Boxer fights

11.41 a.m. 5 February 2009. Barbara Boxer responding to Lindsey Graham, whom had just previously displayed the bill, and the near ream of paper it was printed upon.*:

I find it really rather amazing that the senator is holding up a bill. Holding up a bill ― theatrical. (small chortle) Did you ever do that when George Bush was president and he sent down a bill twice as big as that? Did he ever do that?...d ev ya...Cause you can do that, that's theatrics. You can do that.

The petite, californian senator has repeatedly, almost, reflexively countered punched preening, overstepping arrogance. Inhofe tried to assume power over Al Gore’s testimony 21 March 2007:

BOXER:Would you agree to let the Vice President answer your questions? And then, if you want an extra few minutes at the end, I'm happy to give it to you. But we're not going to get anywhere --
INHOFE: Why don't we do this? Why don't we do this? At the end, you can have as much time as you want to answer all the questions.
BOXER: No, that isn't the rule of -- you're not making the rules. You used to when you did this. (holding gavel) You don't do this anymore. Elections have consequences.

At Rice’s confirmation hearing, 19 January 2005, Boxer was not allowing Rice to clench, stall and prevaricate:

MS. RICE: ... ... And so we knew what his intentions were in the region; where he had attacked his neighbors before and, in fact, tried to annex Kuwait; where we had gone to war against him twice in the past. It was the total picture, Senator, not just weapons of mass destruction, that caused us to decide that, post-September 11th, it was finally time to deal with Saddam Hussein.
SEN. BOXER: Well, you should read what we voted on when we voted to support the war, which I did not, but most of my colleagues did. It was WMD, period. That was the reason and the causation for that, you know, particular vote.
But, again, I just feel you quote President Bush when it suits you but you contradicted him when he said, "Yes, Saddam could have a nuclear weapon in less than a year." You go on television nine months later and said, "Nobody ever said it was" --
MS. RICE: Senator, that was just a question of pointing out to people that there was an uncertainty. No one was saying that he would have to have a weapon within a year for it to be worth it to go to war.
SEN. BOXER: Well, if you can't admit to this mistake, I hope that you'll --
MS. RICE: Senator, we can have this discussion in any way that you would like. But I really hope that you will refrain from impugning my integrity. Thank you very much.
SEN. BOXER: I'm not. I'm just quoting what you said. You contradicted the president and you contradicted yourself.
MS. RICE: Senator, I'm happy to continue the discussion, but I really hope that you will not imply that I take the truth lightly.
SEN. LUGAR: Let me intervene at this point.

While I can not agree, or disagree, approve, or disapprove with every cause, statement or action a politician, or any individual stands for or commits, I am impressed with the mien of this woman. She will, even as part of a small minority† or alone, speak up for what is right, or what she believes is right. She repeatedly confronts bullshit, and does not back down.
________________
*Now, I saw this broadcast, locally, on the PBS channel, not on their own news broadcast, but on the BBC’s, nor did I see it on another broadcast. I have found, again and again, non-american news sources covering and describing the more salient and telling information on american politics, often in more direct and honest language. The rest of the world has been slow to adopt american coined euphemisms and obfuscations.
†She along with Feingold and Harkin voted to censure bush junior on illegal wiretapping 31 March 2006.
She was the only senator to object to Ohio’s electoral vote 6 January 2005.

noto bene: I realise she is not always right. She is an extreme abortion supporter, and has shown hostility to catholicism on, at least, that and related matters. On those matters, she is equally pugnacious.