Even before the president took office, republicans began hammering on Mr. Obama, questioning his citizenship, of all things. Since then, the party has been unified in opposing every initiative, all legislation, and every idea put forward by the administration.
For instance, although it was former president Bush and the republicans who got the ball rolling on the bail-out of Wall Street, the moment Mr. Obama took office, that became a really bad idea that irresponsibly increased the deficit. Indeed, the hypocrisy of the Republican Party seems unbounded. It was, after all, Mr. Bush and the Republican Party that declared war on terrorists and launched two extraordinarily costly military offensives while simultaneously cutting taxes for the rich. The impact of these policies on the federal debt and the deficit has been predictably detrimental.
The so-called "debate" over health care reform has been derailed by a transparent tactic embraced by the Republican Party to frighten the American people. The ridiculous notion that it is a socialist plot to reallocate vast sums of money so every American has access to health care is as baseless as it is disingenuous. Insurance companies soak-up as much as 20% of healthcare spending without providing any benefit to consumers. In point of fact, both the Medicare and Medicaid programs are administered by the federal government at a fraction of the administrative cost of private insurers. The same is true of health care provided through the Veterans Administration.
In a continuing effort to end politics as usual and to promote bi-partisan solutions to our challenges, the president invited republicans to help fashion legislation that would extend medical coverage to a larger number of our citizens in a more efficient way. The contrast with the previous administration's secretive development of public policy in cahoots with big business and the majoritarian tyranny of the previous Congress could not be more stark. Yet, from the outset, almost all the republicans declined productive involvement in changing a system they claimed was functioning better than any other in the world. When that was shown to be a patently false claim, they reverted to the tried-and-true strategy of fear mongering, shrilly decrying a "government take-over" of the health care system (as if the existing morass can be fairly characterized as a system).
Meanwhile, republicans have tied the legislative process in knots, opposing practically every reform and neglecting virtually every responsibility of that branch of government. For instance, republicans have quietly prevented the confirmation of federal judges with procedural tactics, the likes of which they will declare to be illegitimate when healthcare reform is brought to a vote over their unprincipled opposition. While President Clinton had 27 federal judges confirmed by this point in his administration, and President Bush had 28, only 6 of President Obama's nominees have won confirmation. This, even though Mr. Obama's nominees have been more moderate and at least as well qualified as those put forward by his predecessor. The republicans, of course, claim that the Obama nominees are to a person liberal activists, all evidence to the contrary.
| Court | Vacancies |
Pending Nominations |
Confirmations |
| US Supreme Court (9 justices) | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| US Courts of Appeals (179 judgeships) | 21 | 7 | 0 |
| US District Courts (678 judgeships) | 72 | 9 | 0 |
| Court of International Trade (9 judgeships) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals | 93 | 16 | 1 |
Similarly, although the criminal justice policies of the past have been abysmal failures that have cost our country billions, mantras like "coddling criminals" continue to frustrate meaningful reform. The "war on drugs" has in actuality been a war on our citizens, especially those in minority communities who are incarcerated at 5 times the rate of whites. Yet drug use has not substantially diminished, though people involved in the drug trade have become increasingly violent. And drug rehab programs are being eliminated in our prisons and in our communities as we struggle to recover from the consequences of corporate profiteering run amuck.
Three-strikes laws, mandatory minimum sentences, and the elimination of parole in many states have combined to quintuple the prison population over the past 30 years, giving the U.S. the dubious distinction of imprisoning more of its people than any other country in the world. And the abandonment of rehabilitation as an objective of the correctional system, the development of mechanisms to hold offenders in custody beyond the lawful terms of their incarceration, and the preclusion of ex-felons from the work force have fostered a sense of hopelessness and engendered an antisocial culture in which time in prison is actually considered a badge of honor.
So what is it that drives mindless republican obstructionism with regard to virtually every issue the Obama administration has sought to address? Perhaps it has to do with the desire to block reforms that would hamper unbridled capitalism and greed exemplified by the corporate benefactors that ensure their re-election. Maybe it's that President Obama offers a genuine opportunity for bi-partisan cooperation to attend to the nation's problems and they fear his success will mean the further erosion of republican power and control. Or it could be that opposition to the president is the only course of action upon which party members can agree as they witness the unraveling of their coalition of fringe-fundamentalists, social conservatives, and fiscal conservatives (who must truly feel disoriented after the soaring deficits brought about by the recent republican administration).
Whatever the motives of these obstructionists, they are clearly inconsistent with the notion of a "loyal opposition," an idea that has for generations united disparate segments of our society to work in cooperation for the common good. That idea - that once an election is decided, we pull together in the same direction - seems to have devolved into a never-ending political campaign and a struggle for political power that puts private interests over public interests to the detriment of all our citizens.
This obstructionism is a strategy for the demise of the Republican Party. As Americans, we've had it with knee-jerk, ideological rejections of good faith efforts to improve our society. We're tired of unreasoned scare-tactics intended to cause governmental grid-lock and to exploit divisions within the body politic. We want to see a unified approach to government in which all political points of view are fairly considered and solutions to our challenges are hammered out in meaningful dialogue and principled compromise. Any political party that values its own hold on power above the interests of all the people it serves is ultimately destined for demise.
The good news? It's not too late for the Republican Party to return to first principles and serve the people of this country, rather than their own narrow political interests.
Comments
Having llved in Hawaii myself for so many years, I find yet another HI corrupt government connection, say, to the creation of the COLB as a means to create a spy's "Legend."
I know, I share some things with those two, a common "Master Spy" father, former East German STASI Spy Markus Wolf.
I think you'll be heavily interested in my website, with "Family Photos."
www.rickhyatt.freeservers.com
There may be a decided cause to mix Obama's and Palin's genes, as you will come to understand.
Ever notice how one republican politician says "Hey! I'm the dad" and a whole bunch of others fall in line behind him/her no matter how much of imbecile they are, and no matter how much money their ideas end up costing because their inability to enact reforms cost billions more than necessary? The liberals need to do more field work to keep them from ever getting elected in the first place, then the minority wouldn't rule California with their lockstep voting. More civics and less math needs to be taught in school and a law passed to keep them from reproducing in my humble opinion. We, the people, allow them to get elected to office and then just stay there, no matter how destructive they might be. I will never understand why we allow that to happen. Great article, thanks for writing it.
It's so refreshing to hear a well-written, unbiased perspective. Unfortunately, this article was neither.
The current bill is not in the best interest of any American and further plunges the country into more than $800 billion worth of extra debt. It's crazy how a President who has done virtually nothing continues to hoodwink so many Americans.
B. Cayenne Bird, Sacramento: "More civics and less math needs to be taught in school and a law passed to keep them from reproducing in my humble opinion."
Yes, we need to teach less math in schools and keep anyone with half a brain from reproducing. Anyone seen Idiocracy?
How the hell can the minority be 'obstructionists' if the dems have enough votes to pas any damn thing they want?
The right has become silly, sadly. There is much to be listened to in a truly conservative philosophy but that is drowned out by the likes of Glen Beck and the fear mongering they peddle. Even the branding of Christianity has been perverted by the radical religious right to the point that the cross may be something to fear instead of embrace. Republicans now lie without remorse (e.g. birthers, death panels, etc), engage in serial name calling instead of political discourse, and promote the shallowest of thinking instead of reasoning fully like the article above. It is a sad day for our country.
It's funny that a Leftist would mention name-calling after the 2008 election. Palin? I, also, must say that the article above was not written with reason in mind. It merely promotes liberal views. I could see how someone who shares the author's views might think that this article was full of reason. However, any article that wishes to be considered logical must examine both sides. This article was clearly one-sided and often ridiculous.
This article was good for a laugh. And they call Fox News one-sided. Ha! You would think that someone with the credentials that Hamden shows in his bio would realize that this article is absurd. Instead, he's been snowed like so many ignorant dems.
Observer believes he/she is the moral superior to most. Is that called an elitist?
Obama is nailed in this clip.
www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/clips/china-cold-open/1178451/
Republicans block reforms, ALL REFORM
Very well written article. It makes me wonder if the republicans are a bunch of lemmings? They follow what their leaders say and do no matter how stupid and detrimental to themselves and others in their group.
Sandy,
Your comment makes me wonder if you are a lemming, believing any leftist dribble that comes across your computer screen.
Corporate psychopathy, or the Republican's award winning shame and blame incites fear and loathes accountability. Republicans
want war. There is no compromising with how much war is enough.
It's time for the Bushes and Cheneys and tortured logic to be terminated.
I'll be happy to block creeping Socialism anywhere, anytime.
Sandy,
Your comment makes me wonder if you are a lemming, believing any leftist dribble that comes across your computer screen.
Watch this powerful video.
www.politico.com/click/stories/0911/palins_roanoke_visit.html
Maybe if there was any economic liberalism in this bill, I would support it. There is only a mix of economic fascism/socialism. YUK!
Go to Cato.org for market liberal reform ideas that will cost billions less and will work for the long term.
The health care and cap and tax bills suck!
The Republicans' actions are treasonous: their end aim is the destruction of the Federal government; they are destroying the economy to bring themselves to power; they seek to have the Republic default on its debt in order to bring about its downfall; they aim to bring down the Republic by refusing to raise taxes despite having started the ruinous, costly Iraq war; Governor Perry has threatened to secede Texas from the Union; Governor Perry has physically threatened the Chairman of the Federal Reserve; Tea Party members have physically threatened members of Congress; they bring guns to venues where Ptresident Obama speaks.
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