What Speaker Pelosi should say, after but regardless of Bush's speech

[garthranzz]

First, to our Republican colleagues across the aisle, I want to assure you that in deliberation of the issues, your voices will be heard - provided you join us in honest debate. When decisions are made, your concerns will be considered, provided they are the concerns of citizens and not K-street. We recognize that ideas must be tested, that easy solutions are usually neither, and that to be worthy of the mandate the American people have given the Democratic party in the House of Representatives, we must acknowledge that mandate. So let me state what that mandate is: The American people do not want a culture of corruption. They do not want politics of spin, smoke and smear. They do not want lies. They do not want to be ignored. What the American people want is what, I hope, most of us want. They want to be trusted - and to be able to trust. They want the truth, even - especially - when it is difficult. They want to understand what decisions we make, how we make them, and why we make them. They want a level playing field. They want our parties to be principled, not partisan. They want to know that we in the House of Representatives have a special interest, a special interest in perfecting this Union, establishing Justice, insuring domestic Tranquility, providing for the common defence, promoting the general Welfare, and securing the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, They want us to prove that indeed we have, and are beholden to, a special interest - and that special interest is the the people of the United States.

Here is our agenda: first, guaranteeing that elections are fair, honest, transparent and accountable. Sine qua non. Without this, nothing. This means we will not only craft legislation for the future, but investigate elections of the past. Without this, nothing. Unless and until the American people are confident that one person, one vote, and that not only does every vote count, but we want every vote to count, even, especially, if we might lose - until then we will not restore the trust nor deserve the respect of the citizens we have sworn to serve. Sine qua non. Without this, nothing.

Second, we will end the culture of corruption. We will not tolerate any representative, Democrat or Republican, who takes bribes, abuses his or her position, violates the code of conduct and the standards of decency, as enshrined in our rules. We will have an Ethics Committee of which the American people can be proud. We invite you to participate. Even more, we need you to participate. Ethics and good government is, and ought to be, bi-partisan. No. They must be non-partisan. Membership in a party does not guarantee propriety; pins do not promise probity. In this, be our mirror, our better selves, as we will be for you.

Third, enact the recommendations of the 9/11 commission. We know that your concern for the general welfare, for the common defense, for the blessing of liberty, is as sincere as our own. We know, though, that in times of crisis and under pressure, we sometimes act in haste, without proper consideration of consequences. Legislation, recently passed, that traduces Franklin's maxim, those who would sacrifice essential liberties for a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety, will be repealed. But we know that to provide for the common defense, we must investigate, we must be vigilant. In order to form that more perfect Union, be vigilant with us, investigate with us, legislate with us.

Fourth, we will examine the budget, the deficit, the approach to health care, to education - the issues that establish Justice and insure domestic Tranquility. These are not simple problems, reducible to simplistic answers. Yet, the American people have given us a mandate and demanded we take our country in a new direction. We invite you, we ask you, we implore you to join us in this journey.

Let me just say a word about scientific research. Or rather, let me quote a brave American, Michael J. Fox. "Science is a big part of the American story, and we need to start writing a new chapter. What kind of faith do we have in our scientists? Why are we not trusting them? Why are we not trusting our own morality as a nation, our own sense of ethics, to oversee this, to do the right thing?" He also said, and this applies to all the issues confronting us: "We all have a right to speak up and say what we think is right and we all have a right to fight for things that we believe in." But, to paraphrase him, we must not only examine our own positions rigorously, guided by faith and reason, integrity and intellect, we must also respect the integrity, the faith and the intelletual honesty of those who disagree with us.

Know, then, that while we will proceed, we want you with us. Our direction and principles are set, but the details and procedures are yet to be determined. Engage us, influence us, even oppose us - but do not demean us, do not demonize us, do not dismiss us - and we shall not either. For as the great Talmudic sage said, that which is hateful to you, do not do to others. As we reach across the aisle, let us remember those words.

To our colleagues in the Senate, congratulations and welcome. It would be presumptuous of me to say more, other than we anticipate working together.

To Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney, we cannot offer reconciliation or cooperation. You have all but branded us traitors. You have lied about and to us. You have over-stepped the bounds of civility and acceptable political tactics. You have cheated the American people, attempted to intimidate and defraud our citizens. You invoke September 11 to deceive and mislead. On that day, we gave you our trust and our support and you have betrayed them both. What you should have offered then, and could have offered any time until yesterday, you have not; that you offer it now - even beg for it - means nothing. You cannot expect us, when you have impugned our character, to ignore yours. You cannot expect our hand when you have spat in our face. You cannot expect us, villified, to overlook your villainy. The curtain has been pulled away from the wizard and the delusional revealed. The American people have repudiated you; they will not stay the course with you, and neither shall we. The American people have rejected you and all you stand for. That is the true "mission accomplished."

We have a choice of many words, many sayings from our predecessors, with which to end. I choose these words from a writer who has been called the greatest American writer, Mark Twain: "But we are fearfully and wonderfully made, and we glorious Americans will occasionally astonish the God that created us when we get a fair start." Thanks to citizens, we in the House of Representatives have been give a fair start. And may we indeed astonish the God that created us.

[truthisfreedom]

1. I'd make it simpler. The first meeting with bush: "Fire rove, then we'll talk."

see how easy that was?