Blog Stage Three

I found a really interesting commentary in the Austin American Statesman entitled Ditch the Do- Nothing Congress. In this commentary, the author (Rueben Navarette, of the San Diego Union- Tribune ) is addressing all Americans, all voters. In this commentary, Navarette talks of the ineffective way Congress handled the Bailout Bill that was proposed and initially rejected by Congress. One method he used in this commentary that I thought was very effective was his neutral (at least party-wise) commentary. He did not lean to the left or the right more in his comments, he only presented the facts, and actually said negative things about both parties, leaving the reader to judge for themselves how they feel about the situation. I think that this was a good idea, because simply stated the facts, but still showed where he stood on the issue. He didn't make it a party issue, he made it about Congress as a whole. I think that this author has a great credibiility because he works for an already established newspaper. He's not just some guy writing his opinions on "that crazy Congress." He's obviously done his research and it's evident that he knows about the subject he is adressing. Navarette argues that Congress needed to act more urgently in the Bailout Bill passage, and that they don't understand how to deal with crises or important issues. He alludes to previous issues which Congress has "dodged", such as Social Security and the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind initiative. He embeded several facts into his commentary, about who did and said certain things, and how those comments effected the passage of the bill. At the end of his commentary, Navarette encouraged Americans not to put up with a "do-nothing Congress". I think that this is an effective closing statement because it urges the reader to become active in the legislative process, whether it be by voting for different representatives or writing a letter to his/her representative. All in all, I think this was a very effective essay, and I do agree with most of what Navarette said. I think that Congress does need to act more urgently when matters require it to, and I think that Navarette was right on.