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Anyone that doubts my bonafides is just looking to pick a scrap with me. I vote for the person and not the party. Yet, today’s ‘Republican’ party is rapidly becoming an embarrassment to much of the nation... and the world. Here is what David Letterman said, last night, when commenting about the rampant dysfunction caused by the rift within the Republican party;
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“Maybe we could put in some calls… and see if England will take us back…”
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Ok, David is a blue-blooded Democrat. How about Speaker John Boehner?
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“In explaining the origins of the first government shutdown since 1996, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) reportedly admitted to President Barack Obama earlier this month that he was "overrun" by his Republican caucus.
“John, what happened?” Obama asked Boehner on the second day of the shutdown, according to Politico.
“I got overrun, that’s what happened,” (Speaker) Boehner replied as he reportedly tried to exit a White House meeting for a smoke break.”[1]
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Now, the talk inside the beltway is that Speaker Boehner is going to resign, come 2014.[2][3] Seems that the Speaker just can no longer take the pressure of answering to the With House about his inability to heard the cats that currently make up the extreme fringe of his party. See, I have always had a quite respect for the Speaker… hell, any Speaker of The House of Representatives… the Speakership is a position that should be admired and respected (as should the Office of the President of the Untied States… regardless of who is President or which party they represent).
So, Speaker Boehner is just getting tired of taking the flack for the actions of the; Cruz(s) and Paul(s) of his party… the radicals that just seem to want to burn down government and let everyone run gunshot over their neighbors. Do you remember the footage of Senator Paul (loudly) whispering to Senator McConnell, last week, in front of an open mic? Well, it was Senator Paul that just put Senator Mitch McConnell in front of the far right’s firing squad. See, we can thank Senator Mitch McConnell for being reasonable and marshalling support for the compromise that was passed by the Senate, and the House. Yes, Mitch threw in a $2.9 billion rider for improvements to locks and dams on the Ohio river within Kentucky (now, known, as the “Kentucky Kickback’[4]) [I am on the record for backing the actions of Senator McConnell in doing WHAT HE WAS HIRED FOR… and getting a little pork for Kentucky and addressing a real problem with the Ohio river valley in his state]
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Now, Senator McConnell may well loose his Republican primary because (Jim DeMint’s) Heritage Foundation is;
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“former Senator and Heritage Foundation President Jim DeMint, has endorsed Matt Bevin, the Republican challenger running in a primary against Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.”[5]
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So, here we are… a senior member of the Republican party… the Minority Leader of the Senate is going to get primaried (I literally hate this new 'verb') by the extremists of his party. Why? It is because Senator McConnell is seen as compromising with President Obama and assisting in the return of a functioning government. As opposed to, the alternative, supporting known Republican blowhard and embarrassment of the nation Senator Ted Cruz.? His (Senator Ted Cruz's) actions have caused Republican approval numbers to plummet.
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“Just 24 percent of respondents have a favorable opinion about the GOP, and only 21 percent have a favorable view of the Tea Party, which are both at all-time lows in the history of poll.”[6]
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Senator Cruz’s grandstanding may have hurt the party… the national economy and cost the Federal Government $24 billion[7]. However, it did help Senator Cruz to raise money$$$
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“In three week period following Cruz’s speech — even as GOP’s national approval ratings plummeted — conservatives frantically built their fundraising lists and campaign coffers. In the last quarter, Cruz’s political action committee raised in $797,000, nearly twice what it pulled in the quarter prior, and Heritage Action — which has pressured conservatives to vote against any bill that does not undermine Obamcare — collected $330,000.”[8]
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And
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“Basically, Cruz admitted that he personally has benefited during the previous three weeks. He has culled more than 2 million email addresses from a site opposing Obamacare.
In addition, Cruz’s PAC pulled in almost $800,000 and he is considered a front-runner for the Presidential nomination by some conservative Republicans.”[9]
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See, My Dear Readers, these are the outward signs of the deep division within the new Republican party. A handful of radical Republicans are using the shutdown of government (and all the personal and economic harm that causes families and our economy) to further their personal political career at the expense of the party and nation.
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The fear of being primaried runs through the veins of every single Republican Congressman and Senator like ice water. Many Senators, and most Congressmen, hang their heads in shame as the few damage the Republican brand, and the nation, knowing there is little they can do without risking their own political careers.
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It is this fear that is the real infection harming the Republican Party and the Republican brand. The fear of being primaried by the well funded extremists of the Republican Party. The fear of being seen, again by this radical and extreme fringe, as working with Democrats or the President. However, it is not just for the Republican Party I have concerns. It is for our nation, and our two party Republic.
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See, in our two party system if one of the two parties is infected by fear? Our whole system begins to fail. As we saw in the past debt debacle. Let me outline;
- First, it was about “Obamacare” how it wasn’t ready… “not ready for primetime” ( I don’t know that our politics should be rated like primetime television… that whole analogy just scares the crap out of me.)
- Then, it was about “fairness for the American people…” See, like ALL Federal LABOR Laws, the Federal Government is exempt from compliance… (you cannot sue the Federal Government) Senior Republican members used low information voters to gin up anger over a regular legal exemption.
- Then, it was about the “poor World War 2 Veterans… unable to visit the memorial…”
- And several butcher’s aprons… (Monty Python reference…)
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The fact of the matter really was? Fund raising and the furtherance of a handful of political careers. Because, you see, nothing was actually done about; Obamacare, the Federal Employees Exemption, National Park Closures… or the poor aprons of butchers.
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Earlier this week I wrote, a not so well received, article outlining the deception and lies that are being perpetrated on the poor unwitting Republicans across our great nation. Like a canary in a coalmine filling with noxious gas, I squawked my warning to all those who would dare to read. Here it is Friday, and I am working my fingers to the bone, and causing myself untold pain and suffering in my neck and back. All for the very same reason. I deeply care about our nation, our government, our Two Party system, and the Republicans that are unwittingly being lied to and lead astray.
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I only hope that My Dear Readers understand the genuine nature of my concern. Further, that my heart, mind and soul are all working together to communicate a genuine and valid concern to the people of these United States. There is a terrible disease infecting our national debate.. our national dialogue and our two party system. This infection stands to damage our body politic and cares not of the personal harm it does to any single American. We, the American people, need to see this infection for what it is… and not be so easily lead.
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It is very much like the warnings we received, as children, about the stranger with candy. Don’t get into the car with strangers with candy. So it is, today.
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As always, I am honored that you come here and read my words. Please, keep coming back… I am working just as hard and fast as I can to produce good quality content for YOU, My Dear Readers.
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Thank YOU!
[4]http://www.politico.com/story/2013/10/conservatives-mitch-mcconnell-kentucky-kickback-spending-deal-98428.html
[5] http://swampland.time.com/2013/10/18/conservative-demint-group-endorses-mcconnell-primary-challenger/#ixzz2i6yPsVtf
[6]http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/10/10/20903624-nbcwsj-poll-shutdown-debate-damages-gop?lite
[7]http://www.policymic.com/articles/68717/government-shutdown-cost-24-billion-and-accomplished-nothing
[8]http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2013/10/16/2791091/ted-cruz-admits-budget-standoff-fundraising/
