The New Triumvirate..... a vision of the McCain:Palin Future (vanity)

Bert's Right | 09/07/08 | Bert

[bert]

A vision of the future…… McCain:Palin

I have written a few sentences on the subject several times. I need to apply a little thought and expand the sentences to a few paragraphs. The vision is mostly clear and then a little smoke comes across and obscures the picture. The picture is the future of a government headed by a President McCain. I view the crystal ball as an outsider, not a McCain man. Fred Thompson came closest to being my favorite candidate.

The main point, the prominence sticking out above the ground clutter, is the US Senate. To actually govern, control or at least a strong hold on the Senate is a big plus. The plan, the secret plan, is to have McCain, a Senator, elected president and then gain control of the Senate. He knows the place well. All he needs are a few friends and a strong willingness to twist arms. He and these like minded friends developed the secret plan.

If you have watched McCain as he travels about, on the campaign trail, in Iraq, and even at home in Sedona, there are Lindsey Graham and Joe Lieberman. Sometimes one and sometimes both, but one or the other is always present. I have called this group the Triumvirate. The New Triumvirate will control the new government.

I say new because history has seen a similar governing group. The first Triumvirate was Julius Caeser, Pompey and Crassus. They ended up in civil war and Caesar was assassinated. A second triumvirate of Octavian, Mark Antony, and Lepidus was formed and had a better run. Octavian and Mark Anthony eventually went to war. Octavian won and became Augustus Caesar and there was 200 years of peace and prosperity, the pax Romana. .

The New Triumvirate may not come to any better end than the first, but it has tremendous potential and does not have the rivalry for top dog. McCain knows the Senate. He knows the members, their strengths, their weaknesses, their needs. With Joe Lieberman to go after the middle Democrats and with Lindsey Graham to go after all the Republicans, it is likely they can consistently develop legislation that will be supported by a filibuster proof 60 votes.

There has been quite a lot of speculation about Lieberman’s position in the McCain government. VP is now out of the way and a cabinet position is bandied about. I think the plan all along has been for Joe to take on a new mantle and become a powerful broker in the senate. He will replace Harry Reid as the de facto leader of the Democrats. The ultra liberals will suffer. Those not so liberal who join the coalition and help develop programs will prosper. The same will be true of Lindsey Graham except he will work with a broader and perhaps stronger group of Republicans.

If the main vision was crystal clear, the vice presidency view was obscured by a cloud, a mist that comes and goes. It seemed to me that Lieberman was not ever really the one. The mention of his name, even up the last minute, was considered as smoke to obfuscate. Then the announcement of Governor Palin clarified the picture. When she made her first announcement and then the spectacular convention speech and when her experience and actions on the energy front became known, the clouds and mist were swept away. With the Senate firmly under control by the Triumvirate, the vice president can be assigned an important portfolio to develop into strong policy and action. Vice President Palin will take the point on America’s energy policy. She will lead America to lower gas prices and if not abundant, then certainly much more available energy.

It can be argued that McCain ran for president because as a Senator he could not develop the strength to hold a pragmatic group together long enough to be effective. The vision shows McCain first and foremost a pragmatist seeking solutions. He may have a desire to put those solutions out as finished products, but he will work to get a consensus and a solution that may vary from his original design. That thought is the result of his own words. He says he will reach out to anyone who can be of assistance in doing the job.

To one schooled for many years at the EIB University, those thoughts define moderation. According to Rush, Moderation is the absence of conviction and will to carry out a pure ideology. One definition of politics is the art of achieving the possible. That art involves compromise, and compromise can be achieved by developing legislation that will be approved by 60 senators. American history is rife with great issues and great compromises. The New Triumvirate will be all about negotiation and honing compromise. The gridlock will be broken, the lethargy will evaporate.

Beyond developing the ability to govern, the vision is not clear as to what can come. First off, the energy problem and expensive oil will be resolved soon with a firm hand. There will be something for all, but the two big winners will be drilling and nuclear plants. The other stuff is merely window dressing but will get a nod if only to prove the nonsense is not viable. After the mist raised and clarity developed, it was obvious, with Governor Palin, comes Anwar.

Many will want the second priority to be dealing with the Mexicans. There are clearly several minds here, and a solution will not come easily. I think there is strong sentiment for both a comprehensive solution and conversely for laws targeted to specific problems. This is a classic American issue that has been around for a long time, has strong sentiment on several sides and can only be resolved by developing some kind of consensus. The cloud obscures the future as to what will develop. There was already consensus, do nothing till after the election. Simply stated, the problem is how can we have our cake and eat it too. How can we maintain a work force without which there would be a labor shortage and not have massive violation of our laws and unprotected borders.

The other big issue is the War on Terror. The vision is pretty clear here. The current policies will continue with regard to Iraq and Afghanistan. There is no clarity with regard to Iran. The actual policies of the Bush administration are unknown because they are secret and not for public or enemy knowledge. McCain is a warrior and Iran should fear his rise to power.

Lastly, McCain vowed to veto any bill with earmarks. The vision is not clear, but it seems that if you don’t go along, you won’t get along. The Triumvirate will play very hard ball.