Two events collided in April 2011. The first was a so-called “deficit reduction” compromise that demonstrated how incredibly difficult it is when the immovable rock of Liberalism meets a squishy Conservatism. The second was the Obama speech yesterday.
The budget that Congress passed is a weak attempt to change the trajectory of an out-of-control Federal spending spree speeding the country to bankruptcy. It demonstrated that there are bedrock beliefs held by the Left that are not subject to compromise. Among those are federally funded abortions and government solutions to … everything. When Team Obama met their Republican counterparts whose objectives were less ironbound, and whose memories of earlier government shutdowns made them shudder, the result was a skirmish whose results – in fiscal terms – was impossible to distinguish from no engagement at all.
On Wednesday, April 14th Obama gave his reply to Paul Ryan’s proposal to reform government spending and make the social safety net sustainable. It was a slap across Ryan’s face and a stirring re-statement of Obama’s desire to make the Federal government the arbiter of all things and the source of all things. It was a demand that people turn the fruits of their labors over to the government to be distributed at the pleasure of government officials.
The Obama speech set the theme of his re-election campaign. The Republicans have been less steadfast and much more divided in their aims. Most in congress still have re-election as their number one objective, and if the country collapses on their watch it will be less traumatic – to them - than leaving Washington. The only saving grace is that the Tea Party caucus in Congress and the Tea Parties throughout the country are keeping the Republicans from collapsing altogether.
What this means is that there will be no solution to the fiscal crisis coming down the road until the 2012 election removes Obama from office. I don’t even want to think of what will happen if he remains.
1 comment:
The thing I keep asking myself is how often do the Republicans have to be vilified and accused of wanting to kill the elderly and the handicapped before they get angry enough to stop being so damn polite.
The reason that Donald Trump, who would not be my first choice for president, is popular, is that he takes the battle to the other side.
Democrats, with spokesmen like Anthony Weiner, Chuck Schumer, Sheila Jackson Lee, will go to their death defending the killing of the unborn, gay marriage, defunding the evil military, and every other wack job cause that comes down the pike. Republicans just keep their polite "lets make a deal" ways.
You might think that this last election might have given them some backbone, but alas, they remain polite in the face of unwithering demogogery from our esteemed Commander in Chief.
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