. . . In Iraq, NOT New York!
Soon to be former Governor George Pataki had some pretty harsh words for the legislature. Unfortunately, his venomous words were vented toward the Iraqi Legislature, and not the folks whose dysfunction can be classified as a new disorder by the Center for Disease Control, New York's very own State Legislature.
"Having been in Iraq a little over a week ago, to me, the single most important thing we have to do right now is to hold the Iraqi government's feet to the fire and make them start to perform," Pataki said. "They're failing; they're not passing simple legislation like allocating fairly petroleum revenues. . ."
Remove just a few words -- Iraq, Iraqi, petroleum -- and you'd be hard-pressed to distinguish between the failing government in Baghdad and the failed government in Albany. Too bad George Pataki couldn't see the trees in the forest that grows just a wee bit closer to home!
"Feet to the fire?" In New York, its more like "sand in the hourglass." The only urgency in Albany is to convene to rubber stamp Pataki's lame duck appointees and to consider a pay hike -- for themselves. [They'll tie it to a well-deserved and long-overdue raise for the judiciary, just to make it look good (in case we, the people, actually look... Nahhhh!).]
In trekking to Iraq -- and in chastizing the Iraqi government (on which point the Gov happens to be 100% correct, they are failing) -- Pataki is trying to look presidential.
Too bad, during the course of the past twelve years, George Pataki looked anything but gubernatorial. [Goober, perhaps, but certainly not gubernatorial.]
Our State Legislature's failings are legion -- and over a much longer period of time, and without the civil strife or insurgent bombings to contend with.
Governor-elect Eliot Spitzer will have his hands full come Day One. We only hope that his body armour offers more protection than that afforded (or not) to out troops in Iraq.
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