Civility in the Modern Political Era

With this week’s death and funeral services of President George H. W. Bush, we have seen a great deal of civility and national unity. It always does my heart well to see this sort of camaraderie in our country, especially considering the constant bickering, name-calling, and hateful talk that normally comes from Washington, and the rest of the nation on a daily basis.

Regardless of your feeling for the former president, one thing that is apparent is that during the time of Bush 41 and before, there was greater cooperation and thoughtfulness in every part of the political arena. Prior to and during Bush 41’s presidency, there were disagreements over issues and differing plans on what was best for the country, but those disagreements were generally handled in a professional and respectable manner even when members hated the other members.

In today’s government it’s quite the opposite. Today, the hatred is openly displayed and even if the members of the two parties actually get along, they can’t be seen as such in the public eye. It’s too hard for these members to admit that while they don’t agree with the other side, they actually can have a friendship with each other. It’s too hard because we as a society can’t believe that we can be friends with those who have different political views.

When Jack Kemp died a few years back, thee was talk about how to bring civility back into politics. When John McCain died recently, there was once again talk of bringing civility back into politics. And this week once again, we talk of how civility has been lost in the halls of government. Yet in reality, all this talk will fade in the next week.

This time next week we will once again be in a place where one state party is trying to boost membership by offering bumper stickers that don’t promote their party, but make fun on the other party’s losing nominee. Next week will see the leader of one party spewing venom at the other party’s leader and vice versa. We will see on PAC running ads not promoting their stance on an issue, but attacking the values of the alternative view. Not telling us why they’re right and the other view is wrong, but simply why those who believe opposite of them are a racist, or degenerate, or whatever attack they can make not to give their views substance, but to denigrate those who subscribe to the opposing view.

Can we get back to a place of civility in American politics and government?  I don’t know.

But regardless of the leadership we are to follow, civility starts like all things in politics – at the local level.

We must learn to be civil to each other, we must learn to be respectful of each other, and most importantly we must learn to make our arguments in support of what we believe and now to denigrate those who believe opposite of us. Until we learn to do that, we are doomed to the same partisan bickering that has our country in a death spiral. AND make no mistake, that is the direction America is heading.

God Speed 41 and God Bless America,
Bill

Answering the talking points from those who speak “STUPID”

Since the President and his Lemmings have been going around preaching propaganda for the last few weeks, I have been bombarded with insults and silly accusations from my “friends” on the left. As recently as this morning I was faced with yet another attack of the stupids from another of my unfortunate dimwitted friends.

As a result, I responded to his flagrantly ridiculously unintelligent arguments with the following rebuttal. But once I completed the response I felt compelled to forward it on in a blog post just in case any of you are confronted with anyone spouting any of these inaccurate rants from the ignorant masquerading as the Stupid following the Pied Piper in the White House.

“If the Bush tax cuts were so great then why did our economy tank after 8 years of it?”

The Bush tax cuts helped stabilize the economy after the post-internet bubble and should have been allowed to sunset as it was originally passed; however, both parties were instrumental in its extension and it was a housing marketing scheme initialized during the Carter Administration and strengthened during the Clinton years that actually had more to do with the 2008 meltdown. A scheme addressed for removal by Bush in 2005, but fought for by Barney Frank and his pal Chris Dodd – LOOK IT UP.

“Time to pay the piper for two wars and those brainiacs who got us into this mess.”

I agree that putting two wars on a credit card was a bad idea; however, this one goes on both parties as they both voted for it…before they voted against it.

“I don't understand why so many middle class people want to protect these rich bastards who don't give two shits about you! It's not their sons and daughters fighting for your freedom.”

Actually, participation in the military, and the war, is based on desire to serve and/or better yourself. Statistically, percentage wise the numbers are a wash over who serves and who doesn’t. But service to the country is voluntary and regardless of whether there is a draft or not Democrats will always seek to cry the social justice foul over perceived inadequacies in military service.

“They aren't the ones trying to figure out how they are going to feed their children tomorrow! They aren't the ones sacrificing to put their kids through college!”

How come folks who come to America from thousands of miles away can always work however many jobs they need to meet whatever demands they have to in order to feed their children and put them through school, yet someone on welfare can’t walk their ass across the street to even feed theirs? If feeding children is such a problem, then you think the President would worry more about feeding them and less about universal Pre-K and government sponsored Wi-Fi.

“They spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to people who figure out ways around tax codes to save millions! You think that money goes back in the economy? BS”

Republicans have been calling for tax reform and the flat tax for years, which by the way, is the only way to keep the rich from hiring tax attorney’s to get out of paying taxes. And since only about 51% of Americans actually pay taxes then why wouldn’t people who have to pay taxes work to find ways to pay the lowest amount they can regardless of their pay-grade?

Hope that helps a little!

Bill

Even More Less Certain!!

So last year the congress and President passed a bill to raise the debt ceiling, keep the Bush Tax Cuts, and begin the difficult process of cutting spending by creating a “super-committee” to come up with the cuts otherwise we would go through a process called sequestration. A process that was so scary that it would force the elected officials make the changes necessary to make it all work.

Guess What?

It didn’t work!!

Now the talking heads in Washington are no closer to a deal, we are no closer to permanent tax reform, no closer to spending reform, no closer to a balanced budget, no closer to avoiding sequestration, and no closer to anything that even closely resembles and working government.

Want proof? How about this, as of today the federal government has not passed a budget in 1341 days!! That’s right, the U.S. Government has not had a budget passed and signed into law since 2009….It leaves one speechless doesn’t it. NOT ME!!

It completely ticks me off. For the first time ever, after the last few decades of politicians in Washington they are going to leave the future of this country in worse shape than they found it. Are they seriously going to tell us that they can’t find cuts that will save $1.5 trillion over the next decade? The fact is we have to cut the budget and spending in a manner that will balance the budget immediately.

Do we seriously think we can slowly lower spending and that will save it all? Hell no we can’t.

We have to balance the budget NOW, not in the next decade but NOW!!!!

The United States Government takes in roughly $2.1 trillion a year in taxes yet still finds a way to spend $3.5 trillion plus a year and without a budget that number will grow as the spending is allowed to increase because the congress and President signed in a law allowing the spending to grow a little each year making the budget more of an unnecessary guideline rather than a hard-line rule to govern spending that it should be.

“Govern”….sounds like a word that ought to mean something in Washington, D.C. – See the Irony?

But seriously, $2.1 trillion, how can that not be enough to govern the country? It sure seems like it should be but maybe it’s not enough because too many of us in the public who complain don’t actually take the time to pay attention and keep an eye on their elected officials and see how they are doing.

Think your voice doesn’t matter, get with a few friends and call your congressman or send him a letter that you also post on Facebook, or Twitter, or some other social network. Let everyone see what you said to him and then promise to post their response, or lack thereof, and see if they don’t respond.

Today the Senate has come up with a proposal to keep the taxes they are for most Americans but doesn’t address anything else at all. They just want to address the taxes but keep spending where it is – WORNG ANSWER!!

And many of those in the Senate seem good with a lot of it but are they? And if they are let’s get an explanation for it – NOW! This agreement the senate leaders are discussing will just pass the buck down the road and nothing will get done. The national debt will increase and our future will be even more less certain.

Sequestration was supposed to force the leaders in Washington to reform taxes, lower spending, and pass a budget; instead, the only thing that seems to get passed is, once again, the BUCK!!

We must have a balanced budget. Federal government must do their job and nothing more. Congressional leaders should lead for the betterment of the country and not the betterment of their party. If they governed with the future of this nation in the forefront then elections would take care of themselves. Instead they all govern with the next election in mind.

I could care less with the political parties; I care about my children and what the future holds for them. Those in Washington are showing how little they are truly worried about their children and grand-children’s future and more about their own.

I need a breath of air!!

Happy New Year everyone!!

Bill

Elections Do Have Consequences!!

I received an email containing this message and felt it was too interesting not to share following the Election Day results. I guess the interesting thing for me is the fact that the majority of Americans think the country is on the wrong track yet we as a nation voted the keep the status quo in both the Executive and Legislative branches of government. With that said think about this.

 

Congratulations to the Democrats and Young People!

You now own it. The next terrorist attack, you own it.
Can't get a job after graduation, you own it.
Sky rocketing energy prices due to Obama's EPA shutting down the energy producing states, you own it.
A nuclear Iran, you own it.
Bowing to the Soviet Union, you own it.
Another severe recession, you own it.
A volatile border with Mexico, you own it.
Trouble getting good health care, you own it.
Higher health insurance costs and health care costs, you own it.
No budget, you own it.
Our allies mistrust, you own it.
Another trillion of debt, you own it.
More Benghazi situations, you own it.
No one willing to join the military, you own it.
Trouble getting a loan to buy a home, you own it.
More dependency on food stamps, you own it.
Trouble finding good employment, you own it.
Several part time jobs instead of a good job, you own it.
A World Government, you own it.
The UN governing the United States instead of ourselves, you own it.
A Senate that will not bring any legislation to the table rather it is "Dead on Arrival", you own it.
China controlling our world trade and trampling all over us, you own it.
Loss of our freedoms as we have known it in the past, you own it.
A dictatorship instead of a democracy that follows the Constitution, you own it.
Less take home pay and higher living costs, you own it.
Driving a car that looks like a toy, you own it.
More government corruption and lies, you own it.
More toleration of extreme and fanatical Islamists, you own it.
Terrorist attacks called work place incidents, you own it.
Your revenge instead of love of country, you own it.

President George Bush is out of it now and there is not another good man for you to vilify and lie about.
In a way, I am relieved that another good man will not be blamed when it was impossible to clean up this mess you voted for.

Have a good day. God bless the United States! God is our hope now.

See Ya,

Bill

This Week in America, August 11, 2009

1. Senator Arlen Specter, in a town hall meeting this morning, said the Senate doesn’t have a healthcare bill. Yes they do, it passed out of committee last week. He also said he wouldn’t vote for a bill that increased the debt – YEAH, just like when he voted for the stimulus bill.

2. In several 2007 interviews, then-Senator Obama made statements about how the development phase of a new healthcare bill should be open to all sides for discussion, even going so far as to state that he would have the meetings shown on C-SPAN. My, my, my how times have changed.

3. In yet another end-of-the-news-cycle, Friday move, The Obama administration (this time in the form of Timothy Geithner) sent a request to Congress to raise the national debt ceiling. By the way, this would be the second time in the last six months the ceiling has been raised; the other was in the stimulus bill.

4. If you go to any of the congressional town hall meetings with any other opinion other than those that agree with the proposed healthcare reform, Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer have labeled you Un-American.

5. In 2005, Michigan Representative John Dingell said that President Bush should have to explain himself for leaving the public health and environment at risk while toxic sites lay untreated in the United States. Under President Bush, the government cleaned up an average of 38 such sites a year. President Obama’s administration will clean up 20 this year and 22 next year. Where is Rep. Dingell’s outrage over this reduction?

How’s you week going?
Bill

When to Say When

Okay – the North Koreans have nukes. They have tested the missiles over and over like last 4th of July, a few weeks ago, and several other times in the last few years. All that our government has said is, “ah, there’s no worries until they get a nuclear (or is it Nucular) warhead.”

Well guess what folks, they have it and they tested it underground this last weekend – Memorial Day weekend. Get it, test the missile on the 4th of July and test the nuke on Memorial Day. Got to give it to ole Kim Jong Il, he can read an American holiday calendar.

Seriously, NO ONE has done squat on this issue since Bill Clinton was president (and yes, that did hurt to say). Well, I mean nothing significant. Now there’s been a lot of talk by Bush and letter writing by Obama, but nothing that will create any results. I think it is time for the President to stand up and DO something.

What is it he will likely do? Pressure China, no wait, we can’t do that, who would loan us the money to pay for the stimulus or the new $3.6 trillion budget. Military strike, maybe about ten years too late but what the heck. Shake our fist and rattle our chains…Ahh, the old standby.

Well this one is not above President Obama’s pay grade. Actually, nothing is above his pay grade anymore and he now has to step forward and take some action.

I’m moving into the Bunker,
Bill