Congressional Republicans

Public Servants: An Insurance Policy For The Present And The Future, Underappreciated!

The attacks on public servants being encouraged by Fox News Channel, Congressional Republicans, Republican Governors, and Presidential nominee Mitt Romney are reprehensible!

The idea seems to be to “trash” the value and essential nature of having police officers, firefighters, teachers, nurses, and other public servants, who serve willingly, but are mistreated, underpaid, and now are told many of them are not “necessary”, because the wealthy cannot pay more taxes!

It is the same attitude toward military personnel, who are sent into harm’s way, told they are appreciated, but discover otherwise when they need health care and other services, and are told they must wait months for service, or just be asked to go away, as they are used in public rhetoric and then abused in reality by lack of concern and care!

It is the public servants of this country, both civilian and military, that make this country what it is–a safe, secure country in the present and the future, as well!

Police officers are there to protect us against crime; firefighters are there to protect us from urban blazes and massive fires such as the horrifying forest fires in Colorado right now; teachers at all levels are there to educate our young and our adults and even our senior citizens, so that they have a future that is enriched by knowledge and skills; nurses are there to do much of what doctors fail to do, including saving lives in emergency rooms and assisting in surgical procedures; and military personnel are dying and being wounded for us overseas to protect the homeland!

That is MUCH more important than whether a corporation had record profits in the last quarter; or whether banks made more by bilking consumers out of greed; or whether Mitt Romney and other “vulture” capitalists managed to make even more money to add to their obscene amounts of wealth which they protect from taxation by having secret accounts in the Cayman Islands, Switzerland, the Bahamas, and elsewhere!

None of the above are at all patriotic, or caring about what is good for America!

All they are concerned about is the ALMIGHTY DOLLAR, as they worship the acquisition of wealth, and celebrate greed and selfishness, at the expense of their fellow citizens and their nation! They are defended by the Republican Party and conservatives, who like them, should be ashamed of themselves, but don’t have the capacity to have a conscience or concern for their fellow human beings!

Obama, The Middle Class, And Small Business: Poll Indicate Widespread Support For The President!

A new Washington Post-ABC News Poll indicates that the middle class and small businessmen see President Obama as supportive of their interests.

At the same time, the polls indicate that Congressional Republicans are perceived as in league with Wall Street financial institutions and large business corporations.

The middle class issue is won by Obama by 53 -35, while the small business question sees a 48-39 lead for the President.

Meanwhile, majorities across party lines see the Republicans as more concerned about big business and Wall Street.

One would think this would reverberate in Obama’s favor as the country tries to deal with the Debt Ceiling crisis, and will backfire on the Republicans, because the vast majority of the country is not in agreement with the Tea Party Movement that is controlling the House of Representatives majority, to the chagrin of Speaker John Boehner, although he has carefully avoided any comments on the subject!

Barack Obama, The Democratic Party, And The American People: On The Way To Separation Or Divorce?

President Obama is alienating his progressive base, due to indications that he is willing to negotiate cuts in Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, as part of a deal with the Congressional Republicans to avoid a default of the government, as we face the August 2 deadline of the need to raise the debt ceiling.

Various groups, including labor unions, the National Organization For Women, The Alliance For Retired Americans, and Moveon.Org are furious with the President. Senators Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi have all made it clear that such concessions are totally unacceptable.

The question is whether President Obama has the courage to stand up to the Republicans and possibly help to cause a default on the national debt, or instead is willing to antagonize his base and sacrifice the support of the Democratic Party’s heritage–the New Deal and Great Society programs that have become our safety net!

It means that either President Obama will cause a “separation” or “divorce” from the American people 16 months from now, or cause a similar “separation” or “divorce” from his party loyalists as he enters the campaign for re-election in November 2012!

One could say that Obama has the choice between the “devil and deep blue sea”, and what he ultimately chooses to do will reverberate in the long run for the nation and his historical reputation!

The State and Congressional Republicans: A Problem For Presidential “Possibility” Republicans!

The Republican Party, state level and Congressional level, is moving so far to the right of center in American politics that they are presenting a real problem for Presidential “Possibility” Republicans, helping to spur those ambitious for the Presidency to hold back and reassess their chances! It is amazing that no major candidate has yet announced his or her run for the Presidency on the Republican side!

So many of the Republican Presidential field are as loony and dangerous as the state governors, the Tea Party House members, and Congressman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, who would wipe out Medicare and Medicaid as we know it, in a mad dash to cut taxes on the wealthy from 35 percent to 25 percent, making the Republican Party the opposite of Robin Hood–stealing from the masses to give more to the wealthy!

At this point, only a few Republican possibilities for President seem able to appeal to independents and the middle class–Mitt Romney, Jon Huntsman, Tim Pawlenty–but they would need to separate themselves from the hard right move of the GOP toward the lunatic fringe!

And if any of the three above were to separate themselves enough to win the nomination, they would have a massive headache as to how to move ahead as a centrist leader of a party that is far out of the mainstream!

As the GOP moves further to the right, therefore, the likelihood of an Obama win in 2012 grows geometrically, rather than arithmetically!