This President and this Congress have proven themselves to be silly at best. They just don't get it. After two years of passing legislation in spite of being told by the American people that they didn't want these bills. The stimulus passed with just three Republicans, who are really not Conservative and one of those Republicans made it official by changing to the Democrat Party. That would be Arlen Specter.
The House passed the Cap and Trade bill, aka Cap and Tax. The American people didn't want it. Then came the health care debacle. The Senate passed the Health care takeover bill against the wishes of the American people. When Scott Brown replaced Ted Kennedy in the Senate, the Republicans now had a way to stop the health care bill. Unless the Democrats in the House passed the bill exactly as the Senate had passed it. If there were any changes it would go back to the Senate for a vote and Scott Brown would have been the vote that stopped it from reaching 60 votes and passage.
The Health Care bill came with a pricetag. The Louisiana Purchase to get Senator Mary Landrieux's vote. The Cornhusker Kickback to get Senator Ben Nelsons' vote. A buyout in Connecticut to get Senator Dodd's vote.
Then in the House, Representative Bart Stupak of Michigan agreed to vote for it along with his coalition because Obama promised to stop abortion from being in the bill with an Executive Order. Not one Republican voted for the bill and many Democrats backed away from it, but they got enough to pass it. Again, against the will of the American people.
With the largest tax increase in history looming at the end of the year, the Democrats shut down Congress to go and campaign for the upcoming election rather than pass the extension to the Bush Tax cuts.
The people spoke. Democrats were voted out across the country. The Republicans gained 63 seats in the House and added Senate seats as well. More importantly over the long haul, they also took over many many more state legislatures and Governorships across the country.
Obama, who didn't include Republicans in anything the last two years, now worked out an arrangement with the Republicans to extend the Bush tax cuts. This time, he didn't include the Democrats in the deal. They were left out and they were livid claiming that Obama "caved".
To make matters worse, he then came out and instead of praising the two sides for working out a deal for the American people that they said loudly and clearly that they wanted in the election, he instead said that he had to negotiate with "hostage takers" (the Republicans) and told the Democrats it's the best deal to be had and they should get over it.
After this monumental screw up, he needed damage control. So he called in former President Bill Clinton and Clinton took over the press conference. Obama actually walked out and left it all to Clinton to deal with.
Today, the Senate passed the tax cut extension with a vote of 81-19. The House Democrats are still angry.
But then today, the Democrats came out with the appropriations bill. Another 1,900 page monstrosity. Included in this were earmarks totaling $1.1 Trillion Dollars!!
Both Republicans (who agreed recently to a moratorium on earmarks) and Democrats put in big dollars for their districts. Dollars we don't have. Not one legislator is going to have time to read this before the vote. Democrats have been whining that the tax deal was going to blow up the deficit and the debt, then turn around and add $1.1 Trillion dollars to that shortfall.
The American people have said loudly and clearly that it's time for Congress to get it's financial affairs in order. Cut spending. Stop taxing. Stop passing bills that we don't want. But this Congress flipped the bird to the American people by putting out this massive spending plan.
We are 16 days from taxes going up, and finally the Senate passes the tax cut extension bill. They've only had 8 years to do it. They still have to wait for the House to pass it. We are 21 days from all of those that we elected this year to taking over the House and their new Senate seats and this current Congress is spending as though the people didn't matter. But then, the people haven't mattered to this President and this Congress for the past two years, so I guess we shouldn't be surprised.
Prior to the election, the question was beginning to be asked 'how long can this country survive'. Now the question seems to be 'can the country survive another 21 days.
This new Congress that comes in is going to have it's work cut out for it. Repealing Obamacare (which also failed in Federal Court this week), cutting spending in massive amounts, not to mention dealing with the border issue and Americans dying on the border that this Congress and this President don't seem to care about.
You're welcome to comment.
Brett
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