Morning AB, All….
As always, thank you AB, for doing this thread, dependably, admirably, silently and stalwartly.
Hot as Hades here in the swamps of Delaware but August 1st looms. Soon will be Labor Day and then the tourists shall return home. The roads nearby will again be safe, the grass will turn from brown to green, cooler air will come in. I would, even and at this point, almost welcome the hurricanes soon to come.
All this past week, as granddaughter paid a surprise visit for four days and from which I have survived, I did, as expected, pay close attention to the debt ceiling/balanced budget/Boehner/Reid drama of the past week. Also, as expected and sometimes even welcomed, I have an opinion.
So here’s my quick and dirty summary. It began with what the Blue Blood Ruling Class GOP thought was a tossed bone to the Tea Party types recently elected in a massive wave to America’s House. It was called CCB, “Cap, Cut and Balance”. The House voted it through handily, even with some Democrat help. The senate voted to table the thing, assholes all, but the Repubs all voted AGAINST tabling. So far, so good. The pubs stand united, look brave, stand touch. Spines of rubber, we must dream, were turning to spines of resin almost.
As it would turn out, the CCB thing was considered a bit of pathos to appease the Tea Party types….recall please that EIGHTY FIVE new Representatives in America’s House were replacement of incumbents because America was not kidding. At the time it was the only way available for ordinary citizens who carry this country on our backs, could let our legislators that what with Obamacare and ceaseless spending, we were mad. It was a tidal wave overthrow.
Only evidently the congress thought it would be business as usual….as in...aren’t those Tea Party types cute...God bless.
So Speaker of the House, John Boehner comes up with the REAL bill as intended right along no mind that dream bill existing only in the minds of the Tea Party types. His bill, as considered a victory by the Blue Blood GOP types, was to keep new spending (ie...increase taxes) to a minimum, with luck remove any talk of such a thing completely.
But whoa! The Tea Party types in America’s House were having none of it. Well sure the elected ruling class, both Dems and Repubs, covered their mouths and smirked at any notion that these upshots were going to somehow make them produce a balanced budget and all the work with that. Much less put some kind of cap on the debt ceiling because they’d already increased the debt by 3+ some trillion during the Obama admin, they wanted some 4 trillion more...perish the thought you should limit what we want to spend. Finally, cut expenses...heh. Yeah well, the Ruling Class sniffed. We’ll cut expenses over the next ten years, smirk, smirk, by which time the Tea Party will be dead or too old to remember such silly stuff.
Lots of drama as the Ruling Class GOP inside-the-beltway types sniffed on Thursday, spelling out, sniff sniff….witness Charles Krauthammer who resembles the main character in Despicable ME I must smile….”by tonight Boehner will push his (version 2) bill through the House, the Tea Party types will be appeased, and on it will go.”
Bill Kristol, Kathryn Hamm, even Laura Ingraham….all day Thursday pooh poohing much to the effect of my paraphrase above…”the Tea Party types just need to appease their base”….the wise pundits inside-the DC beltway told.
BWWWWAAAAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!
Every damn one of them got it wrong. Listen to them guys, they know everything. Insert smirk here.
The Tea Party guys in the House, bloodied, beaten, reduced in number until even one=ce admired West called the Tea Party schizophrenics...trust that guy again why don’t you?
But they insisted that Boehner send it through again, a version three if you will, but put the BALANCED BUDGET back in.
Politicians with principles, folks, it’s stopped the punditry Ruling Class dead in their tracks.
Now I know there’s much skepticism about a balanced budget requirement but you gotta start somewhere. We complain endlessly that the pubs, they never start ANYWHERE. “Wait until 2012,” they tell us. Or we should wait until we have a repub prez, or wait until we have over half the House, or wait until a majority in the senate, oops, now we need 60 for the filibusters. Hold on, gotta give the gop prez one full time as to not jeopardize chances for re-election.
We now have almost 70% of the country in favor of a balanced budget (BB), we have a negotiating sticking point (extending debt limit), we have the attention of the country.
WHEN THE HELL IS GOOD ENOUGH IF NOT NOW???
How the Dems gonna justify NOT wanting a BB? Everybody has to balance the budget, even if not until at the darn checkout line but it’s simple, we get it, you got much to spend and so much to spend it on. Gotta make choices, take out a loan which adds loan payments, or adjust the intake/outflows. All of the states, every business including snow ball stands, every household...has to, ahem, balance the budget. Why should we keep on allowing the feds to spend what they want, when they want...forever and ever? What kind of way is that to run a country?
“It’s too much work to balance a big federal budget,” the Ruling Class GOP, aghast at the turn of events. “Besides there’s wars and natural disasters,” they warn, eyes big, scared, shivering that the Tea Party types are dragging them screaming and sobbing with spines now reduced to chewing gum.
Lookit, you can sit all day and list the reasons why something CAN’T be done. In fact, instead of doing something, take up the time listing the reasons why NOT to do it...why not?
There’s ways around everything. Sometimes you gotta expect more out of people, maybe to do the right thing. I’m thinking if 2/3 of the states pass a BB amendment, the politicos might get a clue.
I don’t suppose this BB thing will become part of the raising the debt ceiling package. But give the Tea Party types credit. Like the Democrats/libs who defeat us every time, they struck when the iron was hot. They got the issue before the public instead of shutting scared mouths and struggling to keep the status quo. Turning this ship of state and its 285 million passengers is a slow process.
You gotta start somewhere.
I been telling you people about the struggle here in Delaware, the awful time normal law-abiding, country loving citizens have been getting, not from the opposition party. For the GOP Ruling Class elite does not fight the Democrats but they’ll beat the hell out of who?
THEIR OWN DAMN BASE!
It’s a start, folks, but don’t give up. Although I admit I gave up so many times.
This country has been taken over by a broad spectrum of Ruling Class tyrants, all of them anxious to keep their niche in the world of polished nails, perfectly appointed head hairs. They continue the status quo though the status quo is going to destroy us.
Hang in there.
I do disagree with your analysis of Speaker Boehner and the bills the House passed. I certainly think he supported CCB or he wouldn't have let it be voted on and sent out to the Senate.
In my opinion, everyone is missing the point.
The point is that we cannot win the POLITICAL war. The dems won't have it and they have the whip hand. That's just the plain reality. What we are winning is the war for hearts and minds. The drivebys and dems are fighting this battle in an effort to win reelection. They do not care if the country loses.
So let us LET THEM win this fight. The fight has gone on several weeks now and focused the public on the economic issues facing this nation.
They will see a “win” for the president as Obama owning a huge chunk of the economy that NOW he CANNOT blame on Bush. If things don't get better.....
Aye, and there's the rub...
Things WILL NOT get better.
Set, match, game.
Sen. Kyl, fine man he, says he DOES think the Tea Party is alot like.....TADA! BARACK OBAMA! I paraphrase “they become so devoted to their cause that they can’t see any other way.”
When the hell has Barack Obama ever been devoted to any cause besides his own re-election and the destruction of America?
He compares the Tea Party to Barack Obama? That’s going to go over real well.
Folks, they never mock the Democrats. They reach gently across the aisles with polished nails, they hobnob amidst the tinkling glass and muted laughs of Georgetown cocktail parties.
But who do they release all their anger and vitriol upon with such force that they never use on their opposition?
THEIR OWN DAMN BASE!!!!
I told you folks with my tales of Delaware to be aware.
Much as it pains me, I must admit I was right.