Let us remember.
During his first two years, when there was a 'kinda' Democratic majority in the Senate (but not the magic '60'), the GOP Senate launched a record number of fillibusters, intended to deny Obama any of his progressive measures (had he taken the trouble to fight for them).
Thus, he was 'forced' to cripple the Stimulus bill, by accepting a ridiculous amount of 'tax-relief', which was certainly enjoyed by the folks who benefited (hint: not you).
The Health Care overhaul that, from the start, was missing a Public Option is another story - don't get me started.
Then, after the 2010 elections, we see the crackpots in the House dominating the show, preventing any reasonable compromises (except for the ones Obama made - that's another story).
So, do I blame Obama? Kinda, but let's keep in mind the reality that the GOP decided from Day 1 of his administration that nothing meaningful (i.e. counter to the GOP philosophy that 'give good stuff to the Rich and everything will be OK) will pass Congress.
Add to this toxic mix the corrupt, utterly disgusting Supreme Court majority, and this explains why an argument can be made that the Obama Administration failed.
Oh yes, there's the unpleasant memory that the GOP ran on 'jobs, jobs, jobs', but I've heard nothing but crickets from them, on this issue. And yet, the media (ah, the Media) covers the Horse Race as if it mattered.
Very sad. Our Republic is in bad shape, and I know where I place the blame.
The Backmann candidacy is the one bright spot in all this. I am hoping that the seemingly-endless bamboozlement of the American public will reach a tipping point with this. Certainly there can't be enough Evangelical idiots to actually propell this woman to the White House. You read it here.
I gottta go.
Yup ...I have to agree on all counts. The 2 main parties both SUCK! Repubs more than Dems, but both are far too concerned with getting re-elected and keeping corp funds coming in. That's why I'm Green Party. That's what led a friend to switch to the Socialist Party. The current system is horribly broken, and when you have d-bags like McConnell declaring early on that his top priority was and is to keep Obama from getting re-elected, that is a clear statement that the folks at the top of the Repub party don't give a CRAP about what's best for the country. They care most about themselves and their cronies.
ReplyDeleteOne solution would be to tie Congressional pay to the average wage of a US worker. Heck, even double the average wage. That would put their (current) pay at around $80k/yr. Offer them healthcare similar to what most of us have (if we're lucky): several hundred dollars/month in premiums and a deductible of a thousand or more (mine is $3,050 ...$6,100 family deductible). Put them in the shoes of the folks they're supposed to represent.
Of course, the challenge is getting REAL reform passed, when the fox is living quite comfortably in the henhouse.