Carping from the Edge

I ran into an influential Republican the other day and asked him why so many presidential wannabees are testing the waters. He responded without hesitation: "They saw what Obama did, an obscure politician from Chicago who came from nowhere to become President of the United States. Most think they could do the same thing."

I admit to being taken aback for a moment. Are the R's so unaware of Obama's extraordinary intellect, political judgment, analytical ability and natural diplomatic skills that they think they could easily duplicate his success?
I held my tongue but I wanted to say, "Are you kidding me? None of them is worthy to tie Obama's shoe laces.

All of them remind me of the drugstore cowboys I knew in my youth who would sit around the drugstore or local cafe solving all the world's problems and concluding with, "They ought to send me up there; I'd fix a few things."

The answer is: No you wouldn't. You have no idea what you are talking about. You have no idea how complex the issues are. You have no idea what the government does every day. You think it should be smaller and taxes should be lower. It is a big government because you and I have demanded a lot of services, from Medicare to defending the shores, from emergency response to natural disasters to keeping the food safe, from research the private sector won't do because it doesn't have a profit line to delivering the mail. Altogether now, repeat after me: "We have a big government and we like it that way." Say it again, especially those who say they don't like big government.

And we pay taxes in order to pay for the services provided by the big government we have and we like. Lowering taxes every time the R's assume power is not the answer to every problem. It is NOT. Neither is a blanket raising of taxes. It's complicated.

As with most problems we face as a nation, the answers are not simple tag lines for an election. The answers are as complex as the questions. We need to find gifted people with the skills necessary to address the complexity of the issues we face and put them in office and commit to honoring, not denigrating their service.

Wouldn't it be great if the R's decided to give it a try.

Don't hold your breath. They enjoy, no, prefer, to just carp around the edges of debate. It's where they're most comfortable.

"The American people spoke in November...

My good friend, Joe Fab, makes a good point, and as always, with a good sense of humor. I'm pleased to share his thoughts with you:

How many times have you heard: "The American people spoke in November and we heard them loud and clear..." followed by whatever large or small agenda item the speaker wishes to take the liberty of throwing the weight of "the American people" behind.

Fact is, the American people voted for as many different reasons as there are voters. They didn't get together and say with a single voice: "Hi, it's us -- the 32,000 voters of Pokey Precinct here in Nebraska! Just want you to know that we've talked about it and the reason we're voting for Cooper for Congress is because we all want him to defund EPA regulations. Yep, all 32,000 of us!"

This kind of claim might have been acceptable now and then for making a general point when politicians were reasonable and embraced compromise (you remember those days). But now it's crazy talk -- one more example of hyperbolic righteousness. I've had it with this particular ploy!

I hope Jon Stewart or Stephen Colbert or Bill Maher will join me in ridiculing this rhetorical ruse as follows:

"The American people spoke in November and I heard them loud and clear... everyone must pick up after their dog!" or "TAPSINAIHTLAC... so I WILL lose 5 pounds by Memorial Day!" or better yet "TAPSINAIHTLAC... so I won't believe anything a politician says if it begins with TAPSINAIHTLAC!"

A Republican who speaks the truth

Finally, a Republican who speaks the truth about Republican spending.
Former Senator Alan Simpson (R-WY) was interviewed on MSNBC the other day and revealed what no Republican office holder in Washington today dares to say:

"The biggest spending president in the history of the U.S.? The answer is George W. Bush not President Obama. Never vetoed a single bill, spending bill for six and a half years. And then the Republicans sit there and say, yeah, but this guy is worse than he is three to one."

Thank you, Senator Simpson, for speaking the truth.

I thought of Sen. Simpson when I listened to Republicans criticize President Obama the other day for spending $600 million so far in support of the Libyan rebels. This from a party that never said a word, sat on their tails, while Bush 43 was spending $10 billion A MONTH on his and Dick Cheney's Great Persian Adventure!