US Democracy Shows Signs of Revival

Much has been written about the recent elections that voted the Democrats back in control of both houses of the U.S. congress. So I'll spare election analysis here. This news item just caught my eye:

U.S. rep to the UN may not get Senate approval

Here is a tribute to the defeated Republican Rhode Island Senator Lincoln Chafee for upholding a high principle of democracy: honoring electoral wishes when he wasn't legally required to do so. For those not fully familiar with the US system, Chafee continues to be a Senator and a member of the Senate foreign relations committee until the new slate swears in early 2007.

Recognizing the electoral mandate for changing the world-alienating course of Bush administration's disastrous foreign policy, in the lame duck session Chafee will not vote to confirm the nomination of the much-despised and out-of-touch US appointee to the UN.

Sen. Lincoln Chafee, a Republican who represents Rhode Island, said he will continue to oppose Bolton's nomination. Chafee lost to Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse on Tuesday, but his continued opposition while a member of the Senate foreign relations committee means that the Republicans will not have the votes they need to push his nomination from the committee to the full Senate.

"The American people have spoken out against the president's agenda on a number of fronts, and presumably one of those is on foreign policy," Chafee said. "And at this late stage in my term, I'm not going to endorse something the American people have spoken out against."

A fine sentiment indeed!