So Sue Me

I often wonder these days how our country is going to survive the remainder of Obama's term.  Whether or not you agree with the Supreme Court decisions, they have been made never-the-less and the President has been slapped down on many occasions.  Sometimes unanimously.

So why, I wonder, has the President decided to continue his mantra of it's my way or the highway.  He complains endlessly about the Republicans refusal to work with him.  House Speaker Boehner explains one reason is they have no reason to trust that the President will enforce the laws they may pass. There is good reason for this. He doesn't enforce much of what is already on the books. Just look at immigration which is his latest rant.  Look at how he has changed the laws to suit his purposes, whatever they may be.  How in the world is allowing illegals to swarm our borders, taxing the border states as well as the Federal government going to help anyone?  Will it enhance the Hispanic vote?  I'm willing to bet not. What it will do is breed resentment.  It's already begun with demonstrators meeting bus loads of these people.  We'll be luck if violence doesn't ensue.

I'm thinking the Court's slap downs are too subtle.  This man needs to be hit over the head.  But then, deep inside I know he is doing what he does because he wants to.  Not because the Republicans won't cooperate.  It's because they would like to tweak some of his ideas and he won't allow it.  So who isn't cooperating?

I have never seen a man so ill suited for the presidency as this man.  I've never seen a man so invested in himself above all else, especially his country.  It's chilling.  Now he stands before his hand picked audience and challenges the Republicans, "So sue me!"

Well, Mr.  Boehner, why don't you? While you're at it  can you make it a class action suit? Does it make you wonder that the Constitution has no measures for recourse against a President's dereliction of duty?  Consider the idea that they never thought the people would elect such a person.

The Supremes Join The Rest Of The Government In Baffling Me

There was a time when I thought the Supreme Court was to decide on the Constitutionality of an issue. It was always a mixed bag of opinions hammered out in private to reach a consensus.  They had nothing to fear because their appointments to the Court were for life.

Maybe it's the new think of younger generations that have me baffled.  For instance I don't see how they can reason that a corporation, no matter the size, equates with a person.  Corporations  are run by people to be sure, but as an entity have no life, no ability to think or reason, no feeling or any of the other senses, in a nutshell no life.  But I'm told they are the same.

It seems to me Obamacare has caused the problem on the pill issue but not for the reasons given.  When I was working, the company and indeed the insurance companies had a variety of policies from which I could choose.  There was actually a time when I didn't have to pay for child birth coverage after a hysterectomy or Viagra.  No more.  State insurance commissioners made such nonsense mandatory.  ACA regulators have carried on a bad practice.

The reporting on the Hobby Lobby issue is wrongly reported as being about contraception.  It's about abortion and the pills that cause it if in fact something actually happened! So it's really about abortion.  I understand the religion based feelings of the company owners but I see the need for definition and separation of personal beliefs and corporate necessity.

Having said that, what exactly does the SC decision mean?  Does it apply to only the abortion pills or contraceptives across the board should other 'closely' held corporations ask?  Maybe it was made clear but I haven't seen it.

As for the Illinois case on home care workers suddenly being considered a public sector dues paying employee when forced into caring for a family member who is aided by public funds shows the greediness of the public sector unions.  I'd rather they get rid of all unions.  But then I'm not a union fan on any level.  They are a perfect example of over reach.

Did the SC solve the problem of those who want to opt out of union membership in all cases or does it apply only to those specific home health workers?  Again, I'm confused.  I don't see a clear cut answer.  Perhaps if I dug deeper I'd find it but basing a blog on information readily available in the main stream media I find such information lacking.

The only thing that seems clear is when the President tries to do something on his own and suddenly everyone in Congress is calling foul. Where were they beforehand?  Worrying about re-election so they can do more of nothing and collect fat salaries to boot. I don't always agree with his decisions and feel his problems stem from his attitude but I understand where he's coming from.

No wonder the country is in such haphazard condition.  It follows the trickle down theory doesn't it?  It seeps down from the top until the entire country is saturated with confusion. Why is the country seemingly frozen in its tracks?  Could this be why?

Immigration

Obama is on the verge of stealing the march on the Republicans on immigration.  The argument has been whether it should be one immense overhaul or done in increments.

We know the administration's track record on immense overhauls isn't very good.  We also know that the administration has quit enforcing laws already on the books which is partially responsible for the influx of children on our southern border. In other words a problem of Obama's own making.

You have to admit the President can be crafty.  In a fit of pique which is pretty normal for him, he's warned Congress he's going to make changes by executive order.  Take people posted inland and move them to the border to spiff up enforcement. Why he hasn't done this a long time ago begs to be questioned.

No matter.  He's saying he's going to do it now.  He might actually get away with it and emerge the hero if he doesn't overstep as he is wont to do.

So where are the Republicans?  They haven't passed one bill on immigration reform.  Boehner won't bring one to the floor.  Shades of Harry Reid in the Senate.  If he's worried about the Tea Party he can move on now.  The primaries are over.  But nary a word.  Of course between now and the election the House won't be in session long enough to do much of anything for which we can be grateful.

The don't have to do much though.  Pass one bill, say strengthening the southern border as Obama intends.  Send it to the Senate and see what happens.  Then they've at least done something.

Now that the primaries are over and the Tea Party threat has subsided to a degree, it would be nice to see the Republicans begin to form a cohesive unit.  The President is going to do what he wants  regardless, but they would do a lot to convince me they are worth fighting for if they gave me an option. On a whole slew of issues, not just immigration, but so far I have nothing but a blank slate.

As of now they're no more than empty suits earning substantial salaries with cushy benefits for doing little more than cowering behind empty rhetoric. They are nearly as impotent on domestic issues as Obama is on foreign ones.  That's no compliment for either side.

NOW We Want To Arm The Syrian Rebels!

The administration is now proposing we arm the Syrian rebels!  Wow.  What a novel idea.  I wonder why it wasn't suggested three years ago when the Syrian civil war began.  What?  It was?  I must have missed it, was it in the newspapers?

Of course it was as well as every other media outlet known to man. With this revelation, I think I've figured out how this administration thinks.  If we read papers at all, all we read are the headlines and never get to the nitty gritty.  Therefore we are easily fooled and take the governments actions as timely.

So it is with these current headlines. Forget we know it's too little too late.  The President wants $500,000,000 for this task.  There are a few obstacles.  One, he'll need Congress to appropriate the money.  Sure, there are stashes from which he can draw, still they have to have the funds within them.

That actually may be the least of his problems.  There is the issue of how to determine the good rebels from the bad.  To assume all the bad guys have crossed the border into Iraq is fool hardy.  These guys aren't dumb.  It would have been much easier when this little skirmish began rather than waiting until the bad guys filled the void and thoroughly muddied the lines between good and bad.

Let's say they can figure this out.  Then they have to be armed and trained.  By the administrations own estimate this could take nearly a year after everything else is in place.  Does any one really think the situation is going to be put on hold until we get our choice of players in place?  Don't hold your breath.

Meanwhile the bad guys continue their march toward their own Caliphate.  Syrian war planes have joined the fray as have the Iranian military.  Neither are our friends and neither are going to wait for us to get our ducks in order.

If by staying out of it the lines of Iraq are redrawn, is that so bad?  Let the Kurds have their long awaited freedom.  Let the al Maliki government fall but don't trust any new one to be any more western friendly than his has been. Either way, a portion of Iraq will be under Iranian dominance.  Don't forget, either, Syria has Russia as an ally.

Maybe we'd be better off putting our efforts toward protecting the few friends we have left.  Jordan and Israel and maybe Saudi.  Saudi is iffy.

The moral is read the story under the headlines and discover we're really not going to do anything that will stop the current carnage nor strengthen and save Iraq. I'm surprised al Maliki even asked for U.S. help since both his allies have air capabilities.

For once, stay out of it until they sort it out for themselves.  Then we can offer aid for considerations and be more likely to have some success.  Dealing with the semi-satisfied would be a whole lot easier than dealing with the maddened crowd.

Unfortunately, if past history is any indicator, the wrong decision will be made.

The Beauty of Cochran's Win

Thad Cochran is old.  He looks old.  He's of the ilk of which I speak when I say it's time for them to retire.  Heck, he's four years older than me!  Time for new blood and fresh ideas.

The people of Mississippi don't agree.  Cochran brings home the pork.  But not all pork is bad.  Especially when it's slated for the down trodden, the poor and the under educated.  In Mississippi those people are mostly black and Democrat.

So what the the new kid, Chris McDanie's, have to offer? Absolutely nothing and Mississippi let him know. The beauty of which I speak is that Cochran won with votes from across party lines.  For his record of accomplishment.  That how it should be.

It's a lesson in gray.  Nothing is black nor white, especially in politics.  That McDaniel had no problem with Mississippi's open primary system wasn't of concern when he thought he might win.  But when a run off was necessary good political strategy on the part of his wily old opponent flat out out smarted him.  Now he's crying foul.  Sorry sir.  Too late. Change the law if you don't like it.

I'm not a fan of unending government hand outs but obviously there are situations where they are needed and desirable.  Mississippi is not a wealthy state and their senior Senator is doing what he can to compensate for it. Good show.

Liz Cheney may have learned the same lesson in Wyoming where she thought perhaps her name and relative youth might out upend the well established incumbant.  She didn't even make it to the primary.

I guess it goes to show when we generalists shout throw the bums out, all of them, we need a rethink.  Not all the bums are actually that.  Some of them look pretty darned good compared to those who would replace them.

But definitely not always. That's the trick.