Herding Cats

Trent Lott was on the Daily Show
promoting his book Herding Cats.

It was a simple discussion, one that is getting more and more common...
and it got me thinking.

He and Jon Stewart discussed the sense that there is just no one in charge of Congress...and Lott pointed out that really, no one is: there is a series of committees.

I am almost sad about how much the Foley content took over their dialogue, but I guess something like that is the issue: how do immoral people end up in charge? Do Republicans really deserve to have the majority?

What makes it alarming is that some news organizations knew about it before it happened and a member of Congress who were allegedly told about similar incidents, Hastert, denies all knowledge! Sure, some things raised a red flag...but no follow up, no questioning.

I expect my representatives to question each other, no matter what side of the political fence they are on.

Lott has it right, we need to have more of a vision of where we want to go in the future and how we can avoid the same mistakes!

It is certainly creepy that a man interested in sexual relations with minors was drafting legislation to address issues of missing and exploited children...but in the scheme of things might not be that strange...and may be no more alarming than men with interests in oil and industry spearheading a war that would secure both oil and large scale contracts for rebuilding and providing meals to military men.

I imagine that a man who wrestles with his own inner pervert really knows how much of an issue missing and exploited children can be...and I do believe there is reform for people like Foley, who when well and considerate of appropriate boundaries can work on the efforts to promote safety and well-being of children.

Scandalous behavior like Foley's will likely lengthen the shadow that has been falling across republicans. Hopefully, they will lose their dominance in Congress. Unfortunately, I would feel even better about the issue of who has dominance if I felt like democrats were more active across the board.

It may be that no matter what group holds dominance in Congress, the issue of herding cats will still be present.

As citizens and voters we can only hope that the people we vote into office will not turn a blind eye to any sort of inappropriate behavior or wrong doing! And, it is not just on the national level: we need all our representatives at any level to be up to the challenge of calling people to the floor when they are misbehaving or inappropriate.

I wonder what it is that makes any kind of social movement a lot like herding cats...a bunsh of people who are demanding to be heard are promoting their pet causes and who expect to be able to do what they want when they want it and to hell with all the people who are not willing to lick their fur.

I hope people vote, more people than usual...politics may be a lot like herding cats...committees can be slow machines, but this does not mean that nothing will happen.

There are ways to move past the feeling of a lack of leadership...part of it will come from the grassroots up.

Show your enthusiasm: vote, write representatives; go to community mettings; run for office; write letters to the editor; draft policy agendas; donate to politicans and causes; watch the news; read the paper; talk politics with your friends, family, and neighbors--and not just national politics"

And when you do talk politics and issues: actually try to come up with a solution.


Please try to do all of this and pick candidates that have a vision and who are willing to listen and question as well as lead.