The Bipartisan Art of Procrastinating And Rushing?

Rushing -- 

America was rushed to war in Iraq because "Saddam Hussein posed an imminent threat to our national security. They said he had weapons of mass destruction. To date, WMDs have not been found.  US troops are still in Iraq.  Anyone who didn't support this rush to war was "unpatriotic."

Procrastinating -- 

Scientists predicted ten years before Hurricane Katrina that the erosion of the Louisiana wetlands could result in catastrophic consequences for New Orleans in the event of a category 3, or higher hurricane.  Yet nothing was done to improve the city's infrastructure.  Katrina came, the 9th ward flooded,  the Civic Center became hell on earth and people waited for days for help because no one had a plan.  Kanye West hurt the President's feeling when he said, "Bush hates Black people."  The White House and Congress rushed to put together an aid package for hurricane victims.  Months later Republicans were filibustering on the House floor about the mismanagement of those funds.  The former President still hasn't gotten over Mr. West's comment.

Rushing ---

In spite of years of advance warnings from numerous economists, former President Bush's parting gift to the American people was an 11th hour vote on a bank bailout.  We were told that if we didn't rush to bail out the banks: credit would dry up; companies wouldn't be able to make payroll; ATM machines might be empty; and, life as we know it would end.  The banks were bailed out but: they still refused to extend credit; companies downsized; unemployment went up; and the TARP oversight panel had a problem figuring out where the money was spent. 

And now once again,

Procrastinating and Rushing 

The Bush era tax cuts were set to expire at the end of this year.  Both Republicans and Democrats have known this for ten years.   So no surprises here.  Yet, the American people are now being told that if Congress doesn't rush to pass a bill that will include extending the Bush tax cuts for the top 2% and will add an additional $900 billion to the national debt (short-term they say) that poor and working class people, who have been hit the hardest by the recession, will needlessly suffer when their taxes are increased in January.  Anyone that has a problem with this must be racist, jealous of the rich or a sanctimonious liberal that can't relate to the sufferings of working class people in the rust belt.