The Congress of the United States has reconvened in Washington, D.C., but don't expect Congress to legislate on behalf of the American people.
The Republican Party will spend the next 30 days trying to make you afraid. It is the Republican midterm election strategy.
For the rest of September, until the moment Republican leaders gavel the Congress into adjournment, Republican speakers will rise and implore the American people to be afraid.
Republicans will call it security, and every time they do, just remember they are speaking in code. Republicans really mean insecurity.
During September, Republicans will wield the gavel, but they will not make America safer.
We will not consider, much less pass, legislation to better protect our ports. We know what needs to be done, but Republicans are hard on rhetoric and soft on action.
Republicans are going to use their insecure code word so often that I hope Lou Dobbs, Jon Stewart, and others keep track, and remind people daily of how often Republicans are willing to talk, and how little they are willing to act.
After America was attacked on 9/11, the finest military on earth--- the United States Armed Forces--- was sent to Afghanistan to hunt down bin Laden and stop the Taliban. They did a magnificent job until U.S. soldiers were ordered to leave before the job was done. We don't have bin Laden and Afghanistan is looking more like Iraq every hour.
A Republican Administration is responsible for diverting our military, draining our treasury, destroying our credibility, and making America less safe.
The American people know that Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11, but the Administration denies the intelligence. Instead, the President mechanically recites his stay the course PR line.
The American people know we are off course and adrift in a sea of violence. U.S. soldiers are not fighting a war on terror in Iraq. They are targets in a civil war among Iraqis.
When Republicans parade to the rostrum to outdo each other in using their insecurity code word, think of how insecure our soldiers are.
Republicans keep saying things are getting better. That is disproved by their own Defense Secretary Rumsfeld, who ordered another 13,000 U.S. soldiers into Iraq recently. There are now 140,000 U.S. soldiers surrounded by civil war.
After 2,653 American lives lost, and 19,600 wounded Americans, the country deserves Democratic leadership that knows the Republican plan to stay the course is the most insecure plan for our soldiers, this nation, and the Iraqi people.
Republicans will spend the next 30 days trying to stay in power, nothing more. They will say their insecurity code word over and over, but they won't pass the recommendations of the bi-partisan 9/11 commission.
Republicans won't bring up immigration legislation intended to make our borders safer.
Republicans won't address reforms to make Social Security safer.
Republicans won't bring up legislation to end taxpayer subsidies for Big Oil, or launch a national campaign to end our addiction to oil.
Instead, Republicans will tell you to be afraid unless you pay through the nose at the pump, and Big Oil drills in every pristine environment left on the planet.
Republicans will tell you to be afraid for Social Security unless they give your benefits to Wall Street, so you might have holdings like Enron.
Republicans will tell you to be afraid unless they can mortgage America's 22nd century, so that today's super rich can just have more.
Republicans had their chance and squandered it, leaving the American people with monstrous debt.
Republicans had their chance and used it to divert America away from the real war on terror.
Republicans are calling this Security September.
Just remember to be afraid....afraid of what else Republicans will do if they remain in power after the November election.