Not Your Daddy’s Democrats

When I was a kid learning about government/politics my friends and I identified strongly with democrats, since we were mostly from lower middle class, blue collar households. Seems idiotically simplistic now, but back then everyone knew democrats were for the little guy, republicans for maintaining status quo for rich people and big corporations. At least, so my mom told me. I remember she would mimic-spit when any republican...

Pol*Crastinating

We’ve just learned the republicans caved again, granting Obama a 3-4mo reprieve before using the Debt Ceiling to shut down his government. I use the word reprieve advisedly opposed to delay, extend, dilly-dally, hoping they really mean to do it. Ever the optimists, we conservatives! Reprieve connotes guilty as charged, with temporary hold on punishment pending a last-minute reassessment of the situation. Look for...

Ziggurats

HIGH POTOMAC EMBANKMENTS, ROTUNDA TOPS PENNSYLVANIA ZIGGURAT First came the Fiscal Cliff along the Potomac, with talks stymied until the last minute. Republicans caved on almost every issue, eking out one meager concession: taxes would be hiked only on those making $400K+, not $250K. Obama dug in, called their bluff, threatened to make the country believe it was all their fault if we went off the cliff. He had been...

Grand Bargain Baloney!

New York Times Editorial – Help Wanted: Leadership – Thomas Friedman – 9/24/11 I take issue with several of his points. Grand Bargain: He states we’re all in agreement we need a grand bargain to get out of this mess. Not true. No Compromise: He states both parties seem to have concluded no compromise is possible. Not true. GOP Wants Obama to Fail: He states republicans want Obama to fail, this from the get go....

Leaning Conservatism

Debt is eating us alive. Another debt-ceiling increase along with more of Washington’s budget busting insanity, and we’re done. I don’t mean we’ll explode or anything, only that the underpinnings of what has been the greatest experiment in republican-style democracy the world has ever known, will collapse. In coming months the American edifice will sway and groan as it inevitably settles into history. Think of...