"So frustrating..."

Can't you just see the Republicans sitting around this afternoon trying to celebrate their victory in Wisconsin last night.
Yes, I can hear them now:

R #1: 
"Damn, we can't catch a break!  We win in Wisconsin but the stock market won't cooperate.  The Dow and S&P posted their best day of 2012 today.  The Dow gained 284 points. We had Obama on the ropes last Friday, hit him a couple of more times last night -- and now this!"

R#2:
"Can't those Koch brothers do something besides write checks.  How 'bout a little help killing that market and while they're at it, find some way to slow down this recovery.  Congress is doing its part by refusing to cooperate with Obama on anything that might help. 

R #1: "Yep, we've got the Congressional stonewall under control; we just need some help undermining this recovery.  Who's got the phone number of the Kochs?"

If Republicans could be more like our Founders...

The Republicans are fond of quoting the nation's founders and pining to be more like them. Well, I have news for Eric Cantor and the rest: Our founders understood that compromise is essential to democracy. And they knew it was impossible for government to function successfully without compromise.

If compromise becomes defined as something evil, our democratic society will be endangered and the ground laid for an autocratic regime.

You and I have come to understand the tea party folks know nothing of the US Constitution or indeed, how our government functions, with three equal branches of government serving as a "check and balance" on each other. It's not perfect but it has served us well for quite a long time. So has the ability to practice the art of compromise advanced the common good.

If you want to be more like our Founders, my dear Republicans, consider being more like Ben Franklin. Dr. Franklin did not approve of some provisions in the US Constitution as it was drafted, but when it came time to vote, he voted for it without hesitation. Franklin explained his vote to his colleagues: "...there are several parts of this constitution which I do not at present approve, but I am not sure I shall ever approve them: For having lived long, I have experienced many instances of being obliged by better information, or fuller consideration, to change opinions even on important subjects, which I once thought right, but found to be otherwise."

Mr. Cantor, are you listening??????

What you will never learn from a civics book

Even many who proudly proclaim their keen understanding of the Washington political game do not understand the nuance I am about to reveal.

Most Republicans want the health care reform bill to pass, BUT they will never vote for it.

Many brows are furrowing about now, so here’s why.

As Bob Dole used to say, “No one ever got blamed for voting against a bill that passed.” In other words, If your Republican representative votes against a bill – any bill – that passes and it turns out to be a great success for the American people, he will excuse his lack of support by saying, “I voted against it because I wanted to improve it. It wasn’t good enough, in my view, and I was working to improve it…when it passed.” Now, if the new law turns out to be a colossal failure, the same Republican representative will say, “Yes, I knew it, I told you so, a few of us were standing up for you and for America (play God Bless America here), and as long as you continue to send me to Washington, I will continue to stand up for you.”

This, by the way, is not new. For the last 60 years at least, Republicans have been content to sit on the back bench, throw eggs at the majority in public, and urge them on to success in private. It is a lot easier than actually using the gray matter between the ears and coming up with real ideas that will work to solve real problems.

The Best Laid Plans

Political analyst, Greg Sargent, is coming out with a new book, titled, 40 More Years: How Democrats Will Rule the Next Generation.

There will be some re-hashing of the 2008 campaign in it, but I understand the bulk of the book will address electoral trends, and how the rise of the youth vote and the decline of the white vote will favor Democrats.

I’m looking forward to reading it, but to my Democratic friends, I say, “Let’s not get too excited.” I had lunch in the early days of the Reagan Administration with a friend who had recently gone over to the other side. He invited me to join him, because, he said, “The country is turning conservative and if you want to enjoy the ride, you better join us.”

“In fact,” he said, “It is clear from recent trends that the Republicans will dominate American politics and occupy the White House, uninterrupted, for at least another generation.” The year was 1981. The restaurant was The Monocle on Capitol Hill. My friend went on to serve in the Reagan White House, the Bush 41 State Department, and the Bush 43 Defense Department.

In the 27 year period between 1981 and 2008, Republican Presidents controlled the agenda for all but the eight years of the Clinton Administration. Now you know why they hate Clinton so. Not only was he an effective President, he spoiled their plans for total domination of an entire generation. Boy, do they hate Clinton.

But I digress. My point is this: the best laid plans often go astray, especially when the fickle winds of political discourse are blowing across the land. In my view there should be no talk of “how Democrats will rule the next generation.” It is not likely to happen, and certainly not if they follow the Republican example. Obama seems to have learned the lesson of the past 27 years well and is reaching across the aisle with an eagerness to clasp the hand of anyone who wants to work to make America better.

And what has he found? He is finding the loyal opposition dusting off the strategic playbook of Newt Gingrich, written more than two decades ago. Old Newt had three themes: “Unite against Democrats’ economic policy, block and counter health care reform, and tar them with spending scandals." This is indeed what you do if you are a party with no ideas. Remember that day in early 1995 when, after taking control of the House of Representatives, Republicans gathered on the West steps of the Capitol and Newt told them, “This is our Contract with America….and on these provisions we will not compromise.” Those words stuck in my head because they were so wrong. Politics is nothing if not the art of compromise. It is how our country moves forward. It is how both parties governed until the era of Newt.

Obama understands the lessons of the past 27 years and is offering a sincere bipartisan hand to the other side but so far, with few exceptions in the Senate, his hand has been slapped away. Hopefully, that will change. America deserves better.

Good for a Laugh

Republicans are good for a laugh, if nothing else. I just read a piece in the Georgia newspapers about a proposal the R’s have offered in the General Assembly this year which they say will be the answer to Georgia’s economic recovery. It focuses on helping small businesses and here’s the way it would work:

One of their bills would provide tax credits to businesses that hire unemployed workers and temporarily waive the fee businesses file with the state to register their corporate names.

Q. HOW DOES A BUSINESS HIRE UNEMPLOYED WORKERS IF THE BUSINESS HAS NO DEMAND FOR ITS PRODUCTS OR SERVICES?

Q. AS TO THE SECOND PROVISION, HOW MUCH DOES WAIVING THE FEE FOR CORPORATE NAME REGISTRATION GET YOU? $30 PER BUSINESS? LET’S SEE, IF 90 THOUSAND BUSINESSES ESCAPE PAYING AN ANNUAL REGISTRATION FEE OF $30, THE TOTAL BENEFIT FOR ALL OF THEM IS A WHOPPING $2.7 MILLION. WOW! THAT’LL DO IT, YESSEREE!

The legislation also would gradually phase out Georgia’s corporate income tax, beginning in 2012.

Q. 2012? FOUR YEARS FROM NOW? IS THAT THE BEST YOU CAN DO? UNLESS YOU DO SOMETHING TODAY, OR AT LEAST BEGIN THE BENEFIT THIS YEAR, HOW MANY BUSINESSES DO YOU THINK WILL BE AROUND IN 2012?

Another bill would eliminate the tax on business inventories but that would have to be put to a vote of the electorate. Yep, that’ll happen real soon.

They held a press conference to announce their proposal, taking care to draw geat distinctions between their approach and the approach of President Obama. No wonder no one is paying attention to these guys. They give conservatism a bad name. They give government in general a bad name.

Go Ahead, Make His Day

There are some Republicans who can’t stand to call the President by name. “President Obama” are two words they cannot utter. They have not accepted him as their President. So, to show the degree of disrespect they have for him, they call him simply “44.” I guess some are still stinging from the Democrats referral to the Bushes as “Bush 41” and “Bush 43.” (Good grief, that's what they called themselves -- face to face.) I confess that is exactly the way I referred to them many times, but it was because both numbers are odd numbers…and weren’t their presidencies a little “odd,” too. The numbers just seemed to fit them.

So what about this “44” designation for President Obama? Well, he is certainly number 44 in the succession of Presidents we have had. But far from being offended by the Rs calling President Barack Obama, “44,” I like it. It is a powerful number, one that conjures up images of law enforcement officers brought in to clean up the city and restore peace to the neighborhoods.

I think it was a .44 Magnum that Clint Eastwood’s character, “Dirty” Harry Callahan described in the movie as “the most powerful handgun in the world.” You remember it; it’s the one Dirty Harry brandished in the face of the hoodlum and said, “Go ahead, punk, make my day.”

Now, I don’t own a handgun – never will. Enough said there. So I am not condoning the use of guns by ordinary citizens. There is a place for them with law enforcement, however, and with those who provide for the common defense.

I’m truly sorry for members of the loyal opposition who prefer to call him “44” instead of his given name or simply the title of his office, but if it conjures up images of a someone with a strong will, determination, and commitment to defend this nation, so be it. If it brings to mind those who will not tolerate troublemakers, foreign or domestic, so be it. If it reminds one of tough-minded leaders who are willing to “bite the bullet,” “tell it like it is,” and “do the right thing” for America, so be it.

I say to my Republican friends, go ahead and oppose the President if you want to, disrespect him by calling him “44” if that makes you feel better. Go ahead and make his day!

To Iraq and To Ruin

I do not have the words to tell you how tired I am of hearing Republicans recite their mantra: "We will cut your taxes and reduce the size of government."

BS

It is not true and they know it. Their only job --and they will quickly tell you it is their only job -- is to convince you that it is true. You only have to...uh, trust them.

Reagan said it and here's what we got in return. During his eight years in office we endured two economic recession, a 20 percent increase in the size of government, and a tripling of the national debt.

Bush 41 said it and the economy was in a shambles by the time he ran for re-election in 1992. Indeed, not even his victory in the first Gulf War -- which was a true victory, not a "Mission Accomplished" fake victory -- could prevent Bill Clinton from cleaning his clock (not even the one Bush 41 was checking during the debates). Remember, "It's the economy, stupid!"

The tremendous economic expansion the country enjoyed during the eight years of Bill Clinton's Presidency had the Republicans chomping at the bit to get back into power and demonstrate they could do the same thing with -- you guessed it -- cutting taxes and reducing the size of government.

Bush 43 sold the same bill of goods to Americans in 2000, and again in 2004, and here is what we got for it: America's first pre-emptive strike on another sovereign nation, a war fought on fraudulent pretenses, destabilization of world economies, record prices for oil and gasoline at the pump, abdication of federally mandated oversight of financial markets -- among a long list of dubious, indeed, disgraceful, "accomplishments."

But the most telling is the realization that Bush 43 will leave office having more than DOUBLED the national debt, from 5.5 trillion dollars on the day he came into office to 11.6 trillion dollars (if the current Wall Street bailout package is approved

If you hear another Republican repeat that old saw, "We just want to cut your taxes and reduce the size of government and that'll make your life better," you should shout, "ARE YOU CRAZY?" and run for the nearest exit as fast as your legs will carry you.

And yes, Bush 43 will always be remembered in the history books as "The President who took America to Iraq and to ruin."

Winner of Political Conventions?

One of my Ohio Republican friends asked me this morning which of the two political conventions was the most successful.

Obama's supporters were already united in support of their candidate. The result was an unprecedented crowd of 84,000+ in the stadium to show him and us that they are ready for a change in leadership in America. No politician in American history had ever gathered that many people in one spot to hear a political speech!

The Democratic convention must be considered a great success.

McCain's supporters, on the other hand, gathered as a disjointed amalgamation of individuals seeking a leader for THEIR causes. McCain was not their guy but they were there, nonetheless, to go through the motions. What happens? McCain picks Sarah Palin to be his running mate, someone totally unknown to the American people and barely known among Republicans. However, because she is a believer in all things the Republican base holds dear, she is able to energize the crowd, unite them, and send them stampeding out the doors ready to vote McCain/Palin into office. Indeed, some of them thought the order of the ticket ought to be reversed!

The Republican convention must be considered the more successful because it accomplished a miracle.

In Alaska, people are still decompressing. One of her Republican competitors said today, "She is not ready to be governor; she is certainly not ready to be Vice President." While some people in Alaska are quite proud of her selection, others are stunned, in disbelief that the national party would pick such an unqualified person.

Conservative Jim Wooten, writing in the Atlanta papers, said she is "one of us." Again, as I have written before, we should not be looking for someone who is "one of us." The job is complex and difficult. It calls for an extraordinary person possessed of uncommon judgment and leadership abilities, broad knowledge of the world today, an even broader and deeper understanding of world history. She barely graduated from the sixth college she attended (I'm counting the one she attended twice).

If you witnessed how the Rs salivated over her, someone they had not met before last week, someone they knew nothing about, someone who simply told them what they wanted to hear....you begin to understand how easily dictators gain control of their countries.

The Rs will tell you quickly they are in favor of "less government in their lives" even as they demand government enforce their view on a few parochial issues that are important to them but which pale in comparison to the overriding issues on which all the people need true leadership -- fiscal responsibility, energy independence, health care, rebuilding US infrastructure, global warming, national security, including threats of nuclear, chemical and biological terrorism.

For the moment, the national political playing field has been leveled. The two candidates are nearly tied in the polls. As we go forward I pray the American people will not succumb to McCain's transparent pandering. He is using Ms. Palin as he has nearly every attractive woman who has crossed his path -- for his own selfish purposes. If he should get elected, he will forget about her entirely until he needs her. She can live in Alaska, as far as he is concerned (or in one of his seven houses), until he needs her.

Why would you pick someone who is under a cloud of suspicion in her own state, the subject of an ethics investigation, someone who billed the taxpayers of her own state for 312 nights she spent in her own home (WPost-9/9/08), someone who says her daughter had a choice of whether or not to keep the baby and yet stands ready to tell the rest of America's women they won't have such a choice if she is elected.

Why would you pick someone who is so totally out of step with mainstream America -- favors teaching creationism, favors earmarks (even though McCain opposes them), hired lobbyists to obtain $27 million in earmarks for her small town (the same lobbyists whose influence McCain says he wants to expel from corridors of power). She is anathema to all that McCain has been saying through his "Straight Talk" political philosophy, except that she is attractive, can read well from a teleprompter and has the right stance on all of the extreme right wing issues the base of his party holds dear.

If this is not political expediency at its core, I've never seen it. Karl Rove hit it on the head when someone asked him whether or not Obama should pick Tim Kaine, former mayor of Richmond and now governor of Virginia as his running mate: "If you pick Governor Kaine, you make an intensely political choice which says, you know, that ‘I’m not really first and foremost concerned with – is this person capable of being President of the United States.” Last time I check Richmond was larger than Wasilla, AK (200,000 compared to 7,000) and Virginia has 7.6 million citizens compared to Alaska's 700,000. Why shouldn’t the Rove rationale apply to Ms. Palin?

What I see is a base that doesn't care about governing, only about winning and making sure their issues are taken care of. Is that what we're about? I hope not. I have been watching the HBO series on John Adams (via Netflix) and it is terrific...but I wondered how sad it would make Adams and the other founders if they could see the sorry state into which we have devolved as a nation.

If the McCain/Palin ticket wins, I fear there is little chance America will arrest its current steep decline in power and influence on the world stage!

No Free Pass

A longtime Republican friend sent me the following e-mail over the weekend:

“I am in shock over this choice (Sarah Palin). I can't imagine what McCain was thinking. He chose a totally inexperienced person as his running mate, a person who won't even appeal to the Clinton female supporters. My God, he is 72 and she stands a good chance of becoming President. He has “dissed” the conservatives again. Of course, we have nowhere to go anyway. I just get so fed up with political parties. Why can't we just have an election like they did back in the beginning and vote on who we want and the two highest vote getters are President and VP. Now I have to face the prospect of super liberal being elected President who is going to raise my taxes and have a real SOB as VP. As you can see, I am conceding to you Dems.”

Even as they acknowledge the serious prospect of defeat this November, many Republicans are expressing the sentiments of this one who believes his taxes are going to go up dramatically. I don’t agree with his comment about Biden being a “real SOB.” One thing, however, is clear: Republican leadership has done a thorough job of convincing every last rank and file Republican in America that their taxes will go up when Obama is elected.

Well, I have news for them: your taxes are going to go up regardless of who is elected. How long do you think America will be able to borrow money from China to pay for the wars Bush 43 started? At some point, we Americans have to pay something. BTW, what did you sacrifice during these wars – mmmmmm?

Being a free American does not mean you get a free pass through the life of your citizenship; it means you get the opportunity to show your appreciation by paying the fair share of taxes you owe to support the government you depend on and you get the opportunity to choose – and I hope some Republicans will – to pay back their country through some form of government service. That would be a good thing for all of us to do. And then…we would have the right to complain about paying taxes.

Republicans Wanted Hillary -- BAD!

All this talk about unrest and unhappiness and division in the ranks over Hillary not being on the ticket is just that – talk. Sure, there are hurt feelings among the Clinton supporters because their candidate didn’t win the nomination. But Clinton supporters know, in the end, they – and we – must be united in our effort to take back America from the POP party (Political Opportunist Party).

But Republicans are ticked! They wanted to run against Hillary. They have been salivating for years over the prospect of running in 2008 against Hillary. During the primaries, Republican strategists kept saying, “Hillary is tough; she would be the toughest candidate we could face.” Don’t you believe it! They wanted her! The McCain campaign is running an ad right now saying, “She got 18 million votes and isn’t even on the ticket!” In essence, they are saying, “We’re really upset with Obama for not giving us Hillary to bash.”

Here's what Republican strategist will never admit: If she had been on the ticket, the McCain campaign would have ignored Obama and run against Hillary Clinton. They would have re-run all the old stories about the Clintons. They had more negative Hillary material in the can and ready to go than they could possibly use over the course of the next 72 days. Yes, they wanted to run against Hillary --- BAD!

So, ignore the television pundits…and remember they are only repeating what the Republicans tell them about the “simmering division among Democrats.” Yes, some of the Hillary folks continue to be disappointed that their candidate is not carrying the banner for the party, but they know – we all know – as Joe Biden said last Saturday, “We LITERALLY cannot afford another four years of the Bush-Cheney-McCain” form of government. America CANNOT AFFORD it!

As you watch the Convention in Denver this week, no matter what you see or hear, here's one thing you can take to the bank: Democrats WILL be united in November and will be joined by many REAL Republicans and THINKING Independents in rejecting four more years of Bush-Cheney-McCain.

Sleepwalking Into A Nightmare

Few readers thought they would hear me admit there was anything on which Newt Gingrich and I agree, but today I find myself agreeing with words the former Speaker recently wrote to his party faithful, and posted on his website. One could almost feel his pain as an exasperated Newt wrote, “We are sleepwalking into a nightmare." I agree.

At least, I agree the REPUBLICANS are sleepwalking into an election year nightmare. The rest of us are quite awake and preparing for a new day when a Democratic President will be sworn in and begin to govern by seeking a genuine consensus on the major challenges that confront the nation. Fully 82 percent of Americans believe the country is on the wrong track. Yes, a nightmare awaits the Republicans in November.

[And yet they persist in asserting that “Obama can’t win.” Really??]

But I digress.

Newt continues: "Republicans are isolated and trying to defend incompetence." He writes the Democrats are isolated, too, that they want peace but don't want to face the reality of fighting for it. Not true, of course. Bob Dole once said, "Democrats got us into more wars in the past 100 years than Republicans." If Dole means Democrats know how to go to war, that would be true, but they do so only when it is necessary. And that is the difference.

Newt is right when he points to the danger of terrorists or terrorist states gaining access to nuclear weapons. He says, "We are in a real war." I agree, but Iraq is not the place it should be fought.

The biggest danger to America and its allies in the world is instability in the region where nuclear weapons already exist in large numbers – Pakistan. Terrorists living freely in Pakistan AND nuclear weapons in abundance in Pakistan is a recipe for disaster. Newt understands this. And I agree with him.

Now if he would only encourage Republican candidates for federal office to READ the US Constitution again, and this time, read for a better understanding of the balance of powers doctrine contained therein, the parties might be able to come together to govern in the mutually accepted best interests of all.