Monday, December 14, 2009

Washington, D. C. Neanderthals

This morning I have way too many things that need my attention.  Make it, this week.  I really don't have time to write a post.  Having said that, here I go. 

 I just read an op-ed piece that makes my blood boil.   I have posted the link at the end and hope you will read what our Republican friends are up to now, aided and abetted by our turncoat Democrats.  

As Ronni Bennett of Time Goes By says, why do we keep electing these clowns?  It seems they are on a mission to completely destroy our wonderful country.  I have never seen such complete idiocy as the rants I watch on C-Span when our esteemed neanderthal legislators open their mouths.   They are disingenuous;  they are the biggest liars walking on two feet.  The way they distort facts is completely unprincipled.    All the Republicans care about is bringing down Obama.  Never mind that he inherited the biggest mess in history ever handed to an incoming president.  A mess that was created by their party.   It doesn't matter if they bring down the rest of the country with him.  As for those Blue Dog Democrats; their mission is to placate the tea bagger idiots at home so they can be re-elected by the uninformed.   And, of course, there's the money.  Follow it and watch how your representatives voted. Finally, there's Joe Lieberman; don't get me started.

Health care reform is virtually down the tubes now.  Reid and Pelosi have caved on the Public Option.  All that is left is a few minor restrictions on the insurance industry and a giant sop to them.  Now they will have millions of new clients that are young, healthy and forced to buy insurance.  What a boondoggle.  I am for throwing all the b------s out next election.

Next on their list is banking reform.  Don't hold your breath.  It will probably go the way of health care reform.  No wonder the Europeans are amazed at our stupidity. 


I hope you will follow this link and read what Paul Krugman has to say about the Republicans, 27 Democrats and the economy.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/14/opinion/14krugman.html?th&emc=th

 Note:  After posting this I went to Tom Degan's blog, The Rant, and found that he had written on the same subject.   There is much more information on his post and I think you will find he is as angry about the D. C. screw-ups as I am.  He calls it like it is and has done more research on his post.  It's  good !!   Here's the link:

http://tomdegan.blogspot.com/

23 comments:

Tom Degan said...

Well thank you kindly for the link, Miss Darlene! And you are absolutely correct. I am mad as hell.

Did you ever, in your wildest dreams, think our country would sink this low? Not me!

Cheerio!

Tom

Leslie Parsley said...

Thanks, Darlene. I also went to Tom's post. He is an exceptionally bright man and a hell of a good writer.

As I commented on his post, I wonder how many of these Democrats are southern, i.e., racist, and/or how many depend on the banking industry to pad their pockets.

I'm glad to see that you're up and about. Hope you're feeling better.

Leslie Parsley said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Leslie Parsley said...

The email for Liberman's URL was too long a stream. This is better:

http://lieberman.senate.gov/

Tell him what you think. Post on your blog and in comments on other blogs. Ask others to do likewise. We may not have money but we can get numbers.

joared said...

Our Congresspersons continue with what they're best at doing -- selling out the best interests of the people they represent.

Year after voting year I keep wondering what it will take for the vast majority of voters to rebel in the voting booth by refusing to re-elect the offending Representatives and Senators.

Anonymous said...

Not only does "absolute power corrupt absolutely", but a modicum of power often corrupts moderately. Most politicians, I believe, really get into the game believing that they will "serve the people, fairly". Then they get exposed to the system and learn that they were pretty naive going in. They "wise up" and it's a downhill slope from there.
Cop Car

Rain Trueax said...

It is absolutely too frustrating for words. I wonder if there is any way out of it. It seems no matter who we elect, as soon as they get there, they are ruined. Although I must say, Al Franken has not been a disappointment yet anyway!

Darlene said...

*Tom Degan's Daily Rant - Tom, I am old enough to be cynical. I am not surprised at how low we have sunk. The only surprise is that we never learn.

*Leslie Parsley - Thank you for the reminder to post our displeasure with Joe Liebeman's idiotic antics. Yes, racism is still alive and well, sadly, and is the underlying fact under the tea baggers and blue dog Dems.

Thank you - I improve daily.

*Joared - I doubt that it will ever happen. Remember the book, "Whatever happened To Kansas"? Some people just never pay attention and vote against their own best interests.

*Cop Car - Santayana had it exactly right.

*Rain - Education is the only hope for this country, I guess. Maybe as some of us old 'moss backs' die off with our false ideology and the youth pay attention to facts things will change.

Al Franken hasn't been there long and there is still hope for him. Dennis Kucinich seems to be the only one left of the old guard still fighting for the common man.

Leslie Parsley said...

Hate to tell you, but Kucinich voted against Wall St. reform. He and all the other blue rats are listed on my blog. What a disappointment so many of these people are.

Looking to the Stars said...

Cop Car has it right, a good person gets voted in and then reality sets in. They realize they can't do anything and get what they can.

History has my Uncle as the "Boss" in PA but that wasn't true. The people behind him called all the shots and at that time it was the bankers. I have no idea who the power behind the throne is now but they are greedy little snakes that don't care for us or this country.

Obama is trying to do good but he too found out the truth when he took office but he is still trying.

Darlene said...

*Leslie Parsley - Thanks for the update on Kucinich. I guess there are no white hats any more.

*Looking to the Stars - You are right. They have to go along to get along. They soon learn how to play the dirty game.

Leslie Parsley said...

From TPM today:

"But by the afternoon, Lieberman was praising the Democratic bill and one tea partier had literally put an X through the "Stand With Joe" written on the sign he waved."

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/12/inside-the-tea-partys-one-day-love-affair-with-joe-lieberman.php

I betcha his email box has been flooded over the last few days.

Hattie said...

All I think these days is that this country is corrupt from top to bottom.

kenju said...

Darlene, I can't even listen to or read it anymore. It makes me too upset.

Tabor said...

Darlene I get so discouraged. When Bill Maher (whom I do not exactly like all that much) said several years ago that Americans were really stupid, I agreed with him and now I am so sad that we follow this bad guidance like sheep.

Vagabonde said...

I read The Rant by Tom Degan that you referred to, it’s good. One thing I did not know – I guess many people know that – is that Lieberman’s wife is a lobbyist for PHARMA. I tried to find out about it and found some sites which explain, like: http://www.politicalforum.com/current-events/105949-angry-liberal-demands-revenge-joe-liebermans-wife.html. They demand that the money raised to find a cure for cancer not be used to pay the salary of Hadassah Lieberman – there is even a site for that too: http://action.firedoglake.com/page/s/hadassah. I think it is pretty strange that the American people – I mean Republicans – believe Lieberman is voting his conscience when his wife his collecting hundred thousand dollars for being an unregistered lobbyist. Did you know that?

Kay Dennison said...

Damn!!!!!! I never thought Dennis the Menace would sell out! I think next election it's "throw the bums out mode. Hope you have a good. safe holiday trip Darlene.

Darlene said...

"Leslie Parsley - I guess that Lieberman takes a different stand daily (or monthly) If he didn't wield so much power right now it would be hilarious.

*Hattie - It's proof that power corrupts absolutely.

*Kenju - I'm reaching that point myself.

*Tsbor - Bill Mahler may be blunt to the point of hitting us over the head with a hammer, but he gets it right most of the time.

*Vagabonde - Yes, I read about that after posting this. There are million theories why Lieberman is doing what he is. The one I like best is that he's just not too bright.

Darlene said...

*Kay - Too bad that they are all corrupt. I wonder why Dennis sold out?

Dixon Webb said...

Darlene . . . Merry Christmas and don't despair. It can only get bettter. The neanderthals (I presume) are usually those nasty Conservatives that get in the way. Now you are including the Democratic twits as well. Good for you. Our friend Rain has a hard time admitting that both Dems and Reps are less than perfect. It's too bad because it slants many of her very intelligent obseervations.

I'm from the Republican side of the bench and worse yet, I'm one of those Conservative devils. Personally, I think anyone who voted for Al Franken, Barney Frank, Cris Dodd, and their fellow travellers, is our of their mind. In other words I freely admit that the real and principled Democrats have a lot of baggage. Some liberals, particularly liberal Democrats, refuse to admit it.

Oh yeah, the Republicans are just as saddled. Take this recent Medical Mess. The Republicans are outraged at the give away and subsequent increase in the deficit. These are the same Republican jerks that in 2003 approved the deficit financed prescription drug benefit to Medicare that is presently expected to cost 1/2 Trillion dollars over the next 10 years. Now the same guys that voted for that ungainly invoice are voting to a man against the current legislation BECAUSE IT REQUIRES ADDING TO THE DEFICIT.

Damn Hypocrits anyway. You say these politician have to go along to get along. I say that kind of nonsense is getting us into a lot of trouble. Each political party is responsible to put forward a general platform of political philosophy, and each legislator is to weigh to carefully reasoned issues before voting according to their individual consciences.

For crying out loud, there is such a thing as right and wrong, bad and good. I, for one, expect the people I vote for to have principles, ethical behavior, and to generally follow the values stated in the party platform.

When we start listening to people like Joe Lieberman, Phil Maher, Dennis Kucinich, Barney Frank, David Letterman and Barney Frank -America is in BIG trouble.

Kay Dennison is right on. Next election throw the bums out. They are all neanderthals and crooked as Lombard Street.

Dixon

Darlene said...

*The Grey Geezer - Thank you for visiting and commenting on my post, Grey Geezer.

I hope it gets better; it can't get much worse. It will come as no surprise that I disagree with several of your comments.

I have no problem with Republican's. I came from a strong Republican family, but I think they would be shocked to see what the party has been taken over by; an obstructionist party of NO led by ideologues.. With the rabble rousers and right wing Christians that seem to speak for the party now they have come a long way from the conservative party of my youth.

The ones you criticize are among the most liberal Dems so it's no wonder that you are not enamored of them. However, Al Franken is more than a comedian and has introduced, and got passed, a good piece of legislation. Since you mention Barney Frank three times I guess he must get under your skin. Is it because he's gay? I admire Dennis Kucinich because he is basically true to his beliefs and isn't afraid to push the liberal agenda, infuriating the Republicans.

As for going along to get along, that's how the political game is played. "I will vote for the damn in your state if you will support the legislation I am pushing." I hate it and deeply wish it were not so. If you don't think politics is a dirty game, you have not been paying attention. If we could reform campaign financing we might get a better breed of representatives. And if we could get the money incentive out of the system it would mean our representatives could, and hopefully would, vote their principles instead of voting the way that the lobbyist with the deepest pockets told him/her to vote. And that goes for all politicians; Democrat and Republican. And until that changes, it will not matter if we throw the bums out or not. We will just get a new crop of bums.

One final comment. You are wrong when you say health care reform will add to the deficit. It will actually reduce the deficit. I think this has been proven.

I am writing on my daughter's MAC and am not used to it. I am visiting her in California and hence the delay in responding to your comment. Please forgive my tardy reply and I do appreciate your visit. I hope you will do so again.

Dixon Webb said...

Hi Darlene . . . Thank you. I appreciate your comments. May I add some minor corrections to my original thoughts.

I should not have placed Dennis Kucinich anywhere close to Al Franken. Dennis is, I think, a pretty good representative of his point of view. Al Franken however, is a disgrace. Regarding Barney Frank, there is nothing good to say about him. He is a bumbling, dishonest, and authentic crook - and THAT has nothing to do with his being gay or not. I could care less about that.

Yeah, politics is a dirty business sometimes. The lure of money is just one of the contaminates. The phrase ABSOLUTE POWER CORRUPTS ABSOLUTELY seems to fit.

One more thing. I don't think you or I can do much more than guess how the health care legislation might affect the deficit. I suspect it will rise and cause us no end of grief someday. You think it will not rise. Okay. You may be correct - but I'll betcha a dollar your not.

Happy New Year !

Dixon

Darlene said...

*The Grey Geezer - For some reason your comment just appeared on an old post. Actually, I like Al Franken and just because he was a comedian doesn't mean he doesn't think. He introduced some good legislation right after his long siege waiting to take office. It was passed. Not many do that so soon after being sworn in.

Barney Frank is a mixed bag.