopefully will be achieved at the dawn of the 21st-century. The Democratic agenda of “six for ‘6” ─ the six promises on which they campaigned during the midterm elections have a greater chance of becoming law than any ethics legislation.

The six agenda items which are political, controversial and necessary for America to survive the 21st-century are: Strengthen Homeland Security, raise the federal minimum wage, reduction in college fee interest charges for the middle class, reversal of Republican tax break for oil companies, reduction in prescription drug prices for seniors, and protection of Social Security from privatization.

The brighter news is that the “do nothing Congress” will now have to work five days a week, compared to the less than four on election day.