It seems the Republicans in Congress, that are still there, believe they’re wearing a “We held the House this past election, and all we got was this lousy T-Shirt!” T-shirt. And the wily Dems have no problem sidling up to the newly T-shirted and complementing them on its fit and trendiness, “you look fantastic!”
Who cares if the Dems claim they have a mandate, that’s what they’re supposed to do. You win, claim a mandate, and walk away. Let the losers stomp their feet, hold their breath until purple and then scream, “No mandate! Whaaa!!!”. Meanwhile the winner goes on to plan what to do with the newly found illusory political capital. Remember when W. was re-elected? He claimed the same thing, and it drove the donkeys bonkers. So, buck up Republicans and don’t play into it, ignore it. Now, I’m just a lowly software pleb that annoys his neighbors occasionally with an acerbic blog or two and I know this. So, why don’t the paid politicians know this?
Look, it’s not the end of the world. Kaptain O’ didn’t win by a landslide, he won by less than the last time. The House is still under control of the R’s. So, you R’s in Congress, reach into your pants and make sure you still have a set (you too ladies, it’s metaphorical) and don’t get rolled on this “fiscal cliff” issue, stand by your principles (assuming, of course, you have principles of smaller government and less taxes). So, my message to those R’s in the House is: “Go home” (and I’m not alone in thinking this way, as this blog was in a holding pattern before being published, several pieces have come out saying just this thing). Walking away is the only way you’ll get spending cuts. There’s really nothing else you can do. Don’t worry about getting the blame. You’ll probably get the blame regardless of what you do. If you do sign on to tax hikes, the economy will tank, you’ll get the blame, jettison your principles, and be a sellout. If you don’t sign, taxes will go up anyway, economy will tank, you’ll get the blame, but at least you’ll have your principles and have a chance to help the beleaguered Republican brand by not selling out.
I’m fine with racing over the “fiscal cliff” that faces us in the next 30 days. So, taxes shoot beyond orbit, it’s going to be the only way to get cuts. Sure, they’re Draconian cuts, but cuts are cuts. And if we don’t reduce spending somehow, it’s not going to be cliff we tumble into next time, it’ll be a vortex out of which there is no escape. Kaptain O’ is not going to cut anything and, by yesterday’s math, he wants another non-stimulating stimulus of a gazillion dollars we don’t have. Tell him to go screw! This is the way he operates, and we know this.
A few years back, the R’s made a good faith effort when in similar circumstances, and they put forth a budget proposal. Obama then gathered for a…wait for it… speech. And in it he chided the proposal as un-American (as if he would know…doh!) with its author sitting in the first few rows. Why try this again? Nothing has changed. This is what the American people have elected.
As a Russian newspaper, Pravda, just said a few days ago, “The Communists have won in America with Obama…” (and of all the news outlets on the planet, Pravda would know). It goes on to say, “Obama has been re-elected for a 2nd term by an illiterate society and he is ready to continue his lies of less taxes while he raises them…”. It went to quote Putin of all people, “During the time of the Soviet Union the role of the state in economy was made absolute, which eventually lead to the total non-competitiveness of the economy. That lesson cost us very dearly…”. Pravda then stated, “… Obama has bailed out those businesses that voted for him and increased the debt to over 16 trillion with an ever increasing unemployment rate especially among blacks and other minorities. All the while promoting his agenda.”
This is what America elected; we might as well fight back while we can before being marched off to the gulag (hmmm… I wonder if I’ll meet a Denisovich). Otherwise, get in position, heads down, bottoms up and join the rest of the American people in placidly accepting a colonoscopy the 20th century way.
One more thing, we shouldn’t be surprised by O’s continuous campaigning because that’s what he knows how to do. There’s not much he does well, but campaigning falls into the “does well” category. The American people elected a campaigner, not a leader. We know it, he knows it, and they know it. So, let him campaign. The math will take care of the leadership, right comrade?