Same Old Crazy People

Let's welcome the 112th Congress. Did you think anything new was really going to happen? How many times can we be disappointed? There was even an attempt at some bipartisan cooperation during the lame duck session back in '010. But I guess bipartisan only meant that rich people were going to continue to receive the tax breaks brought about by King George the Bush.

There was tough talk throughout the campaign season by the Republicans. We are going to show those liberals how it's done. No more earmarks. $100 billion in budget savings. They were going to clean up Washington. Everyone was going to have "adult conversations." So that led everyone to believe that they were going to act like adults, right?

Not so fast.

John Boener was sworn in earlier this week as the new Speaker of the House. The outgoing Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, gave him an over sized gavel to over compensate for what may not be an undersized appendage, but rather a non-existent agenda or a plan for continuing to turn around the economy and cutting the budget. The larger and louder the noise from the gavel, the more effective you are? One can believe I guess.

In case you cannot remember Boener's list of hits from the 111th Congress where he served as Minority Leader, here are a few of brilliant thoughts and ideas:

* First said that he did not want a health care bill. Then said that Republicans wanted to be part of the process. Then when they were included in the process said that they should start over.

* When the Supreme Court overturned a 100 year old law limiting the amount of money corporations could spend political campaigns (knowing that corporations had deep pockets), Boener said that "...it was a great day for free speech."

* Said that he did not believe in having to compromise.

So is it really a surprise despite the tough campaign talk that he and his Republican colleagues have no plan for the next two years other than to oppose the President. When you have no plan or agenda, what is the first thing you do? Read the Constitution of the United States in the gallery of the Congress of the United States. Cost to the taxpayer: $1.4 million. That is a nice way to start things off. Shouldn't our representatives already have a working knowledge of The Constitution. As someone so appropriately put it, isn't this like reading the alphabet to students each fall when they come back to school? Congress will now require any bill that is introduced must first quote the Constitutional provision that allows it to proceed.

In showing that he can wield a pretty gnarly knife, Boener made a bold statement by cutting the Congressional budget by a mere 5% saying that it was a symbolic gesture. This gesture was thought to affect the now generous flow of office supplies to congressional offices. A few less paper clips will be available to congressional staffers. Those of us who use office products feel for the staffers who will have to use staples instead.

Also this week, promising to make government more "transparent," the Republican Congress decided to make the details of their health plan secret. Could they quote the provision in the Constitution that allows them to do that?

Speaking of Health Care, rather than doing something productive, one of the first orders of business next week will be to introduce a bill that repeals President Obama's health care initiative. It has not chance of even making it out of the Senate. But this is what is important to Republicans. Good thing they have health care.

What else do they have in store for us? Remember that $100 billion they promised they were going to cut? Well in an epic case of doublespeak, they are furious at even the hint of them not being able to achieve that savings. But they admit now that they will be lucky to find $70 billion. By the time all that is said and done that number will also seem ambitious. Especially after they take all the earmarks that they promised not to take but have already started taking.

Even the conservative media is getting into the mix. Now that the election is over their primary job is to distract. They are getting everyone thinking about stupid things that are just not true. Bill O'Reilly this week said that the tides are proof of God's existence. They move in and out and do not skip a beat. Bill needs to attend grade school again. It is called the earth's gravitational pull, Bill. O'Reilly claims to once have been a teacher. Ever wonder where all the uneducated come from?

So here is the real issue. Where is that outrage that got these guys elected? These geniuses have not even been in office a week and they are backtracking on every pledge except the pledge to continue to say "no." And no just means do nothing. If you support or vote for these clowns, where is your voice? You will probably sit on the sidelines and complain about someone who is just trying to do something to make things better. Then when election time comes around again, the right wing media will get you all frothed up so that you vote the same idiots back in.

The do nothing marry go round continues.