Praiseworthy Democrats

Two Democratic politicians have recently earned my praise:
1) One of our Illinois U.S. Senators, Barak Obama, for co-sponsoring (with Republican Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma) S2590, the recently-passed Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006. This bill, also passed by the House, and on its way to the President (who expects to sign it), does not directly cut any waste from government spending. However, it does require those sponsoring such waste to do so openly rather than in secret as has become increasingly common of late.

This is one of those rare issues on which both those who think government should do more, and those who think government should do less can agree -- that whatever government does should be done openly and above board rather than in secret. Sunlight is, as they say, the best disinfectant.

(Our Congressman, Republican Mark Kirk also gets honorary mention on this one, for daring to put the final nail in the coffin of "the Bridge to Nowhere" so vigorously defended by porkmeister Republican U.S. Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska. But for Kirk's action, Stevens might despite everything done this year to stop him have nonetheless succeeded in getting the Bridge to Nowhere built with federal funds.)

2) Mayor Richard J. Daley of Chicago, for successfully vetoing a proposed "big box" city ordinance that would have driven more businesses such as Wal-Mart just outside the city limits, thereby harming mostly the poor in Chicago. Although I'm not a city resident, it's always a joy for me when a politician, and particularly a Democratic politician displays at least a rudimentary knowledge of economics.

However laudable the stated aims of the "big box" ordinance, its actual effect would have been to harm the city and its poorest residents.