Did any of us really think that just because we had a Brave New Administration in place in Washington D.C., the noise was going to cease? I have to admit, I did.
I thought the guys who had spent the last eight years driving our country into every kind of ruin, from economic to ethical, would have the grace to concede defeat and help with the change the American people demanded with their votes this past election. Well, maybe not “help,” but at least shut up and get out of the way while the new administration took a crack at cleaning up the awful mess the Old Guard created.
What was I thinking?
If anything, the noise has gotten worse. The GOP is bound and determined that they are not going to give the Democratic administration one ounce of cooperation on the economic bail-out. I firmly believe (and I have seen it quoted in so many words) that the main reason congressional Republicans won’t work with the new administration is that they are deathly afraid Mr. Obama might succeed.
It’s not about what’s good for the country. It’s not about what’s good for the American people. It’s not about what’s good for the world community. It’s all about politics. And Politics is all about making sure, at any cost, that your party is in power, that it stays in power, and if it falls out of power, that it regains power as quickly as possible.
And so, the hyperbolic rhetoric continues. Congressional Republicans aren’t mincing words. They have the gall to stand in front of the senate and wail their concern that Joe Voter is going to pick up the multi-billion dollar tab for the economic stimulus. When did they start to give a damn about Joe Voter?
Did they care about him when they handed the bankers $800 billion before the election? Did they care about him when they pushed an elective war down our throats? Did they care about him when the Bush Administration continued to cut taxes for the rich while trying to finance that war? Who did they think was going to get stuck with the tab then? Did it just occur to them that the taxpayers—the “Main Street” taxpayers like you and me—are going to be on the hook for a very, very, very long time?
If only they would just…shut up. In my earlier post, I called for Rush Limbaugh to shut up, but it’s not just Rush. It’s Bill O’Reilly and Ann Coulter and Sean Hannity, AND Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews and Rachel Maddow… It’s Congressional Republicans AND Democrats, RNC and DNC chairmen, and anybody else who just wants to argue for the sake of the argument, who wants to extend and expand the party versus party rhetoric. If only they would
JUST. SHUT. UP.
We are tired of hearing it. We want to hear about cooperation. We want to hear about everybody pitching in to make a difference for that grandma in Mary’s post who had to leave her groceries at the front counter, or for Kathy’s Emily and other children like her. Or for small business owners like me who are opening our doors to more and more empty seats, and wondering how long we will be able to keep opening our doors. And what happens when we can’t…
Joe Voter, Mr. Main Street, whatever you want to call him, is rattled and intimidated and scared.
And all you folks out there making a living on all that talking and dispute, and bitching and arguing…you are NOT HELPING.
6 comments:
Amen Lisa! they are not helping ... but they are making lots and lots of money because we working class stiffs (that's my husband's descriptor) don't have time to shut them up by tuning out, turning off and boycotting anything AT ALL to do with them ... at least for a brief period of time.
Somehow 'they' believe we want to hear them. I'm not sure why ... and I am beginning to wonder if I am one of the few in the minority who really does not give one fig whether I hear their names or voices ever again.
Seems that Thumper's dad was right. If you can't say something nice (or productive) don't say nuthin' at all. Maybe we should have a National Turn Off Day. As in turn off the tv and the radio.
I for one like to hear what Rachel Maddow has to say. She seems like one of the few intelligent voices out there.
It is so easy to contact your own senators and congressmen. They all have a website and you can even sign up to get their newsletters and their questions about how you feel about certain subjects. I live in a very republican area BUT we have a Democratic Governor and Demoncratic congressmen. It's the least we can do and we can do it swiftly and silently; one click at a time! Anne
I'm going to take Anne's advice and write my Congressman. It might not be Mitch anymore, but he sure can listen to a liece of my mind. I am sick of listening to CNN etc. because a the news is so depressing...DOW drops 400points after Obama's TV appearence, Obama should not address Russ L directly blah blah blah....just let us heal and pick our selves up already! Great post.
I think I'm going to follow Anne's lead as well. Writing my representatives has been on my mind recently and it's time to follow through. The people's voices are the ones that need to be heard...not all these squawking heads. The GOP must be deaf as they didn't hear us slamming the door on them and their ideas in the election.
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