So Rush wants Obama to fail. How high on the wall would he, and other conservatives like Hannity have nailed a “liberal” commentator if such a spokesman had said the same about George W. Bush and the surge? Who among the left even said such a thing?
Who on the left said “I hope the United States government sinks under the weight of partisan politics” and the result would be our country being declared a disaster among nations? Who else has said that their views predict that the glorious experiment that is democracy would end in ruin and defeat. Wouldn”t those on the right have declared that such statements were treasonous, or at least un-American?
Yet these statements by Limbaugh and others go unchallenged and viewed as only part of the “loyal opposition” to the Obama presidency. Even if Limnbaugh is viewed as only an “entertainer” which others have said, it is still repugnant and obscene.
Now we hear by those on the right that there are no longer any “checks and balances” since the Democrats are the majority in the House, the Senate and the White House.
Where were these views and comments in 2002 when the Republicans had majorities in both houses of Congress and had the White House? Such hypocrisy is not worthy of anyone who would declare that he or she had the best interests of the county in mind while issuing such comments.
But the Democrats are not blameless either. The comments of speaker Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid frequently do not assist the bipartisan efforts of the White House. President Obama selects several Republicans for his staff, but that is not enough. He goes to Capital Hill to enlist the support of Republicans with the economic package and rewarded with what?
A total boycott of votes by Republican legislators across strict party lines. Who here is engaged in “partisan politics”? The Republicans say they could not support the bill because it contained too much of the wrong things. But what don they offer as an alternative? Only a package that contains tax cuts, but not support for job creation.
Only the idea that tax cuts help business, and that business will therefore help small businesses and add more jobs. Didn”t we try that during the entire Bush Administration? And what did we get? The current economic meltdown.
Shame on the Republicans. You are only fostering the idea that you are the ones who are not willing to bipartisan. You are the ones who are only voting not help your constituents, or your nation, but are voting to maintain the old, tried and failed economics of the Republican philosophy trickle-down economics, deregulation and corporate greed which has resulted in the present mess we have. You don”t like the current plan, but have nothing new to offer in the alternative, other than dissent and avoidance, without a viable substitute.
The American people have voted that they want something new, different, and resourceful that can help, and most Republicans would prefer to vote as if 2008 had never happened. Mammals adapted to the change in the environment, and became the dominant species.
Dinosaurs couldn”t do that, and went extinct. I sense that unless you are willing to change, the Republican party might be the new version of Tyrannosaurus Rex.
Doug Rhoades
Kelseyville
