Henry Clay
Am I the only one to come away from last night's State of the Union Address more convinced than ever that little to nothing is going to be done in the 113th Congress? I mean, President Obama raised several reasons for America to invest in our infrastructure, students and small businesses, but that meant spending money! But what about the Deficit? Why is it that the richest nation in the World cannot seem to afford to operate in the 21st Century? Our electrical grid is decaying, our bridges are crumbling and our transportation systems have not been seriously upgrades since the Eisenhower Administration . Anyone broken their neck yet slamming into the debt ceiling? Already, the GOP has labeled such ideas "Leftist", "Liberal" and "Socialist." Earth to Republicans, look up Henry Clay's American System/Plan. You will learn that investments in America pay off in expanded commerce, which leads to profits for business, revenue for governments and jobs for workers. Go figure! Alexander Hamilton is still spinning in his grave. Gee, I wonder if he would want gun control? Considering he was shot to death by Aaron Burr (the first Vice President to shoot someone...).
As Marco Rubio (R-FL) presented his "Republican rebuttal" to the State of the Union, I quickly realized that the man seemed to be reading a speech written back in 2008 instead of 2013. Rubio reminded us all that big government is never the answer and only free markets make the world go around. While feeding us this old rhetoric, Rubio mentioned his past reliance upon student loans and his mother's current reliance on Medicare...both government programs! Oops. And then..the water moment. Honestly, I immediately thought of Saturday Night Live and the Not Ready For Prime Time Players! Poor Rubio, he seemed to be having a problem swallowing the rhetoric his handlers were feeding him. Did anyone else find his final smile to be forced? I think his initial smile was genuine, but someone behind the camera told him to smile like they do to students posing for a school yearbook photo, and Rubio delivered. You remember those smiles, right?
The only thing we can look forward to is an activated President utilizing Executive Actions to move the ball forward on his initiatives. But be prepared for the Right Wing Communication Machine to begin pounding their fists about an over-reaching dictatorial President. Is it really overreach when Congress can't otherwise get anything done? Are we witnessing a new era of Executive Action to govern instead of legislative action from Congress? As long as Congress remains in gridlock of partisanship and cannot meet their collective Article I responsibilities, we can expect Obama and future Presidents to expand their "Custom and Usage" authority under Article II to meet their Constitutional responsibilities.
As Marco Rubio (R-FL) presented his "Republican rebuttal" to the State of the Union, I quickly realized that the man seemed to be reading a speech written back in 2008 instead of 2013. Rubio reminded us all that big government is never the answer and only free markets make the world go around. While feeding us this old rhetoric, Rubio mentioned his past reliance upon student loans and his mother's current reliance on Medicare...both government programs! Oops. And then..the water moment. Honestly, I immediately thought of Saturday Night Live and the Not Ready For Prime Time Players! Poor Rubio, he seemed to be having a problem swallowing the rhetoric his handlers were feeding him. Did anyone else find his final smile to be forced? I think his initial smile was genuine, but someone behind the camera told him to smile like they do to students posing for a school yearbook photo, and Rubio delivered. You remember those smiles, right?
The only thing we can look forward to is an activated President utilizing Executive Actions to move the ball forward on his initiatives. But be prepared for the Right Wing Communication Machine to begin pounding their fists about an over-reaching dictatorial President. Is it really overreach when Congress can't otherwise get anything done? Are we witnessing a new era of Executive Action to govern instead of legislative action from Congress? As long as Congress remains in gridlock of partisanship and cannot meet their collective Article I responsibilities, we can expect Obama and future Presidents to expand their "Custom and Usage" authority under Article II to meet their Constitutional responsibilities.
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