THE RHETORIC IS THE REALITY:

The President's power (Robert Novak, November 18, 2002, Townhall.com)

Republican leaders of Congress are leaving the capital surprised, a bit dazed and not entirely happy about the short but eventful lame-duck session of Congress. George W. Bush, buoyed by the election returns of Nov. 5, called the tune as never before, with meaningful implications for the future.

The GOP leadership of both the House and Senate wanted to do as little as possible and then leave town soon after they returned following the mid-term election. President Bush had other plans. He forced passage of two long-stalled bills -- creating a Department of Homeland Security and providing terrorism insurance -- which the legislative leaders wanted to leave for the new Congress convening in January.

Whatever the legislation's merits, Bush for seven days in November exhibited a presidential will to dominate Congress not seen since Lyndon Johnson. That, along with Republican recapture of the Senate, promises an altered Washington next year. Sept. 11, 2001, brought forth a new George W. Bush, and Nov. 5, 2002, appears to have yielded a newer Bush.

Congress, immobilized by a Democratic Senate confronting a Republican House, sleepwalked into a lame-duck session nobody really wanted. Failing to complete appropriations bills, the lawmakers had to come back to keep the government running well into January (when the new Congress would be serious) by passing a continuing resolution.

Nobody regarded Bush's exhortations to pass the homeland security and terrorism insurance bills as more than mid-term campaign oratory.

Will the next person who thinks this President is merely engaging in "oratory" please smack himself upside the head. Posted by Orrin Judd at November 18, 2002 9:34 AM