Now that Congress is returning from an extended vacation (again), can we expect anything productive to come out of Washington in the final weeks leading up to the 2014 Mid-term elections? Probably not. I mean, does anyone really expect members of Congress to accomplish anything that might be used against them in their concerted efforts to collect huge campaign donations and get themselves re-elected to the jobs they barely engage in all year long? Okay Rubin, we know you are down on Congress, but isn't it expected they will be going in campaign mode as we approach election season anyway? Of course, except they have been in campaign mode since 2010. When can we expect them to WORK instead of fundraise? Well, perhaps not in the near future!
According to Republican sources, if the GOP takes control of the Senate, concerted efforts will be made to undermine the ACA by gutting its funding, double-down on attempting to investigate everything that can be dreamed up as a scandal and well, not about much else. In fact, now that Obama is facing a real foreign affairs crisis with ISIS/ISIL, you can bet both parties will take to airwaves to pontificate on what policy avenues to pursue, yet run away from those positions once Obama offers Congress the authority to decide those policies fate.
You see, it is already happening. Although Obama created his "Red Line" with Syria, he did go to Congress to seek their support for further military action against the Assad Regime. By going to Congress, Obama felt he could obtain a coalition, not of foreign powers, but powers within his own government. Instead of supporting the positions pundits and politicians publicly espoused, they collectively ran away from the issue just so they could leave the impression that Obama broke his promises and therefore, cannot be trusted and is weak. Just what our enemies need, a divided United States government allowing their leaders to assume America can be pushed around. I mean, when GOP pundits credit Putin for his toughness while slamming our own president for being weak, who the hell do you think they are empowering? Themselves?
Case in point - Obama inarticulately mentioned not having a strategy in place to deal with the threats of ISIS/ISIL in Iraq and Syria. Instead of pushing further to determine what he meant, his opposition (again and again) piled on that he is "disengaged" when it comes to dealing with Muslims (proof he is a closet Muslim himself and golf enthusiast). Social media perpetuates this garbage and simpletons throughout American echo those sentiments by claiming he is not a "real" president. I kid you not. But where was Obama this past week? In Europe, securing military coalitions for a confrontation of ISIS/ISIL. Gee, incremental foreign policy implementation and military intervention. Sound familiar (see Reagan, H.W. Bush, Clinton, W. Bush for coalition building)? So what gives? Obama had a strategy on the matter, and it required an agreed upon coalition. Until the United States can get world-wide support to engage ISIS/ISIL in Syria, we should not unilaterally engage. Why? Just look at the situation in Ukraine. If Europe, on the doorstep of Ukraine is not willing to engage in efforts to stop the naked aggression of Putin, then why should the US? Obviously, we are the World's policeman, but why should we risk our human and financial capital if the folks we are protecting don't support our efforts? Isn't is well past time to back away from asserting American military pressure and influence when the folks most affected by those efforts don't appreciate them?
As written in the Washington Post recently, every aspect of the opposition to Obama's presidency has been calculated to defeat Democrats come election day, whether it hurts America or not. According to the Post, Republicans have been caught on many fronts engaging in political hijinks - including arguments relating to the national deficit. The main architect of the GOP positions? You guessed it, Karl Rove, who now directs Republicans to attack Democrats for actually supporting GOP Deficit Reduction plans. Why? Because Rove and his ilk truly don't care about the financial health of our nation (see http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/crossroads-gps-moves-the-deficit-debate-in-the-wrong-direction/2014/09/03/41ca0ec8-33a4-11e4-8f02-03c644b2d7d0_story.html). They also don't care about the military standing of America - if they did, they wouldn't engage in undercutting the Commander In Chief on virtually every front. Isn't it time folks agree that Obama is NOT the biggest threat to America?
I would insert my disdain for the Democrats here, but they are not anywhere near as hypocritical on the deficit and foreign policy front as today's GOP. You can bet though that after the GOP takes control of Senate (along with their control of the House of Representatives), Democrats will learn from the Republican strategy and will take the title of "Party of No" so artfully mastered by the Republicans. And who benefits from such measures? Certainly not the American people. I hate thinking it empowers our enemies though. As President Franklin D. Roosevelt once wrote; "Virtues are lost on self-interest as rivers are lost in the sea." When it comes to the United States, may Americans soon re-take the helm and steadily steer U.S. into calm seas! Have a great week!
* The Third Edition of "How Our Government Really Works, Despite What They Say" will be available on line in both paperback and e-book by the end of this week!
According to Republican sources, if the GOP takes control of the Senate, concerted efforts will be made to undermine the ACA by gutting its funding, double-down on attempting to investigate everything that can be dreamed up as a scandal and well, not about much else. In fact, now that Obama is facing a real foreign affairs crisis with ISIS/ISIL, you can bet both parties will take to airwaves to pontificate on what policy avenues to pursue, yet run away from those positions once Obama offers Congress the authority to decide those policies fate.
You see, it is already happening. Although Obama created his "Red Line" with Syria, he did go to Congress to seek their support for further military action against the Assad Regime. By going to Congress, Obama felt he could obtain a coalition, not of foreign powers, but powers within his own government. Instead of supporting the positions pundits and politicians publicly espoused, they collectively ran away from the issue just so they could leave the impression that Obama broke his promises and therefore, cannot be trusted and is weak. Just what our enemies need, a divided United States government allowing their leaders to assume America can be pushed around. I mean, when GOP pundits credit Putin for his toughness while slamming our own president for being weak, who the hell do you think they are empowering? Themselves?
Case in point - Obama inarticulately mentioned not having a strategy in place to deal with the threats of ISIS/ISIL in Iraq and Syria. Instead of pushing further to determine what he meant, his opposition (again and again) piled on that he is "disengaged" when it comes to dealing with Muslims (proof he is a closet Muslim himself and golf enthusiast). Social media perpetuates this garbage and simpletons throughout American echo those sentiments by claiming he is not a "real" president. I kid you not. But where was Obama this past week? In Europe, securing military coalitions for a confrontation of ISIS/ISIL. Gee, incremental foreign policy implementation and military intervention. Sound familiar (see Reagan, H.W. Bush, Clinton, W. Bush for coalition building)? So what gives? Obama had a strategy on the matter, and it required an agreed upon coalition. Until the United States can get world-wide support to engage ISIS/ISIL in Syria, we should not unilaterally engage. Why? Just look at the situation in Ukraine. If Europe, on the doorstep of Ukraine is not willing to engage in efforts to stop the naked aggression of Putin, then why should the US? Obviously, we are the World's policeman, but why should we risk our human and financial capital if the folks we are protecting don't support our efforts? Isn't is well past time to back away from asserting American military pressure and influence when the folks most affected by those efforts don't appreciate them?
As written in the Washington Post recently, every aspect of the opposition to Obama's presidency has been calculated to defeat Democrats come election day, whether it hurts America or not. According to the Post, Republicans have been caught on many fronts engaging in political hijinks - including arguments relating to the national deficit. The main architect of the GOP positions? You guessed it, Karl Rove, who now directs Republicans to attack Democrats for actually supporting GOP Deficit Reduction plans. Why? Because Rove and his ilk truly don't care about the financial health of our nation (see http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/crossroads-gps-moves-the-deficit-debate-in-the-wrong-direction/2014/09/03/41ca0ec8-33a4-11e4-8f02-03c644b2d7d0_story.html). They also don't care about the military standing of America - if they did, they wouldn't engage in undercutting the Commander In Chief on virtually every front. Isn't it time folks agree that Obama is NOT the biggest threat to America?
I would insert my disdain for the Democrats here, but they are not anywhere near as hypocritical on the deficit and foreign policy front as today's GOP. You can bet though that after the GOP takes control of Senate (along with their control of the House of Representatives), Democrats will learn from the Republican strategy and will take the title of "Party of No" so artfully mastered by the Republicans. And who benefits from such measures? Certainly not the American people. I hate thinking it empowers our enemies though. As President Franklin D. Roosevelt once wrote; "Virtues are lost on self-interest as rivers are lost in the sea." When it comes to the United States, may Americans soon re-take the helm and steadily steer U.S. into calm seas! Have a great week!
* The Third Edition of "How Our Government Really Works, Despite What They Say" will be available on line in both paperback and e-book by the end of this week!
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