Republicans Need Squeaky Wheels

The press has been asking if Chris Christie's outburst against his own party would hurt his Presidential prospects.  Considering the meek and mild party leaders we see before us, it figures that the consensus is yes.  I heartily disagree!  If anything, the Republicans need more like him.

First of all, Mr. Christie has never been what you might call meek.  That was part of his appeal when he was being encouraged to toss his hat in the ring this last go round.  So why the change of heart?  Are the Republicans so cowed by their opposition and even could be supporters that they have to parse every word and mannerism?

Christie was roundly criticised when he welcomed Obama for a typical PR photo op after Hurricane Sandy did its dirty deed.  He's even been blamed for Romney's loss for having given Obama a chance to look Presidential.  Let's get real here.  Obama was the man who could move things forward.  That he opted not too is hardly Christie's fault.  It was a calculated risk and one he felt necessary for the victims of the storm residing in his state.  His constituents.  Both Republicans and Democrats.  To heck with the election! He wasn't running for office and if Romney couldn't hold his own so be it.

Now, once again, he's being criticised for having blasted Speaker Boehner and Congress for not yet having gotten much needed aid to these very same victims. Blasphemy!  He criticised his own party!

Well, I'll tell you what.  Both parties could use a lot more Chris Christies.  Here is a politician that actually cares about his constituents.  If his own party isn't getting it done he's not afraid to say so.  How amazingly refreshing!

It's far too soon to determine who will be leading the pack in either party at this point.  We have four years to muddle through first.  I do know one thing, however, as I watch candidates emerge I know who I'll be comparing them against.  Yep.  Mr. Christie.

Someone who is willing to stand up and tell the people what it's all about is what we need.  Romney didn't.  He was too worried about offending someone.  Boehner and McConnell spoke among their inner circles but never got their argument out to the people nor their membership.  Communication is fast becoming a lost art.

We're so used to sound bites we have lost the patience to listen for substance.  We love flash and flourish.  It's catchy.  It's memorable even if it's an outright untruth.  We're mentally lazy.

So go for it Mr. Christie.  You may not have the eloquence of some of the other politicos waiting in the wings but you do have the substance. So you can be considered abrasive on occasion.  I can live with that it you're telling me to get off my duff and pay attention; to get with the program.

Wouldn't a whole presidential field of similar candidates be absolutely wonderful?  Squeak away Mr. Christie.  There's plenty of grease to be had.  In some circles it may be considered slime but then you know what to do with that.  Just make yourself heard.

Two Different Worlds - Ours And Theirs

We're doomed.  We really are.  We've just been witness to a spectacle that should never have happened.  You'd think with all the puffery and preening going on today Congress actually accomplished something for the people.

Well, they did if you think raising taxes as a stand alone will solve our economic woes.  It won't.  But then we know that the President has no intention of cutting spending nor containing government so we might as well accept it.

The economy is going to continue to suffer.  There will be no tax 'reform'.  Only increases.  One more time they cobbled together a 'make do' that does nothing but please the President who has declared the rich the enemy.  Strange since he depends on them so much for important things like his inaugural hoopla and campaign funds.  Well, at least that much has ended unless he figures he can run again by executive order.

Why am I so angry?  I'm angry because they can't, won't or are just plain lying about Benghazi.  I'm angry because the President can't even stick around Washington long enough to sign his shiny new legislation.  He can't wait to spend another $7,000,000 to get back to his golf games in Hawaii.  I'm  angry because while blaming the Republicans for everything the Democrats won't even bring legislation to the floor nor produce a budget in the Senate. I'm angry because the Republicans are so darn feckless.  I'm angry because they pass legislation without reading it.

Most of all I'm angry about their blatant hypocrisy.  Tax the bejabbers out of us so you can spend it on wind farms and electric cars.  But help us when we really need it?  Not a chance.  You'd think with all the pork that was extended in this new shiny legislation, like subsidies to wind farms and NASCAR teams and movie producers that they just might have put in a provision to get the aid money to the victims of Hurricane Sandy.  But no.

Did you know those poor people are still waiting?  Unsure of where they can go because the lodging  vouchers from FEMA are expiring?  Unsure if they can rebuild or get a new job or even eat?  Voting for this aid didn't have to wait. When was the hurricane?  Late October!

Why was it delayed?  Because the $60 billion tag is too expensive and there's not enough oversight for how it is to be spent.  Go ahead, Mr. Boehner.  Spend Christmas in your car in front of the house you can't inhabit and see if you still feel the same. While you're complaining about lack of oversight,  how about some oversight on how the President squanders our money on his pet projects?

And you Mr. Issa, one of the most wealthy in Congress, how dare you whine that the bill  has been sitting idle because it's filled with pork.  Yes.  It is and who's fault is that?  Yet the people of Sandy sit and wait and wait and wait.  They don't want the pork.  They want their lives back.

You're worthless.  All of you. You should all be ashamed of your self-congratulatory behavior for this past couple of weeks showboating. And we too should be ashamed that we didn't have the guts to turn you out at the polls.  All of you.  Including the President.  That's why I'm angry.

Give Up The Constitution? Are You Crazy?

As the pork laden Fiscal Cliff fiasco continues onward coupled with the President's desire to destroy the Republicans and punish the rich for no reason other than his own the thought of giving up the Constitution chills my blood.

Louis Michael Seidman, A professor of Constitutional Law at Georgetown University,  writes in The New York Times that our insistence on adhering to it is really to blame for our dysfunctional government.

It's true that it has been abused almost from it's inception right up to the present day.  It's true that many of it's provisions may seem unimportant though they were included with purpose.  To maintain a balance between the branches of government and to provide order.

I don't think it's the document that's the problem at all.  It's what we've done to it.  It's true too that many arguments base their arguments on their constitutionality when the constitution doesn't even apply.

It represents something we don't much like any more.  Structure.  Guidelines. A statement of vision. And much like the Bible or holy book of any religion, it's ripe for misinterpretation and abuse.  It's the fault of 'we the people', not the document.

Just look at our representatives now.  Many are in office thanks to the gerrymandering of districts making fair and equal elections impossible.  'We the people' allowed that.  The parties have become become such ideologues that comprehensive debate is impossible.  'We the people' allow that too.  Can you imagine what we'd have without some sort of structure no matter how tattered it may be?

Should we pick and choose that which we like and eliminate the rest?  I'd say that would be an impossible task.  We're too polarized as a people for starters.  There is a process available.  Amending it.  But amending doesn't equate with eliminating.

I cringe when I think what politicians would do if allowed to run totally amok. We're too close for comfort as is with a President who has no patience with negotiation.  Somewhere along the way he's come to think he knows what's best for us.  He lectures us.  He demeans us if we don't agree with him.  He punishes those who aren't like him, who don't fit his image of who and what we should be. And he uses his 'privilege' to get his way.

If we sacrifice our Constitution or denigrate it, such politicians will find it far more easy to achieve their goals.

President Obama is not the first President to test our trust in the Constitution, not by a long shot.  Bush did a good job of it to be sure and many others before these contemporaries of ours.

What we could use is a refresher course.  Not taught by some professor who has his own interpretation, but rather by picking up a copy along with the bill of rights and giving each a good read.

Then we should create a test, put together by 'we the people' to be given to every aspiring office holder, elected or appointed, to see if they get the gist of it.

It's past time for all sorts of change in the way our government does business.  It doesn't look promising for any time soon.  But leave the Constitution be.  It's really all we have to remind us who we are and why we exist.  If we lose that we will truly be lost.

Parenting Counts

This morning I was reading about the phenomenal success of the Washington Redskins rookie quarterback, Robert Griffin III. For a 22 year old, it read, he shows a surprising maturity that enhances an enormous talent.  Indeed.

It occurred to me if we as a people would get back to the basics, the country may yet rebound. The basics being parenting. Mr. Griffin was an army brat, if you will, hailing from a two parent family.  Both were Army sergeants and his upbringing was a reflection of their Army discipline.  I don't mean in the way of punishment, but in the pursuit of excellence.

Young Mr. Griffin went on to attend Baylor University graduating with a BA in political science with a 3.67 grade point before embarking on a Master's program in communications.  That he won the Heisman Trophy and went on to NFL success is in many ways beside the point.  I believe he would succeed at anything.

That brings me to the story of a group of young men from the San Diego area known as the Burrito Boys.  They are 13 and 14 year old friends who have made quite a name for themselves for delivering burritos to the homeless every Sunday morning for the past couple of years.

It isn't an idea the boys came up with themselves, but the result of an over the top Christmas wish list that included iPods, the latest in cell phones and so forth.  Nothing unusual for youngsters of that age this day and age.

The parents said whoa!  It's time for a life lesson here. Greed isn't good! So the parents whipped up a batch of breakfast burritos, gathered the boys and headed for the homeless. The venture has evolved from two to seven boys along with the support of their parents, business people and a full fledged non-profit.  The bounty for the homeless has grown from burritos to include everything from books to clothing to tarps and even treats for the dogs. One 14 year old vows they will continue the effort for as long as they are able.

Both are feel good stories.  Both showcase the exceptionalism that can exist among our youth.  Both are because the parents took their responsibilities seriously.  They parented.

The stories may belong to the boys but the credit belongs to the parents.  May there be multitudes of them among us.