When I was little, I used to watch reruns of the original "Superman" tv show. If you ever saw it, you know that Superman was always billed as fighting for "truth, justice and the American way". That description has come back to me repeatedly in recent weeks as I watch the going on in Washington. I keep looking for the folks in Washington and wondering what they are fighting for. Clearly it is not truth, and it certainly is not justice. Half of the folks in DC would think that even saying the "American way" is some sort of improper remark, so there surely is no attempt to further the American way.
Just think about it for a moment.
1) President Obama nominates a man to be Secretary of Defense who has a history of denouncing the American military (not to mention gays and Jews as well.) There is a hearing at which the nominee is given a chance to explain his views, and everyone from both parties admits that no sane explanation is offered. Indeed, Hagel, the nominee, comes across as almost brain damaged in the testimony. He is incapable of speaking in complete sentences, of answering direct questions and of offering an explanation of his prior views. Then Hagel refuses to disclose some of his prior statements as well as the identities of foreign governments, if any, that employed him during the previous four years. So what does the Senate do? They approve Hagel's nomination with all the Democrats voting in favor. Is there not even one Democrat who recognizes that Hagel as Secretary of Defense is bad for America? Is the party so much more important than the country?
2) In 2011, Obama proposes a method for guaranteeing cuts to the budget so that he can get the Congress to pass a debt ceiling increase. The method is called "sequestration". It is intended to be sufficiently unpopular that the Congress will be forced to replace it with more rational spending cuts rather than to see it go into effect. For the next year and a half, no substitute plan is passed. More important, however, for that year and a half, no real attempt is made to bridge the gap between the parties to come to a substitute. For his part, Obama makes no attempt to resolve the disputes. Instead, he announces months ago that if Congress were to pass a bill to replace the sequester spending cuts, he would veto it. The Senate under the lack of leadership of Harry Reid does nothing, nothing! The House passes bills to change the content of the sequester cuts, but no one pays any attention. Then three weeks or so before the sequester is to go into effect, the battle starts. Surely it is not for "truth" as president Obama flies around the country to campaign style events where he lies about the origin and results of the sequester. Clearly Obama is not looking for "justice". Instead, he tries to set the stage for there to be maximum pain for all Americans once the sequester kicks in. It is the blame game, nothing more. I won't even comment on why inflicting fear and pain on America is not the "American way".
3) After the Newtown massacre, the airwaves get filled with politicians lamenting the lack of control on assault weapons and large magazines. But no one is truthful. To be truthful would require admission that the weapons used in Newtown were legally obtained in Connecticut, a state that already has major restrictions on gun ownership. To be truthful would require admission that so called assault weapons are rarely used in crimes; well over 90% of gun related violence involves hand guns which no one is now seeking to limit. To be truthful would require admission that none of the gun control measures will reduce the likelihood of future horrors like Newtown; that would require something much different that would be directed at those who are mentally ill. Obviously, since no one is truthful, no one is seeking justice. All those children die and in response the politicians retreat to trying to look like they are doing something even when they know that they really are not.
Just think about it for a moment.
1) President Obama nominates a man to be Secretary of Defense who has a history of denouncing the American military (not to mention gays and Jews as well.) There is a hearing at which the nominee is given a chance to explain his views, and everyone from both parties admits that no sane explanation is offered. Indeed, Hagel, the nominee, comes across as almost brain damaged in the testimony. He is incapable of speaking in complete sentences, of answering direct questions and of offering an explanation of his prior views. Then Hagel refuses to disclose some of his prior statements as well as the identities of foreign governments, if any, that employed him during the previous four years. So what does the Senate do? They approve Hagel's nomination with all the Democrats voting in favor. Is there not even one Democrat who recognizes that Hagel as Secretary of Defense is bad for America? Is the party so much more important than the country?
2) In 2011, Obama proposes a method for guaranteeing cuts to the budget so that he can get the Congress to pass a debt ceiling increase. The method is called "sequestration". It is intended to be sufficiently unpopular that the Congress will be forced to replace it with more rational spending cuts rather than to see it go into effect. For the next year and a half, no substitute plan is passed. More important, however, for that year and a half, no real attempt is made to bridge the gap between the parties to come to a substitute. For his part, Obama makes no attempt to resolve the disputes. Instead, he announces months ago that if Congress were to pass a bill to replace the sequester spending cuts, he would veto it. The Senate under the lack of leadership of Harry Reid does nothing, nothing! The House passes bills to change the content of the sequester cuts, but no one pays any attention. Then three weeks or so before the sequester is to go into effect, the battle starts. Surely it is not for "truth" as president Obama flies around the country to campaign style events where he lies about the origin and results of the sequester. Clearly Obama is not looking for "justice". Instead, he tries to set the stage for there to be maximum pain for all Americans once the sequester kicks in. It is the blame game, nothing more. I won't even comment on why inflicting fear and pain on America is not the "American way".
3) After the Newtown massacre, the airwaves get filled with politicians lamenting the lack of control on assault weapons and large magazines. But no one is truthful. To be truthful would require admission that the weapons used in Newtown were legally obtained in Connecticut, a state that already has major restrictions on gun ownership. To be truthful would require admission that so called assault weapons are rarely used in crimes; well over 90% of gun related violence involves hand guns which no one is now seeking to limit. To be truthful would require admission that none of the gun control measures will reduce the likelihood of future horrors like Newtown; that would require something much different that would be directed at those who are mentally ill. Obviously, since no one is truthful, no one is seeking justice. All those children die and in response the politicians retreat to trying to look like they are doing something even when they know that they really are not.
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