If there is one thing I admire about the hard Republican right, it's their apparently insatiable appetite for battle. Over the last 12 months, the "Party of No," has used its spare energy for nothing beyond intense ideological and bureaucratic grudge matches - and seems to relish the confrontation. Like Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple as well as Pixar, the people who have taken you back to the Revolution - literally to the 1770s with the resurgence of the "Tea Party" - seem to thrive on adversity and their underdog status. It's like they are daring anyone in Congress to actually try something. Democrats are body checked at every turn.
But the bullying gets so much easier when your opponent takes his toys and goes home. It has always stymied me to come up with reasons why those most wed to change (many, but not all of the left leaning Dems) appear to have the weakest stomach when it comes to fighting for it.
Today we learn that Evan Bayh, a former two-term Indiana Governor, and two-term Senator, who has never lost an electoral contest, is leaving the game. His reason: "'There’s just too much brain-dead partisanship' in Congress, Bayh told ABC, and the American people need to vote out those who are 'rigidly ideological.'”
Alright, I feel you there Evan, but how does your resignation help us to achieve that goal? By vacating your formly Democratic seat, aren't you just opening it up to Republican takeover, a prospect not impossible in semi-conservative Indiana?
It is hard, both as a staunch liberal, and as a lover of the textbook (rather than actual) political process, to find much to celebrate these days. Though I do not place the blame on Obama, who has nonetheless developed into a curiously "lame duck" first term chief, "Change" becomes an ever dimmer possibility with every news cycle. The divided electorate seems more fractured and unwilling to come together to get work done than at any time in our history. And that is dangerous, because we have a comprehensive list of real problems that need solving now.
I would beg Senator Bayh to reconsider, but I am sure he has already fielded calls from Majority Leader Harry Reid, possibly even the President himself.
I am daydreaming of a targeted flood, a la Noah, that could wash away Capitol Hill and give it a fresh start. It appears nothing short of that is going to move American democracy forward. I guess Evan Bayh shares my dream. It's just that I thought we went through the process of electing officials so they could help us, not get bored/frustrated/annoyed and give up. If Senators get disillusioned and quit, how do they expect us to stay engaged?
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Bah! I say, BAH!
ReplyDeleteWhat perplexes me is that for all intents and purposes, the Republicans want Obama to fail. How's that for team spirit for our country? It is like drilling a hole in the boat because you want to off the captain. Well guess what, teabaggers, y'all go down with the ship.
Bah!
I applaud Sen. Bayh. Bringing to light the problems in the political environment in Washington by retiring and leaving Harry Reid holding his nutsack will hopefully send a message to all hardliners that this shit has to end. Sure the republicans will try to pounce on the opportunity. But I would like to see more centrists like Evan from both parties jam things up for the party liners to make their point. As an independent voter myself with a centrist bent, I can't blame Bayh for not wanting to deal in that environment. What do you propose he do, stay and align with the hard line democrats just to keep the hard line republicans at bay? Isn't that the crux of the problem in the first place? I believe we need more people like Bayh in congress rather than less, and encouraging them to leave certainly doesn't fix that problem. But the fix needs to come from the polls. I believe Bayh's politics are more in line with the majority of Americans, yet the hardliners get reelected and remain in power. Never underestimate the ignorance of the American electorate. We complain about the partisan politics in Washington yet do nothing about where it counts...in the polls.
ReplyDeleteAnd as for Purple Artist's comment, of course the republicans want Obama to fail. Running up the debt to staggering proportions and trying to funnel the US economy through the federal government is not only against what they stand for, it's a recipe for failure. Look no further than Japan over the last two decades for evidence.
-Mr. Anonymous
"Of course the republicans want Obama to fail. Running up the debt to staggering proportions and trying to funnel the US economy through the federal government is not only against what they stand for, it's a recipe for failure."
ReplyDeleteI would formally like to ask Mr. Anonymous what exactly then, was going on during the Bush years?
Well, I'm not arguing that a couple of wars (one of which we had no business fighting) didn't help. But pure spending under the current administration and our current debt picture dwarfs the Bush years. And they are just getting started, although the mid-term elections may rain on that parade. Hey, I voted for Obama so shame on me as well. I bought into the hype as many did. I'm regretting it now.
ReplyDeleteMr. Anonymous - you make me so mad I could spit. I swear! So because Obama hasn't fixed the collossal mess (financial, foreign policy, domestic agenda) bequeathed him by eight years of Bush/Cheney, you now "regret" your vote? I would like to say for the millinioth time that Dubya inherited budget SURPLUSES when he took office in 2000. And I don't think the two wars were the only reason for that change. How about a Medicare prescription drug benefit that no one paid for? What about tax cuts for the wealthy during a time of war? Unheard of! Do you think it's Obama's doing that China owns more of the U.S. than we do? Did he ask our decades broken health care system to be the number one sinkhole of our collective take home pay? I am not dredging up the ghosts of Bush past to do anything more than call attention to your sorry short term memory. And 'Bams should have put all that irresponsible horseshit to rights in a twelvemonth?
ReplyDeleteYes, thank God the Republicans are planning to ride to our rescue in 2012. They did a simply superb job the last time they held power. Where do you get your facts Mr. Anon? You accuse me of drinking "Yes, We Can" Koo;-Aid, but I beg you in turn to set down the crack pipe.
I'm not pissed that Obama hasn't "fixed the collossal mess". I wouldn't expect that in a year. Neither is it all Obama's doing. What I am concerned about is that the proposals set forth will make matters worse. MUCH worse! You cannot spend your way to prosperity. Very simple. I acknowledge the mistakes of the Bush administration. It was a failure. But it's over with. You can't justify actions going forward by saying the past administration was worse. I hold no allegiance to either party. I just call it like I see it...you're either doing a good job or not. I don't vote republican or democrat. I vote right or wrong. I haven't closed the book on Obama yet at all. But I don't like the path he's going down. Your hatred for republicans and love for Obama doesn't allow you to look at things objectively. You're just as guilty of hardline partisan politics as most of the assholes in Washington. Admit it!
ReplyDelete-Mr. A
We need to rein in spending - no doubt about that at all. In fact I kind of begrudgingly applauded Senator Jim Bunning for taking a stand against passing another bill that wasn't paid for this week, no matter how many Americans need those unemployment checks. But a good deal of the spending going on is in direct response to the mismanagement of the Republican administration of 2001-2009, a bunch of yahoos that brought the economy to the brink and entered us into two wars, one of which was a crock. The same folks who like to yelp about out of control spending also ignore the fact that much of that was required to, quite literally, save America. We are shaky still of course, but it looks like the worst is over. You'll get no argument from me that now is the time to reduce debt. One of the ways to do that is with health care reform - serious, sweeping reform. Another thing the Republicans are against.
ReplyDeleteI am not as far left on every issue as you think. I am with those who are "doing a good job" too. I just happen, to think that our President is doing a fine job, with grace and I also believe, a genuine concern for the country and the citizens in it, independent of any party affiliations. He inherited a fine mess, and we are better off than we were a year ago, even if things still hurt. He will always have my support.