Egocentric Government - It Has Nothing To Do With Us

I've been thinking about why politicians, from the President on down are so bull headed and nasty.  They are a totally egocentric bunch and we are left out of the equation.

I won't say that all members of Congress are stupid though they certainly act that way more often than not. Those who do, do it for survival. This last debacle is the perfect example of how and why.

Ted Cruz has presidential ambitions.  That's a given.  To succeed he has to gain an edge on his would be competitors so he gambled  by tying Obamacare defunding to the budget and default debate.  He lost.  It isn't that he wasn't forewarned that it was a suicide march.  Everyone from more experienced colleagues to constituents  to pundits told him so but he did it anyway.  Why?

He'll be the first to tell us it was for us.  I don't think so.  It was for his own future.  Not because he didn't know better but because the 31 year old President of Heritage Action, the one who orchestrated the whole ordeal, used his position to threaten sitting officials with primary challenges.

So who is this power monger, Michael Needham?  He's president of Heritage Action, the lobbying arm of the Heritage Foundation, probably the best known of the conservative think tanks.  To me, advanced in years as I am, I question the wisdom of a 31 year old. As with Obama, he lacks the real world experience to be dictating policy.  But dictate he did.

Now he admits, after the damage has been done, that Obamacare won't be repealed until at least 2016 if at all but is proud as punch of the uproar he caused.  He figured we wouldn't get how bad this legislation has been constructed by ourselves.  No one is so obtuse as to not have noticed the roll out thus far has been a disaster.

I'm tired of the influence these think tanks hold over our politicians.  And tired of how our politicians bow to them. If they were truly serving their constituents they wouldn't be following Pied Pipers of the special interest groups.  It is, however, all about the money that will flow to their future campaigns if the bidding is done.

Consider the Heritage Foundation for just a minute.  It's current President is former Senator Jim DeMint, R-SC.  He is an ideologue happy being surrounded with fellow ideologues even if it means losing. No political party can survive with this type of governing philosophy.

This is but one example of many.  All parties fall prey to the such movements.  They distort truth to the point it's difficult to decipher.  We lose.

I had a brief moment of hope when I saw four people introduced to debate the budget issues before the next go round.  It lasted until I read that the entire committee will consist of 29 members. People with agendas made that decision.  Twenty nine ideologues in one room.  What do you get?  Nothing. we've been there and done that how many times?

One more time.  We lose.  Special interests and outside influences other than constituents be damned!

Government - Why We Disparage Them

So tell me, does the widow of a Senator worth 56.8 million dollars really need a token gift of one year of his Senate salary -  $174,000?

Does the President really deserve an unlimited debt ceiling when he's borrowing to pay interest on the interest of our loans?  Interest on the interest!

What sort of message is sent when Harry Reid agreed to increase spending on a construction project in Mitch McConnell's Kentucky to get his cooperation? Increase it by $1.71 billion.  Billion!

The middle of February the whole process begins again.  What have we gained?  Absolutely nothing.  The administration has no intention of cutting spending nor fixing a very broken Obamacare system.  The Tea Party has no intention of trying to reconcile with rank and file Republicans.  Perhaps it's time for them to form their own party and see if they can maintain their solidarity.  They may find being vocal is nothing more than being vocal.

Perhaps the best thing that could happen at this point is for them to go on recess . Excuse me.  Wrong terminology.  When the Senate is on recess it's referred to as State Work Periods; the House calls theirs Constituent Work Weeks. How often do you see any of your representatives during these periods?  I figure they work about as much on recess as they do in Washington which isn't much.  Maybe with the current climate it's better that way.

Today being the 17th of October, the linked recess calendar shows they have a total of 23 days out of 49 during which both houses will be in session. That would take us to Christmas eve, not counting week ends.  In that time they need to figure out what they're going to do when the funding issue comes due again plus the President says he wants immigration reform done. Ha!  And don't forget Obamacare.

It's said they do a lot of work while on these recesses but it's not the same as sitting down and talking with your colleagues.  Personally I don't see much happening other than the usual bickering after the lull  from this last go round becomes history.  Frankly, I don't see much happening until we get an entirely new administration in place which unfortunately is three years away.  For that I'll be looking at governors who have track records. I'm tired of amateurs who think we're too unaware to know they are just that.  I'm leaving Tea Parties for little girls or the Brits.  If I want nastiness I'll look to comments on everything politic on the web.  If I want malaise I'll look at our current government.  For pure peace of mind I'll open my window and listen to the flow of our water fall.

The White House Garden - What A Waste

The White House garden is rotting in the ground. It is not only a waste but a disgrace. So the birds and squirrels are having some fine dining.  What a shame the fresh goods couldn't have gone to food bank, charities or the families of the school kids who helped plant it.

Why, if they helped plant it could they not help harvest it?  They have in years past.  Security?  Some youngster might be a terrorist in overalls?  They couldn't be vetted?  There is enough secret service roaming around the White House grounds they could have kept a close enough eye on the garden area.  Plus, what's wrong with Mrs. Obama, her mother and the girls? Can't they get their hands a little dirty? It's not like the garden had to be harvested all in one day.

There are so many ways for this to have been done without using government non-essential personnel it isn't even funny.  The First Lady should be ashamed of herself.

Of all the waste the government is responsible for, this is one area where it didn't have to be. A little imagination and some elbow grease would have gotten it done. The optics are terrible, the waste a disgrace. Blaming the government shut down for it makes it worse.

I've always thought the Obamas have a tin ear.  This hasn't changed my opinion.

...And The Beat Goes On...

The continuing soap opera coming out of D.C. would be laughable if it wasn't so serious.

First thing this morning, west coast time, we waited anxiously for Speaker Boehner and the House leadership to announce a new plan.  Last night they had been cut of of the dealing due to lack of movement and the Senate was said to be making progress.

Well, you can't have that! Finally after much delay the Republican leadership paraded before the microphones and cameras to tell us they didn't have a plan yet but were definitely working for for fairness for all the people.

You'd think by now they'd realize that Obamacare is off limits in these negotiations but those squeaky wheels insist on beating their heads against the wall. It's time for Speaker Boehner and his fellow moderates come up with a new strategy.  The Tea Party element is killing them.  So here's the new strategy.

Quit worrying about being challenged in the primaries by Tea Party approved candidates.  They're making such a bad name for themselves they're ruining their own chances.  Let's face it, if it hadn't been for them the CR and debt limit would be old news by now.  Until the next time, I grant you.

But it gets worse. I was listening to the noon news and heard Ted Cruz and a conglomeration of Tea Part cronies from both the House and Senate were huddling in  secret in the basement of a gin joint called Tortilla Coast.  I kid you not! Well, maybe not so secret.

What were they doing?  Figuring more ways to keep the monkey wrench in the pile?  Both Boehner and McConnell should tell them to go pound sand.  Band with the Democrats, get the CR and debt ceiling business done and gird themselves for the next fight which can be Obamacare if they insist.

Actually it looks more and more like it's going to meet its demise on it's own because they can't get it rolled out and more and more people with some actual knowledge and clout are becoming more vocal.  Besides, foreign policy needs some serious atttention in case you haven't been following that too.

So what's next with Cruz and The Cronies? Maybe putting such a punitive a tax on Botox shots that Nancy Pelosie would have to reveal her real face?  Along with several other ladies of high office?  I'd love it.  Then we could move on from racism, like the vet that had a Confederate flag along with the American one he was waving in front of the White House on Sunday.  Gasp.  Black people live there!

Yep.  On to sexism! They think they're having a tough time with the Democrats and White House?  Wait until they get the Ladies of the Houses mad at them.  Hell hath no fury...

...to be continued.

All Sides Now - Deaf, Dumb And Blind

 I couldn't believe the headline on the Yahoo news site saying both parties aim to score political points off the shutdown.  Sheesh!  It hasn't even been resolved as I write this and the pols are already slapping each other on the back saying, "Well done!"

Hardly.  We know how it goes.  The Republicans are going to claim that they really tried by putting forth how many mini bills trying to make the Dems look bad by not passing them.  The Dems are going to blame the Republicans for all that is not happening because of the Republican caused shut down like FEMA aid for the South Dakota ranchers who have lost nearly 75% of their herds due to an early and severe blizzard.

Well, boys and girls, if all of you had done your job none of this would have been necessary.  My bet is you are still ignoring the truth of why you're in Washington in the first place which is to take care of the country's business; not to finesse non-stop campaigns for your political lives.

The President too has to share in the blame game.  One, he has allowed it to go on for his own personal agenda showing 100% concern for that which leaves 0 for the country.

To already be figuring how to make political points disgusts me no end.  I've seen two fairly reasonable politicians in all of this mess.  Joe Manchin, D - WVA and Susan Collins, R - ME.  Where is everyone else?

Ted Cruz and his bunch were at the veterans memorial grandstanding along with Sarah Palin who was there for the publicity.  Why else?  Greta Van Susteren was there with camera crew in tow looking for footage thus ratings for her show which will air tonight.  Come on.  The veterans were making their point well enough without political help.  In fact the fewer political faces the better to make their point but no, there were those who had to make sure the limelight was shared.

I'll be watching the aftermath of the agreement whenever it comes to see who is doing the most strutting.  Their contributions to the mess will be the first I check.

Collectively, however, they should all be ashamed.  They're putting out lousy legislation, too many regulations and those given the task of overseeing the implementation are utterly incompetent.  It's no wonder they won't listen to reason of any sort.  They're not competent enough to understand what reason is.

If that isn't true then then we're the ones who are deaf, dumb and blind.