On the “Debt Crisis” – Boston Globe Blames Republicans, Reuters decries “Rebel” Tea Party, while Obama, Pelosi and Reid, Still Playing the “Bush Card”

The Original Rebels of 1773 - Tea Party - image from CRWflags.com

The Boston Globemakes no pretence of lack of objectivity in their article on the Debt Ceiling “alleged” crisis (alleged as the date continues to move at the whim of Tim Geithner and the Democrat Controlled House, up to the elections in 2010 either had no budget or blocked any attempts at a reasonable budget under Pelosi and Reid’s watch – 2006 bears repeating). The article begins:

Inflexible House Republicans forced Speaker John Boehner late last night to put off an expected vote on legislation to raise the country’s borrowing limit, dealing a stunning blow to the GOP leader’s authority just days before the country is set to run out of money.

Read that twice. In the real world, Boehner did have a plan that compromised more with President Obama’s plan to spend through the roof, and cuts to the budget were dramatically reduced to billions. The House Republican’s that are considered “Tea Party” are fiscally conservative and were perhaps looking for something with more “Teeth” in it, as regards any chance of getting the debt under control.

The last bill that the House put together (to solve this very same crisis) was rejected by the Democrats in the Senate, not even making it to the floor for a vote! Obama insisted he would veto legislation that called for cuts to the budget, a onetime rise in the debt ceiling, and a start to a balanced budget amendment to the constitution. (Bill Clinton with a Republican Congress led by Newt Gingrich balanced the budget - therefore, it can be done.)The President’s preference is obviously to run without a clear budget, continue to spend, and continue to raise the debt ceiling, which effectively lowers the US dollars worth. Go figure.

The Tea Party, fiscally sane conservatives, want to effect positive change in the way those juvenile delinquents that are currently entrenched in Congress spend other people’s money. It is, in effect, a log-jam.

Obama won’t sign a bill unless it includes limited cuts to spending, while allowing him to raise the debt ceiling enough through 2012 so that he can comfortably get back on the campaign trail.

The Republican’s led by Boehner, are trying desperately to come up with a compromise and have presented several bills, all of which the President refuses to sign if they pass the Congress anyhow.

Tea Party members, see this happening, and figure, they might as well just stand firm and continue to give their constituents full attention, and do exactly what they were sent to Washington to do – stand up against insanity regardless of which Party happens to be involved in the lasted mess.

Reuters, is now calling those members of the Tea Party Caucus Rebels! It is as if those members elected in 2010, because of the financial crisis, sent to Washington to stop the spending, are somehow out of touch with reality. More to the point, they are in touch with their constituents, and it is Washington, the Beltway Pundits and their media cheerleaders, who clearly don’t understand jack (you know what.)

It is the word Rebels, being used by Reuters, which calls to mind the original intent of the Tea Party, and the original Tea Party Rebels of in the year 1773, were also called rebels, and later revolutionaries a point that should not be missed by those who live within the safe confines of Washington Think! It was about taxes then, and it is about taxes now. Overburden the people, and the people “rebel”, It might be predicted that at this point, the more the media maligns the Tea Party, and lays blame, that they are, in effect, creating a notoriety which a good percentage of thinking American’s (and they exist) find appealing.

Meanwhile, the Democrats and their leaders Pelosi, Reid and President Obama, continue to cry “Bush!” as they lay blame for the current conditions on the past. As Bush left office with a crumbling real estate fiasco (caused by whom in Congress? Who controlled Congress in 2006?), and ran with the limited TARP program (which was, incidentally opposed by most Conservatives), he put into effect a stop gap, that should have been enough of a rise in the debt crisis of 2008, to set up a lovely and easy to manage scenario for incoming Obama – had Obama not followed former President Carter’s economic and foreign policy to the letter. Unfortunately, he did, growing government, increasing the payroll for an ever-growing crop of government employees (through the Stimulus), and wondering why the private sector was not hiring? Additional large scale social programs also insured that businesses would be wary of hiring, there was no fix to the housing crisis (see Fanny and Freddy) rather, the administration and Happy Nancy just threw more money at the problem, hoping for a correction. It kept going; one spending project after the next, all without a budget, no budget, not one budget during the entire time the Democrats and President Obama had the reigns of government.

Now, these much maligned “inflexible” and “rebellious” members of Congress, sent by and for the people, are taking heat for doing the job that all Republicans and heck all Democrats should have done, but not unlike a herd of Ostrich, stuck their heads in the sand.
Also, just a note to the media: Globe in particular, although it appears that Boehner did not have the support for yet another bill that he came up with versus, one very shady backroom deal under Reid, which would have been vote now, we’ll let you know what’s it in later (recall the Health Care disaster), and they call is position “weakened”. Give us the proverbial break. Recall the deals, begging, pleading, midnight votes and calls to the White House to those poor “Blue Dog” Democrats who finally jumped on the Obama Health Care vote, a midnight vote to nowhere. It was not as if they had control, they had a plan (that no one could read), they wanted it done, and they held Congress in chains, until the vote passed, on straight party lines. The Democrats have their divisions, which are rarely spoken of in the media, their Progressive arm (i.e. Socialists who have taken control of the party) and the “moderate democrat” – who looks more like John McCain every day –or vice versa.

It is refreshing to see debate, and it is refreshing that some of those sent to Congress have a clue, it is refreshing that, although, yet another crisis looms (see Obama under Boy Cries Wolf), that some members, regardless of being called names, are standing up to principal, while, Beltway Republican’s attempt to play nice with Obama, and Obama pouts and refuses to move away from his Progressive roots, thinking there is no way out but tax increases across the board, and a continued rise in the nation’s debt ceiling.
If one thought that 1793 was a bad year for Progressives, as was 2010, just wait. The majority of Tea Party Members are not, repeat, not Republican’s (although they vote with them and run as Republicans due to the allege fiscal conservatism that party represents), but Independents and, get this, Democrats, as well as some disenfranchised Republicans. Rebels yes, a Revolution yes, at the ballot box in 2012, which, if this continues to be a pre-school scenario (or high school, hard to tell the difference and with the decline in education in the nation, between a 3year olds knowledge and that of one about to graduate high school, and God Help us! vote!!!) of Congress and the White House, it will be a rout across the board. It is not, therefore, unthinkable, that a third party candidate, would put themselves forth, should the Republican party nominate one more McCain like Republican (one who wants to be a conservative, while assuaging every Democrat they meet, and of course, retain their popularity with the press.)

Therefore, when the sky doesn’t’ fall on the 2nd of August, and the Wolf never arrives at the door, and yet another plan is proposed in Congress, which will be vetoed by Progressive of the Year, President Obama, life, will go on – The blame for all of this lies with those in Washington despite acting like a bunch of 17 year old girls (and any parent with a 17 year old girl understands what that means), even despite Party, being unable to get their act together. It is the job of Congress to take charge of the nations purse strings (See U.S. Constitution), it is the Presidents job to create a budget (which he has consistently failed to do, since the Brilliant Obama took office), and it is the peoples job to vote.

Does it really matter if the only checks being cut in Washington got to Social Security, and Medicare? Does it really matter if the Parks department, the EPA, the TSA cannot pay their employees? Will the people miss the pat down and lack of profiling done unless one is an aging grandmother or 4 year old boy? One might call this naive, however, with the focus on one’s own declining revenue of what little paycheck is left for those working in the private sector, focus on Obama’s difficulties in getting another rise in the debt ceiling and Boehner’s’ inability to control members of Congress who are, literally, more Republican than those incumbents who sit in that August body. The personal pocketbook, or lack thereof, will place the blame where it belongs – and that will be on those who were supposed to have gotten “the message” but refused to listen. In other words, the Tea Party has a point, and as one of those who is sick of Party politics as usual, and looking at the Unenrolled status as a badge of pride, it is only disgust one must feel, for the continued one-sidedness of the media, and the same old crap coming out of DC for the past eight plus years.

Richard Neal (D-MA2 – (for now – Redistricting) and Nancy Pelosi (D-CA8) Will be Up for Re-election in 2012 – A Public Service Announcement

Both Richard Neal and Nancy Pelosi (along with all members of Congress) will be up for re-election in 2012. In Neal’s case, the fact that Massachusetts has lost a house seat, and redistricting is not yet complete, it is unclear if he will retain his seat as the Massachusetts 2nd District may be merged with another. Although, this is an unlikely scenario, in this opinion, due to both John Olver (D-MA1) and Neal’s clout within the Democrat Party – it would be more sensible for Democrats (who are the majority Major political party within the State, and therefore have a free hand with redistricting – as unenrolled voters, the clear majority, are not a “political party”) to merge the 4th and 10th in order to protect Barney Frank (MA4th).

As of this writing, there are no clear challengers to any of the Congressional House Seats, and this is due to the redistricting. In 2010, all but 2 of the 10 MA Democrats faced a challenge at the ballot, and both Neal and Frank had to spend millions, call in former President Bill Clinton, and locate 30,000 voters in less than 13 hours to insure that they remained in Congress. They were re-elected with the narrowest margins of their careers, however, this fact will most likely not weigh in the decision to eliminate a district, again due to both having held positions within the Democrat Party from 2006 to 2010.
Nancy Pelosi, (D-CA8) former speaker of the House, will be also be up for reelection along with all members of Congress. Pelosi, who also faced a challenge in the CA 8 the district, fared much better than her Massachusetts counterparts in the 2010 rout, which saw the Republican’s with historical gains, ousting many entrenched Democrats as well as a few Republicans. Although faced with a Challenger, the Progressive Pelosi, was in fairly safe territory, as San Francisco, makes up the entire district, and is known as the epicenter of the counter-culture of the 1960’s – little has changed. It remains to be seen if she will face a challenger in 2012; however, as with all members of Congress, at this point, the only members who appear to have “gotten the message” from their constituents are the much maligned (in the press) Tea Party Caucus members. Therefore, as the American Public is fed-up with business as usual (the pre-school sandbox that is Washington), it is likely that both Republicans and Democrats will face the wrath of the American people, it is however, likely that those on the side of fiscal responsibility will win over the more Progressive policies of spend, spend, and spend, creating government jobs, while unemployment has continued to rise under the watch of the current Administration.
As the dust begins to clear and challengers become available, information and biographies will be available on this blog.

2012 Update – Mass. Democrats Begin Campaign Against Scott Brown (R-MA) Use Cut, Cap, Balance “Vote” To “Vote” on the Budget Plan – No One Has a Plan!

Brown known to cross Party Lines: See Boston Globe:Kerry Brown image Boston.com

From the Attleboro Sun Chronicle: Massachusetts Democrats are digging deep and getting a little help from their “fact-checking” friends: (Reporting on the Democrats :)

Democrats are waging a two-front war against U.S. Sen. Scott Brown over the debt ceiling issue.

On one front, they are knocking Brown, R-Mass., for voting for a Republican plan called Cut, Cap and Balance that Democrats claim would devastate Medicare and Social Security.

The Problem is that Brown never voted for a “Plan” he voted to against Sen. Majority Leader, Harry Reid’s Plan to “table” the House Republican “Cut, Cap and Balance” plan See ABC News blog: www.blogsabcnews.com/thenote/2011/07/timing-is-everything-reid-forces-early-vote). Reid had decided on early the week the House voted to pass the bill, that it would not gain support in the Senate from Democrats.

The problem with the bill from the Democrat’s perspective was the fact that it a) allowed the President to raise the debt ceiling, b) called for budget cuts that to Congressional Discretionary Funding, one which would be spread over ten years, and c) included a Balanced Budget Amendment with riders in place to override a Balanced budget should a national security crisis arise.

Senate Democrats are against a balanced budget bill, a bill which, if passed in the Senate, would then go to all fifty of these United States for individual State Votes, there would need to be two-thirds (a majority) of the State’s voting to accent a federal balanced budget before it could become law and an actual amendment to the Constitution. This process can take decades.

Which when one understands that Democrats controlled both the House and Senate from 2006 to 2010, and maintained control of the Senate only in 2010 forward, cutting back on spending was not the rule, rather, spend with abandon is the Party mantra. It is not only the Democrats in Congress from that period forward that are to blame, Republican’s before them similarly spent the taxpayers’ dollars with abandon, however, the level of abandon was ramped up a bit (that’s sarcasm) once the Democrats took over both houses. When Obama was elected as our President, with a like minded Senate and Congress, it was debit “party time”.

Brown, who is known to take his time before making known is stand on a position, which anyone with an once of brains understands that Brown is studying the particular bill, looking at the Commonwealth of Massachusetts first and assessing the benefits for the people, not the Republican Party or the Democrat Party. He has voted for and with Democrat plans, and for Republican Plans since entering the Senate – which frankly drives everyone a bit batty (the media, the Tea Party, the Republican Party, and especially the Democrats!). Brown has an independent streak and thinks for himself.

Back to that “vote”: Reid forced the Senate to vote early on allowing the Cut, Cap and Balance to even go to the Senate floor and be “debated”, it was not an actual vote on the bill itself - it was a bill to allow debate on the plan. The Democrats, to date, have not put a budget together for the past years, (that’s right, years), rather continue to run our country on a procedure that pushes a budget down the “road” and then allows continued spending. They have no plan on the so called “Debt Ceiling’ other than to raise it and make a few billion dollars in cuts. In fact, Cut, Cap and Balance was criticized by hard-line conservatives for not going far enough!

To get the story straight and recap:

Brown voted to allow debate on a bill, he did not get a chance to actually vote for or against the bill called Cut Cap and Balance.

The Bill did not take away anyone’s entitlements (Medicare or Social Security not in danger, never were), other that Congress, allowed the debt ceiling to rise for the President (that’s called a compromise), asked for cuts that would be spread over ten years (compared to the immediate rise in the debt ceiling), and to the shock and horror of the Democrats led by Harry Reid and the President, asked that a Balanced Budget Amendment with safeguards in place, be allowed to be voted on, voted on, not passed. The Balanced Budget Amendment would then, again, take possibly decades to become law because it would have to go to each state to be voted on, would require a two-thirds majority of states voting in favor of a Balanced Budget, before it could become law.

The sad part about today’s political rhetoric is that those members of political parties that are “entrenched” (meaning one cannot pry them out of their taxpayer funded jobs even with dynamite), use flat out “lies” to slam opponents. This appears to be particularly one-sided and one can take a stab at guessing which party is guilty most of the time. (Allowing for the fact that there may be a Republican out there that acts like a Democrat – or worse, Republicans and Democrats (most often those darn “Blue Dog” Democrats (not Progressives), who cross the aisle on occasion when one party or the other has a good idea. This is, of course, infrequent.

The Cut, Cap and Balance bill was a good idea, but was killed by a straight Party Line vote in the Senate by Democrats. The Cut Cap and Balance Bill was also very popular with the American People, one can take a look at a less than Republican friendly U.S. News report “opinion” blog, on a CNN (another non-conservative news outlet) poll:

A CNN poll released Thursday shows that nearly two thirds of the American people support the "Cut, Cap, Balance" plan that passed the House of Representatives Tuesday, throwing a monkey wrench into President Barack Obama’s plan for a deal of grand design.

Therefore, Brown looked at a House Bill, that was supported by a clear majority (this is a CNN poll mind you), and voted only to allow debate in the Senate on Cut Cap and Balance - which may be why Brown continues to be popular in the state with the state’s majority of voters – unenrolled, or independents! Democrats control the majority of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, all ten Congressional Seats (which will soon be all nine due to redistricting and people fleeing the State to get away from the usual high taxes and uncontrolled spending that residents are over familiar with and that has been exported nationally), and the State House, Senate and Governorship. Massachusetts has a lot of deadwood on the voters rolls (literally dead and moved individuals) which the Democrat Secretary of State refuses to remove. One can imagine why these dead and moved voters might come in handy – see 2010 election and several districts that were won by Democrats, in the waning hours with an enormous “get out the vote” effort.

In other words, they’ve (The Massachusetts Democrats) got nothing on Brown and so, they have to manufacture something!! If they have to run against his actual record, the majority who already support the Senator would be increased. The simpatico press, is going to run articles without correcting factual errors, either because a) they are clueless of the actual procedures (which is entirely possible), or b) they all happen to be Progressive Democrats. Both may be possible, which is why the Gallup Trust in Institutions poll suggests that the majority of Americans (close to 75%) do not trust what is written or broadcast.

The old adage "The Inmates are Running the Asylum" is apropro in regards to the current Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the Senate of the United States of America.

Trust in Institutions - See where Media stands with Americans from Gallup Polling: image Gallup.com