Democratic Principles for Sale!
No doubt about it, I’m a proud Boomer. During the turbulent sixties, Rod McKuen was greatly considered to be one of the unofficial poet-laureates of the generaton, and I cherish his songs and poetries to this day. I’m listening to The Sea as I type away.
One of his greatest poems (by me, anyhow) is The Grand Opening Going Out of Business Sale. Here is the first stanza:
Mad dogs rumble in the jungle come and see it for a penny.
Where is hope there isn’t any. Set your course and sail
For the grand opening going out of business sale.
Somehow, Rod McKuen managed to nail down the current administration more than forty years ago. The primaries were almost as nasty as a dog fight, you could buy your way into some inner circles with a prepaid credit card, and one short year later, hope is a scarce commodity. Welcome to the grand opening going out of business sale, where long-held principles are auctioned off cheaply on a daily basis, and massive doses of hope and change are thrown to the wolves that are gathering in the nation’s capital. The President’s decision to factor the Party of “Look, you know, I was, yeah” even further into the equation than they currently are signals the beginning of the end as far as I’m concerned.
The Democrats who propelled the President into office are despondent and the Independents who provided the tailwind are livid. If he could be returned, he would fall into the “Not as expected” category. Health care and budgetary issues are threatening to blow the Democratic party apart, although White House gurus insist that the schism is not as bad as it seems/merely temporary/really no problem at all. SOT Geithner looks like a mumbling fool during Congressional hearings, basically asking members if they would rather believe him or every other economist in the free world.
The Republicans insist that all of the world’s ills can be cured with tort reform, lowered taxes and free market principles. Rep. Cantor (R-Va) has basically stated that unless Congress wishes to embrace the Republican health care plan of (wait for it) tort reform, lowered taxes, and free market principles as evidenced by health care savings accounts and purchasing unregulated policies across state lines, there will be absolutely no progress on health care reform in this particular decade. Undaunted, the President has invited the Republicans to join him at a White House forum in order to brainstorm the situation. The Repubs do not seem to be thrilled with this opportunity – you know, the one they have insisted upon. In fact, they appear to be downright reluctant. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky)states that there will be no progress until the current bill is “shelved”. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nv) insists that efforts to engage them have been in progress all along.
The first things that the President should ask of the minority party is that if they have had the answers all along, why were the changes not implemented while they were in power? How can people best utilize their health savings account when they are unemployed? What will stop insurers from leaving states with appropriate insurance regulations and piling up in states which have none? How about if we take your insurance away and let you purchase your own in said free market? Why have medical costs not been lowered in states with tort reform? How we will pay for two wars and lower the deficit if we lower taxes? If he can get an answer to so much as one of these questions, perhaps the going out of business sale might be deferred. If not, will the last Democrat to leave Congress please turn out the lights?
This is an open thread.
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