The press too often, in its extreme efforts to appear “non-partisan”, blames the Congress in general for the dysfunction of the government in Washington, D.C. The truth, however, is simpler. It is the Republican Party that is the cause of the dysfunction, and this piece by Jonathan Chait explains why.
President Obama is finally seeking ways to by-pass Congress in his appointments which have been held up for no reason except that the Republican Party, led by its extremist and cynical leaders, have refused to work with him and the Democrats since the day he took office. I wish the press would call it as it is and assess responsibility specifically instead of doing summersaults to appear above the fray thus ignoring the truth. Here here for Jonathan Chait! Let’s see if others follow suit.
Jonathan Chait, New York Magazine
Chait writes: “President Obama’s decision to use a recess appointment to seat Richard Cordray as head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was a no-brainer – such a no-brainer, in fact, that many of us were racking our brains to figure out why he didn’t do it sooner. It’s an important move that brings together four important battles the Obama administration is waging:”
READ MORE – http://readersupportednews.org/off-site-opinion-section/72-72/9355-the-grand-strategy-behind-obamas-recess-appointment
I can’t express how sad it makes me feel that we have reached this point. Extremism in either direction is harmful and at this point it is the republicans who have given in. The founders created a system that would require negotiation and compromise – unlike that of England in which the executive and the legislative are led by a single person/party and where no supermajority is required. But we have come to a point where compromise is not just a dirty word, it is not a word at all in the lexicon of the extremist wing of the republican party and they have scared (emasculated is a better word, though it is sexist, of course) those who understand that imposition of extreme views is harmful to the body politic. “Just say no” did not work for drugs or teenage sex (though those were worthy goals) and it certainly does not work in Congress, particularly when it is not for a worthy goal but merely to force your view on others.
But the Jewish community has our own right-wing extremists and the centrist orthodox have given into them. Just as centrist republicans are afraid of being labeled as “not authentic conservatives,” so centrist orthodox Jews seem to be afraid of being labeled “not authentic Jews.”
Everyone needs to show some guts (or kishkes, if you wish) and stand up to the extremes. Reagan, the idol of the right, would not have been nominated today. While I disagreed with many of his policies, he was a pragmatist and cared about the good of the country. Why does today’s right-wing feel such a burning desire to peek into my bedroom (boring at best, but one day sharing a bed with a 63 lb. labrador retriever may be outlawed)? Why do they care whether I believe in God or in their conception of God so long as I do not commit murder or mayhem, do not steal or harm others, do not break the social contract that each of us must follow to allow the residents of this country to live in peace? Why do “God-fearing-Christians” want to do away with government protections for the poor and weak? Why do they want to harm the stranger and break-up families? Aren’t they the ones who claim to be the guardians of family values? Why deny education to children who came here with their parents, but without government sanction? Why care about the unborn child, but turn a blind eye to its healthy, safety, and welfare once it is born? Whenever I hear this, I think of the Talmudic saying that goes something like: pray for the health of the government, for without this people would eat each other alive.”
This is what we are seeing now. Please pass a knife and fork and napkin. Dinner is served!