Sometimes the American People Don't Like This Mess

We are a divided government. We are fighting for what we believe. Sometimes the American people don't like this mess.
John Boehner, R-OH, Speaker of the House of Representatives


Mr. Boehner got part of it right. The American people don't like this mess. In fact the public opinion of congress is at an all time low. The gridlock has gotten so bad that according to The Huffington Post's, Amanda Terkel this particular edition of congress is on schedule to be the least productive in modern history. It has passed a mere 15 bills into law.

Sunday, Boehner went on CBS' Face The Nation in order to explain why he and fellow members should be allowed to collect their pay checks this year. He put it this way, "Congress should not be judged on how many laws we create, but on how many laws we repeal." He added, "The country already has more laws than the administration ever could enforce."

Okay, I suppose that is one way to look at it from the conservative point of view. There are too many laws so we are weeding out and repealing the ones the nation doesn't need. Hey, we aren't making any, but at least we're getting rid of some. It's like they used to tell me back in my retail days, when you're aren't selling something you should be dusting the shelves.

Unfortunately for Mr. Boehner people keep track of these things. Someone should let him in on that information and save him some embarrassment--assuming he is capable of such an emotion.

At this point, under his watch, the number of laws congress has repealed is zero. Yes, zero, as in nil, zilch, nada, and none.

Damned if you don't, Mr. Speaker and damned if you--well--don't again.

In the house it isn't for a lack of trying. The republican majority has voted to get rid of what is termed as Obama Care 38 times while knowing full well such a repeal won't even get to the senate floor, much less the president's desk. They are absolutely stymied when it comes to thinking of anything else they could, or should delete from the books.

Realizing they have a bit of an image problem, the GOP has put together a written guide on how its congressional members should address the concerns of their constituents during the upcoming August recess.

NBC reports a couple of the bon mots republicans should rely on are, "We're fighting Washington for you." That's the style. Washington is some alien place that has no connection to us, your elected officials who hold a majority in the house and have for two thirds of Obama's presidency. Then there is, "Our government is out of control, but republicans are fighting to stop government abuse, to make Washington work for all Americans. We are fighting to fix Washington."

Well, I'm not sure I'm part of the GOP definition of "all" Americans and neither is the rest of Mitt's 47%. It seems pretty certain that huge portions of the Hispanic population don't feel included in the republican concept of "all," either; nor, do other minorities and women. It also remains terribly unclear how doing nothing fixes anything, but I'm sure there is some sort of occult message there, rather like the secret hand shake my old fraternity taught us years ago. Indeed, if you're not a member there is no reason to ask for an explanation, because even if we had one we couldn't tell you anyway.

NBC also reports that Utah republican Senator Mike Lee and a few others, in their never ending quest to, "fix Washington" have vowed to shut the entire government down this fall if funding for Obama Care is part of the budget. In certain circles this sort of tactic is known as working with the president.

The problem is, of course, the tea party rubes. They aren't there to fix anything. They are there to destroy a government they see as evil. They are the GOP version of all those masked and punked up anarchists who take to the streets burning cars and smashing windows when the World Trade Organization tries to have a meeting. They have nothing to offer, except destruction. Their only plan is to eliminate all plans.

Meanwhile the New York Times is reporting a new economic study shows that, depending on where you live in this country, it is becoming increasingly difficult to escape childhood poverty. The toughest area to climb out of the hole is the deep south.

Look for some clown like Boehner to blame the depressing statistics on over reaching government regulations and the creeping fog of socialism. In fact the study shows that a smaller percentage of Americans climb out of inherited poverty than do those who have grown up with it in wild eyed liberal places like, Denmark, Norway, Canada, Australia, Germany, France, and Japan. You know, nations where there are programs such as Obama Care.

That might be another thing we want to fix.

Or, we could all join the republican party and do nothing. After all, their plan is currently in place and its working like the proverbial broken clock. Despite the hands remaining perfectly and perpetually motionless, it is right twice a day.

See, there is progress. As always we have something to celebrate.



sic vita est

7-23-13