After what seems like an eternity of campaigning on a platform of change and rejecting partisanship for the sake of a better America, its come to this.
I truly believe that Obama meant what he said about bringing together red states and blue states for the greater good of the United States, but those who hopped on the hope and change bandwagon seem to have done so for their own selfish interests and it shows. It seems that in times of crisis the true colors of politicians start to show, and while Obama makes the media rounds touting the idea that no party has a monopoly on good ideas, it turns out that neither party has a monopoly on foolishness.
Republicans subscribe with almost unshakable faith to the gospel of Reagan and have come out of the electoral gates crying "Tax cuts! Corporate tax cuts! Capital gains tax cuts! Only tax cuts can get us out of a recession because everyone knows the new deal failed." As most people who live in the real world know, the new deal put people to work on projects that needed doing and the tax cuts that republicans are proposing as a solution to today's crisis are the same trickle down economics that got us into this mess in the first place. The republican party has twisted Obama's message of bipartisanship and in a very partisan way claimed that a bill is only bipartisan if democrats vote for trickle down tax cuts, but refuse to consider the possibility that putting money into the economy and investing in programs that will grow some of America's more modern industries and give us sustainable energy is good for getting us out of the recession and keeping us out of similar situations in the future.
Democrats in congress have the perfect opportunity to do the right thing and pass a bill that will help America now and in the future. All they have to do is show up and vote yes, but that isn't enough for these "glorious agents of change", not by a long shot. Democrats hopped on the hope and change train for votes and only votes, their ideas aren't bad and their bill, while not perfect, is the best combination of tax cuts and spending for sustainable stimulus anyone can hope for in a case where passing a bill as quickly as possible is a priority, but not one of them really understands what bipartisanship really means. Both republicans and democrats publicly claim that they are working in the spirit of cooperation and in the next sentence blame the other party for holding up the show.
America is overdue for a change, the people voted for change, the politicians claim they are making the change but they are making a mistake. It is not bipartisan to pat yourself on the back with one hand while you push your opponent into the mud with the other, it is not bipartisan to always be on the opposite side of the other party on every issue. When was the last time that democrats and republicans came together and passed a bill on its merits instead of opposing it because it was brought up on the wrong side of the aisle?
It is time to stand up to these people, it is time to send a message that we will no longer tolerate any party using any issue, be it terrorism or socialism or an economic crisis to divide the people, it is time to tell our politicians that if they don't get past their ideology and consider the possibility that they could be wrong, we as a people will show them they are wrong. It is time to tell them that if they don't do their job, we will fire them. It is time for someone to do the right thing and if no one in congress will step up to the plate and reject the temptation to play only to their constituents and govern by strict ideology then it is time to vote for someone new.
February 6, 2009