On the Upswing

Can't wait for election day
Witness the occupation
Corporations rule the day
Well you know the pendulum throws
Farther out to the one side, swinging
Has to sweep back the other way

"Undone" Pearl Jam

Don't you just love those weeks when everything seems to go right. When the good news comes in bunches day after day. Well, that was what last week was like for me. The political pendulum has swung back the other way... finally.

Whatever your political leanings one thing is for sure, the Democrats retaking of both Congress and the House of Representatives is a major victory for anyone who considers himself/herself an environmentalist. While the Democrat's slight majority in both houses doesn't ensure that everything that they bring to a vote will pass (especially with President Bush holding veto power) it does something very important. It puts Democrats back in charge of many powerful committees.

Environment and Public Works Committee chairman James Inhofe (R-OK), who refers to the widely accepted scientific theory of global warming as the "greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people" will be replaced by Barbara Boxer (D-CA). Good riddance.

Rep. Richard Pombo (R-CA), head of the House Resources Committee was defeated by challenger Jerry McNerney. Since 1995 Pombo has made it a top priority to weaken/eliminate the Endangered Species Act. Good riddance.

Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) is expected to become chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Jon Tester (D-MT) , organic farmer and friend of Pearl Jam, won his race. Even in my adopted state of CT where the Democrat (Ned Lamont) lost his race with Joe Lieberman, its not bad news. Every election should give you a choice between a Democrat and a slightly different Democrat.

But this win means nothing if our elected officials can't do the most with the time that they have in power. The next election is in two short years... and the pendulum only swings each way for so long.