The Blame Game - Everyone Owns A Share

It has been awhile since I've seen so may fingers pointing.  If it was live fire it would be mass murder.  This budget mess.

Let's be clear.  It is the fault of the Democrats. It was their responsibility last October to get a budget in place for the current fiscal year.  They had both the House and the Senate.  They could have gotten anything they wanted.  Why didn't they?  Fear?  That the American public might balk at the spending they wanted and turn them out of office?  Well, it happened anyway!

The Republicans now have the House.  The budget we're talking about needs only to last the remainder of this fiscal year - September!  Why this insane bickering over a really small amount of money and a short period of time when the disagreement may close down the government! The Tea Party won't budge and Boehner seems not  to be willing to go against them.  I was so afraid this would happen.

At the moment the conservatives are the squeaky wheel.  Where are the rest of us?  We need to be trying to talk some sense into them.  Somewhere along the line they are convinced this is what the people want.  Well, not this person!

You'll note a couple of things in what to expect in a - the military will not get paid until the shutdown is over and Congress will!  What's wrong with that picture?  Consider how many of those military families are living from pay check to paycheck with the help of food stamps to begin with!  You've got to love it.  The military doesn't get paid for doing their job and Congress does get paid for not doing theirs!

Get beyond your special interests!  Do what the people really want.  Take the cuts that have been agreed upon and pass the blasted budget!

While I'm at it, this whole process is pointing to another man to be the Republican nominee for President even though he has said he isn't interested.  Paul Ryan.  No one understands the budget process better than he does.  No one can better explain it to the people.  He has created the frame work and more for the 2012 budget and it will be at the forefront of all conversation, negotiation, name calling and argument other than war between now and October.  His is the name that will be known.  He is the one who has had the courage to put together a plan that is necessary if we want to remain solvent.

That he can take a hard stand on a difficult matter is fact. I'd think he would be as thorough on foreign policy were he to become President.  Sigh.

This is a double pronged post to be sure.  Why is it I fear both are no more than wishful thinking?

The Union Label

"Bully" might do.  As the President goes off to campaign,  the Congress struggles over the budget.  A supreme court justice in Wisconsin is fighting for his career because he is in agreement with the governor's stand on reigning in public sector union demands.  He's not the only governor taking those stands.

What is it that people don't understand about the fact this country is flat broke.  No.  Worse than that.  In debt over our heads and then some.

So what are the unions in parts of Ohio doing?  Asking that businesses put a sign in their window saying they support the unions.  Those who do not are threatened with having their business boycotted.  So much for freedom of choice.

Others have tried to stay neutral and were told neutral is the same as "no".  This is intimidation and bullying.  Period.   Some have suggested they've taken the signs because union people are customers. Fine, but what about those  customers who are not members of  unions? Don't they count too? Those whose tax dollars are going to pay those demands?  That may prove to be a boycott in of itself because the tax burden is getting to be such that they can't afford to shop those businesses.

Our government has to share the blame.  Forget Obama,  he's always been pro union and pro spending.  But the government as a whole, for decades,  has taken spending to new heights and borrowing to reach them.  They are not unlike the unions.  This is what we want, this is what we will have or else.  Or else what?  What happens when no one will lend us money any more? The dollar is worthless in world markets. Will the treasury print it?  Then we will collapse.

When the President says about high gas prices, "Get used to them" while pushing "clean" energy that is no where nearly well enough developed for reasonable mass consumption, and telling the Republicans getting their way isn't the way it works sounds just like he did with the health care issue.  It's his way or the highway.  Just like the unions.  It's their way or the highway.

We are as politically polarized as we've ever been with no change in site.  Even the Tea Party is polarizing.  They are not willing to compromise either.  Will any other incarnation of a political movement?  Probably not.

Next year when the President gives his State of the Union address, it will be just that.  We're just one big Union making demands we can no longer afford.  Everyone has the answer, as long as their special interests and perks are not affected. That means, in reality, no one has the answer. No one is willing to bend.  From the top of the political spectrum, the President, right down to the guy living next door.

It's not that our heads are in the sand.  We know the situation.  I guess not enough of us care enough to facilitate change.  Especially those in a position to do so.  So as we do little more than butt heads, the world moves away from us.  Has anyone noticed?  Does anyone care?

The One Billion Dollar Man

To no ones surprise, today President Obama announced he is running for re-election.  The dollar amount his campaign wants to raise is what astounds me.  One billion dollars.  How many of us can comprehend that amount?  Especially those without jobs nor with any prospects expected in the foreseeable future. Those who's homes are being foreclosed on.  Those who can't afford to buy a tank of gas to get to work if lucky enough to have a job.  Those who can't put a nourishing meal on the table because the cost of nourishing food is through the roof.

It seems campaign spending has gotten as ludicrous as campaign promises - like hope and change.  Here is a man who at best deserves a gentleman's "C" for his performance.  I don't see that changing over the next couple of years.  One, he doesn't have the House with him so it will slow down his domestic agenda and two, his foreign policy is murky at best.  We're still at war.  Guantanamo is still open.  Gays can not yet serve openly in the military.  Health care reform is all over the map.  Drilling has yet to be resumed in the Gulf.  These are just popping into my head as I write.  I know I'm down on this President, but still, nothing is coming to mind as a great success.

One billion dollars.  That money could be spent so much better than being put into the pockets of strategists and ad campaigns distorting the records of those in opposition!  One billion dollars.  I just can't get my head around it.

If he were a wildly popular President, no where near that much would be necessary.  It makes me wonder if his insiders think he's even worse than I do in thinking that kind of money will be needed.  Heck he doesn't even have a credible opponent yet!

Let's face it, who are we looking at?  Palin and Bachmann.  I don't think so.  Pawlenty.  Who's he?  The stout guy from Mississippi.  The Morman.  Trump?  You've got to be kidding.  Giuliani?  That's digging deep.  He'd have to show up before Florida.  And last, but not least, I heard today Jesse Ventura would consider running with Ron Paul!

What a choice.  One billion dollars?  I'd think maybe $1.95 plus tax might cover it.

Terry Jones Is A Very Lucky Man

Back in March when I first heard that Reverend Terry Jones finally got the Koran burned, I knew word would get out and no good would come of it.  I hope he is pleased with himself and can live with the fact that people who are not even Americans died for his action.

I really do not understand how, in this particular case, the people of Afghanistan, think.  They seem to be the ones rioting and slaying over Reverend Jones's action.  Not having any Americans handy they went after the UN who is in their country to do nothing but help.  Some thanks.

As of today, I've not heard of rioting in any other part of the Muslim world.  Of course that could be they are too busy with the myriad of civil wars being fought. More important is that I've not seen nor heard anything from the American Muslims.   They have every right to be offended.  What puzzles me is two fold.  One that they have said nothing about the Reverend Jones and two, they have said nothing about the rioting in Afghanistan.  The silence is deafening.

It goes back to the question about where are the moderate Muslims.  Why are they not speaking out or is the media just not covering it?  It it the fear factor.  The fear of what will happen from the extremist fringe within their own community and/or fear of what non-Muslim reaction would be.

It must be a very frustrating way to live, not knowing which "enemy" is the worst.  That they have not fought fire with fire in this country, where the desecration took place, is to be commended.  One day, however, one of these men of "God", be it Jones or the Westboro Baptist Church crowd or someone of their ilk, is going to push the envelope too far and even the most constrained of us is going to say enough is enough.

If that happens it will be a god awful mess no matter what god is worshipped.

The Tea Party Has A Lot To Learn About Politics

A little bit of power can be a dangerous thing.  Take the Tea Party.  They've had one minor success and they now seem to think everything should be their way or not at all.  Wrong.

What they're doing is the very thing the Democrats did when they held both houses of Congress.  Trying to ram through legislation by threat and intimidation.  Who needs that again?

They claim they were elected on the issue of trimming the budget. It is their mandate. The Republican leadership has worked out a compromise with the Democrats, but that isn't enough for the Tea Partiers.  They want more even if it means shutting down the government and all that goes with it.  It would be a huge mistake and a swell way to get the independents of the country to turn against them. What they don't seem to get is that politics is a game of compromise.  They saw what happened when the Democrats abandoned those rules in 2008.  They lost. Now they are falling prey to it.  Consider their own leadership was urging small steps during the health care debacle.  Now , rather than following that philosophy with the budget, they want to take up the Democrats way.  Force and intimidation.  They are not yet strong enough to be able to include bribery.

Being bull headed will get them no where in the long run.  They have to realize all Republicans  do not nor  ever will ascribe to their far right tendencies guised as Conservatism.  And they cannot win with just those who do.

I don't think they even realize they lost the Senate for the Republicans by turning out good party members because they weren't conservative enough.  They are threatening to go after more in 2012.  What they're likely to do is lose the house again too.

Scott Brown of Massachusetts is one they are highlighting, as well as Speaker Boehner.  Boehner understands well how the game is played.  Brown too understands politics.  Turn them out at your own peril.

It's easy to stand on the outside and criticise.  Like arm chair quarterbacking.  I've heard everyone from Newt to Sarah to Michelle Bachmann rant about what they are against and what they are for.  What I've yet to hear is how they are going to accomplish it. I'm listening.

 It isn't going to be by mimicking the Democrats of the last Congress and demanding all things be their way.  That will make their tea dark and bitter and many will throw it out rather than drink it.