Just Shut Up and Get to Work
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I listened to the president's inaugural address. It was certainly a well-written and well-delivered speech. It was mercifully brief.
It played very well with the thousands gathered on the Mall. The president looked well rested and ready to rumble.
He should have; he has evidently been asleep for the past four years.
It is all very well to read a laundry list of liberal-approved platitudes promising to solve everything from global warming to gay marriage. It makes for pleasant listening to assure everyone that the government will take care of everything forever.
What would have been really nice, however, would have been even the slightest hint that impediments remain; that a wave of the oratorical wand is not in itself a solution to much of anything.
I'm as sick of writing this as you are of reading it, but we are on the brink of another fiscal crisis - or rather, the next phase of the same one. We are approaching the debt ceiling yet again. The president has said he will not negotiate any spending cuts to raise it, period. House Republicans are working on a bill to extend it for three months - another can-kick - which will probably die. Then what?
In addition to this most pressing problem, we already had contentious Cabinet nominations to deal with, a sudden interest in gun control, and an urge to pass immigration reform. Now the president has piled on the entire liberal agenda.
Emerging from all of this will be some of the most vitriolic language imaginable from all quarters. Its purpose will be to satisfy various constituencies upon whose votes the speakers rely. Its result will be to alienate from each other those individuals upon whom we are depending to sort it all out. The president's speech was not helpful.
In the recently immortalized word of Joe Biden: Malarkey
The president reminded me a bit of King Canute. You remember - he's the fellow who commanded the tide not to come in. The president will have about equal success with all the abstractly wonderful promises made on Monday, not because they are necessarily ill-founded or undesirable, but because they are secondary, or should be, to the incoming tide of fiscal calamity.
All Mr. Obama accomplished was to back Republicans deeper into their trenches, and whether he likes it or not, they remain in a position to thwart most of what he wants. He may get a Democratic Congress back in 2014; he may not; but the national fisc will not withstand two more years of this nonsense.
Somebody needs to get serious, and though I will gladly concede that Republicans have been most unhelpful and bear plenty of blame, the fact remains that Barack Obama is president of the entire United States, and he has a duty to behave in the national interest rather than to pander ever more extremely to the left.
There are excruciatingly obvious needs to do many things in this country, and all at once, yet all our leaders, if that is the word, seem able to do is to yell past each other. If the president wants to advance his social agenda, if the Republicans want to stave off bankruptcy, it is past time to shut up and get to work.
Congresspersons now work, perhaps I should say meet, three days a week, then rush home to deal with constituents. Perhaps it would be better if they did not. Perhaps they should just hunker down in Washington and focus on solutions. Still, they are more productive than senators, who only draw paychecks.
The president has taken to pronouncing dicta on every subject that comes up. Perhaps some contemplative silence would be worthwhile.
The time has come to be different, to step up and speak truths. That may be a radical proposition for this generation of politicians, but clearly what they are doing now is not working. All of them must surely know that reality is out there somewhere and that they will have to deal with it - soon.
Fred Wolferman lives in Southern Pines. Contact him by email at fwolferman@ sbcglobal.net.
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Comments
JimHeim 4 months ago
The author forgets why the congress is at work so little - Newt Gingrich. When he became speaker he acted on his observation that it's hard to demonize one's friends. So he drove a wedge between Republicans and Democrats, discouraging group get-togethers and family gatherings. Instead, he shortened the work week and urged his caucus to leave DC on the weekends, thus isolating the two parties.
They will likely never recover and congressional comity is a thing of the past. Thanks, Newt, for destroying representative government.
fwolferman 4 months ago
Old news. Didn't see the Dems lengthening work week. It takes two not to tango. Get over it.
JimHeim 4 months ago
I missed the transfer of majority in the House. Perhaps Speaker Pelosi can fix this.
But you missed the point. Gingrich drove a wedge that can't be fixed. Republican are now wedded to the idea that Democrats are anti-American socialists. Nothing can change that. They will never be able to compromise or otherwise negotiate with Democrats. When the Republican Party self-destructs (just how many rural white guys are there?) maybe their replacements will be sane.
BTW - As I recall, Pelosi did extend the work week.
madstork 3 months, 4 weeks ago
As a lifelong Republican, it worries me that the party is tracking towards the fate of the Whig Party. Conscience Whigs from the north and Cotton Whigs from the south had opposing views (primarily on slavery issues) and could not unite on almost anything but the concept of limited government. There was never a truly consistent Whig political philosophy, except in the negative sense of opposing excessively concentrated power in the federal government. Their objectives came about largely after their disappearance. Southern Whigs joined the Democratic Party and the Northern Whigs formed the Republican Party. Note to Heim…stop with the black/white in your responses. Maybe Herman Cain can answer your “rural white guy” question re: number of remaining republicans.
JimHeim 3 months, 4 weeks ago
madstork, I couldn't help but notice that over 90% of blacks voted for Obama, while the only group that Romney got a majority of was rural white men. Perhaps you can explain the discrepancy.
Toda 3 months, 4 weeks ago
Fred Wolferman
pgericson 3 months, 4 weeks ago
Fred Wolferman is correct, President Obama has a duty to act in the national interest. If national interest is affected by what the majority of Americans think is the right thing to do, than his proposals on gun control, gay rights, social security, immigration, and health care are in the 'national interest'. Those on the right have the opportunity to influence public perception and thereby alter majority views on the role of government, but for now, Republican philosophies do not seem to align well with what the majority of citizens desire from their government.
AFCHIEF 3 months, 4 weeks ago
Heim of course Blacks are going to vote for Obama thats a pretty dumb statement
JimRussell44 3 months, 4 weeks ago
AFCHIEF, see, these are the comments that bring a smile to my face. Would you care to tell us why you think blacks automatically vote for President Obama?
JimHeim 3 months, 4 weeks ago
afchief, so did Latinos and Asians and women. Got an answer?
madstork 3 months, 4 weeks ago
Heim – I think AFChief answered why blacks voted for O. I cannot understand that, after years of being servants to the plantation owner and reliant on the master for all their needs, they would revert right back to the government plantation for all their needs. Seems the Democratic Party has taken the American black person right back to pre civil war. Just sayin’
Yukonjohn 3 months, 4 weeks ago
Madstork, The Republican party is in shambles. They had a chance to go back to Constitutional Government with Ron Paul or even Gary Johnson, but they continue to resist. That type of candidate is the ONLY chance to bring in Democrat AND Republican voters to stand together for the type of govt. that the founders envisioned. Big govt., big spending Republicans are not what our country so desperately needs. As long as the Republicans continue with their sham and so far out of touch in regards to social issues, they will lose, and lose badly.
clarabelle 3 months, 4 weeks ago
ol fred sounds like AFCHIEF's even dumber brother. never thought that was a possibility!
clarabelle 3 months, 4 weeks ago
Fred Wolferman..................... a DR wannabe with no sense of humor and BS for content. Only the far right loonies even read his crap!
dentman65 3 months, 4 weeks ago
"Well done is better than well said," Is a quote by Ben Franklin. I have to agree with Yukonjohn, though I may be pounced upon for saying it, that we had our chance at a constitutional candidate and together with Fox news buried them in the sand. One of the first laws of Ecology I was taught in school is that there is no such thing as a free lunch. I have found this to be true. Obama or the Republicans can talk all they want, but as ole' Ben said, doing beats talking any day of the week. The current state of D.C. politics reminds me of the stale mate trench warfare of France in WW1. Everyone thinks if they are the greatest at waiting the other will give in. The sense of entitlement in this country stuns me every day. No one is willing to give up one bean or potato to make things better. I agreed and still agree with Ron Paul on many platforms as I would think many of this board do. We cannot afford to be the world's police and fight every country's war for them anymore. We cannot afford to feed the world anymore when our many citizens and retired elderly go hungry. We can no longer afford to waste millions on wasetful government studies as to why some rats are born hairless or how free condoms will improve the lives of prostitutes in Vietnam. We can no longer afford to keep an 18 year old convicted murderer on death row his entire life at an estimated cost of better than forty thousand dollars per year. When will D.C. wake up and realize what has to be done? I wish I had the answer. This country is worth fixing as all would agree. As long as we have politicians that are too afraid of making cuts because they may offend someone or not get re-elected this stale-mate will most likely continue. Most of us on this board know what has to be done, and we know it would red-face a lot of people doing it and we would be very unpopular, but no one ever said doing the right thing is always easy.
AFCHIEF 3 months, 4 weeks ago
Clarabelle still adding nothing more than insults as predictable as it gets
Yukonjohn 3 months, 4 weeks ago
dentman65, Not to be just agreeing with you because we agreed with me, but you are absolutely right as l see it. And Ben Franklin was a pretty smart cookie in many ways, this just shows it again.
Yukonjohn 3 months, 4 weeks ago
dang, should proofread.......with you because YOU agreed with me,
clarabelle 3 months, 4 weeks ago
" AFCHIEF - Clarabelle still adding nothing more than insults as predictable as it gets"
geez chieffie - read YOUR posts - always the same ol drivel. Talk about predictable -
JimRussell44 3 months, 4 weeks ago
Yukonjohn, I also agree with dentman65's comments. Also, don't know if you are aware of it, but when you post a comment, you'll see the word "Edit" at the bottom of the message. If you happen to catch an error you made in typing, you can click on Edit, correct the mistake and re-enter the corrected comment. I use that feature more than I should admit.
Yukonjohn 3 months, 4 weeks ago
JimRussell44, Thank you so very much!! I will use it often l am sure. l so appreciate that. lt seems l mess up alot, and no matter how much l use the Backspace key, l still have an error or two!! Thanks again.
dentman65 3 months, 4 weeks ago
I wonder what president of the past would be the most capable of resolving the current problems in D.C. if we could snap our fingers and bring them back from the grave?
samosamo 3 months, 4 weeks ago
Brings to mind that one of the largest holders of U.S debt is the Social Security TRUST FUND. Raped by Bush to finance two illegal wars. All this chatter of entitlement programs and debt bound into one is nothing but bull.... The Bush Tax cuts....... a biggy. The removal of the Gold Standard and creation of the Central Bank, Fiat currency since the 70's,The loss of millions of American jobs, The largest Offensive oh my bad, Defsensive budget in the world. Thats the short list. Fix it. Get to work Mr President and Congress. Oh wait there's all that corporate pac money and the lobbyist's that have to be repaid, not to mention Wall Street. corruption. Whew! sounds like a Job.
madstork 3 months, 4 weeks ago
Yukon..I agree on your perspective of the state of the Republican Party. As I stated in another Blog, the republicans are going the way of the Whig party. I hear Rand Paul speak and he is already running. He is the new face of the type of candidate that can compete. Last election was a republican farce…and I am (was) a lifelong republican with state level politicians in my family…oh the humanity!!!!
Toda 3 months, 4 weeks ago
Prior to the national election and swearing in of President Obama, the Republican Mantra continues to berate his every word, action, or decision. Too many have been Svengalied by the Fox News talking heads: Doocey, Kilmeade and Carlson.
Republicans Mantra of Equality by Tommy Davis
JeremyG 3 months, 4 weeks ago
We have an obstructionist GOP with the likes of Mitch McConnell who made it their primary focus to make "Obama a one term president". They did this above and before the interests of the American People. The of course failed. We have a president who capitulates too much and has continued many policies of the previous regime. Overall they all bow down to their corporate masters. It is BS and it is bad for you.
JimRussell44 3 months, 4 weeks ago
dentman65, the situation in Washington is far beyond the help of a single individual. Any President from our past would find himself facing 50% opposition, regardless of who he was. I am of the belief that the problem cannot be fixed without having a dictator take over and make things change. Special interest groups rule this country through the use of money to buy support. That's like getting a wine stain on your carpet. It ain't ever coming out so you can put a chair over it and live with it or you can get a new carpet and be content until the next glass of wine stains it.
JimHeim 3 months, 4 weeks ago
madstork and afchief are the poster children for the Republican's inability to connect with the African-American community. Now if we could get their opinions of Latinos and Asians we could score a trifecta.
Yukonjohn 3 months, 4 weeks ago
There is something that l am finding that is very good for our country IMHO. Look on these boards, we are seeing several "new" posters coming on here and having very meaningful discussion on these subjects. Maybe we are inching closer to knowing we have a problem and trying to fix it. I do not know if there is any one person that could "fix' it, but there are more people seeing that what we are doing is not working!! I take heart in that. Even the most rabid amongst us are maybe softening their positions, or at least appear to be. I love our country. I want to see it working, and prospering. At the same time, l want it working within the framework that we were given by our founders. That framework has worked fairly well for a long, long time. I have only best wishes for my fellow Americans, and would hope we could work this out. We are a very smart group of people, collectively, let's try and fix what we have and as Spock used to say, "Live long and prosper".
madstork 3 months, 4 weeks ago
Heim, Here is your trifecta... I started out my professional career working with inner city kids in the public school system of NY. All cultures, races and ethnic persuasion. I also grew up in the inner city, played sports in the inner city, dated in the inner city and coached in the inner city. I suspect you read about diversity while I lived it.