Republican Part Agenda

A little over a year President Obama was inaugurated and the Republican party was in its grave. Now the polls are saying the citizens of our country are dissatisfied with government and think it's broken. No shit! It has been broken ever since Newt Gingrich proposed the Republican Contract with America in the early 90's. The macho position taken by the conservative Republican members of the party is like the adage to the younger boxer about the enter the ring, "Don't lead with you chin."

In addition, the Republican's embraced the so-called Religious Right to help get elected in the 90's. That was a mistake. The party that once stood for individual rights and anti-interference on the part of government came to espouse legislating so called Traditional American Values. Who in the hell put them in the position of deciding that Traditional American Values are acceptable. So now they support anti-gay legislation, anti-abortion legislation, and the incursion into my individual rights that defies my understanding. Let's build a fence around our country to keep out immigrants. Immigrants who, by the way, take the lowest paying jobs that Americans don't want to earn their way and have a work ethic that I wish many Americans exhibited. Labor unions want to protect a bloated union system that is bankrupting companies like General Motors, and threatening many state governments who have promised unwieldy pension programs that aren't even funded. Oh yes, and then lets puff out our chest and declare many countries to be against the American way of life and create massive defense systems to blow the world up instead of trying to resolve our difference by reaching out. Believe it or not there are some pretty moderate Arab countries, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and others I cannot think of.

Seems to me we need to take a look at solving the problems instead of treating the symptoms.

So what should the Republican stance be?

1. Don't be so "hawkish." Drawing a line in the sand has never resolved a problem but has resulted in a gun fight. I support Obama in this regard about reaching out to other nations to begin a dialogue on how to resolve our difference. There may be some exceptions to my statement, namely North Korea. That country, in my mind, is a paranoid, unstable country its population so indoctrinated that perhaps it is like a cancer and should just be eradicated.
2. Enter into a positive dialogue with the Democrats to resolve the Health Care issue. Left alone it will simply get worse. Polarized political decisions will lead us to ruin or to some politically expedient decision that won't resolve the problem. Why hasn't Congress resolved the problem of cutting payments to Dr.'s under Medicare permanently instead of band-aiding year after year.
3. While I support smaller government and more restrictive spending we didn't get sick overnight, we are not going to get well overnight. I would like to see Republican's adopt a more realistic program of reducing government spending and its impact on my personal life. Our economic well being and functioning of our economy is so complicated you cannot do any one thing without impacting some other part of the economy. If we are going to limit spending then let's make sure everyone gets whacked, including Defense.
   
4. Dump the Religious Right. It became obvious in the Bush administration that attempts to push the Religious Right's issues was a token effort. In the meantime schisms have been created that are not in accordance with our country's founding philosophy, "equal treatment under the law," "separation of church and state," and "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness." There may be enough dissatisfaction with government that well thought out strategy will entice those disgruntled folks into the Republican fold.
   
5. I do believe there are three areas that the federal government needs to take a lead in, Health Care with a single payer system, the regulation of our financial institutions, the defense of our country. I also think a larger transition to people being self-supporting in their retirement years is proper, however I do not want to be abandoned as I am going to rely on social security for the majority of my retirement income. I do wish there I better understood the investment vehicles in my younger years and maybe I would not find myself in the position of reliance I am in now.

I have more specific thoughts, but they wouldn't work. I am not naive to think my ideas by themselves will find acceptance by all. So I don't put forth specifics as there are better minds than mine to address the problem.

I do believe that Congress should be term limited. I do have some specific ideas there. The members of the House should be allowed no more than three two-year terms. The Senate should be limited to one six-year term. They should be well compensated, pay them a million dollars a year for their services. Let's attract the brightest and the best. Once they are no longer a member of Congress for whatever reason they may not work for, nor lobby for any organization that derives revenue from government contracts or seeks to influence legislation on behalf of organizations that derive income from government contracts.

I have some friends who would like to see citizen direct vote on issues. Using our communication technology we would vote in place of our Congressmen through the internet. It sounds Utopian to me. The founders of our country feared minority rule and the tyranny of the majority. They sought means to moderate extreme philosophies from controlling the country. The only way direct vote would work is if the initiation of legislation were controlled and voting while based on a simple majority rule would not take effect until 65% of the eligible electorate had voted on a proposition. Then it might work.

These are thoughts I've had on our recent political upheaval. They make sense to me, but perhaps not to many others.

Republican Party

I'm not sure I believe in the old two-party system Republican and Democrat. Either party seems to be a blend of the other. The democrats were tax and spend, today they are spending a great deal, but I'm not sure they have a choice. The Republicans used to stand for individual rights, now they want to tell women they have no choice, they want to tell gays they have no rights. It seems the the Moral Majority, which it isn't, wants to dictate, rule, and subjugate citizens to some moral code that flies in the face of reality. I've always admired the strength of the Catholic religion. I have always thought the Pope foolish, abstain, do not practice safe sex. We're fouling the nest here for cripes sake. It seems that passing legislation that outlaws abortion flies in the face of a fundamental precept of Christianity, free will. They get down on their knees and get up and go into bars.

I am so disappointed in the Republican party. They seem to be populated and lead by a bunch of braying asses who seem to enjoy showing their keen wit and how they can shout down their opponent as opposed to providing stimulating conversation that will broaden and enhance decisions that may make life better. I say Flush Rush. He smells like Limbaughger Cheese. Arlen Specter changed parties for no other reason that to try to save his political skin. Isn't that what politicians do. Term limits prevent that outlandish maneuver. I say term limit them all. That is a movement I would get behind and I wish we could get it through the several states. Remove the "good old boys and gals." Lets get fresh stuff, then before it festers and molders replace it with more fresh stuff. I could handle that idea.

Getting stoked!

Getting stoked when I was young meant you were getting very angry. I am very angry. A bridge collapses in Minneapolis. It is fortunate the way the bridge failed, for had it tipped, or some other failure the loss of life may have been higher. As it is the bridge was built back in the 1960's. It is probably representative of our infrastructure here in the U.S. The large semi's are pounding the pavement to pieces in areas, and while it is being repaired how many of us face the challenge of major road work in our areas.

Here we are spending billions of dollars in Iraq. A country we attacked because our leaders said they were the root of all evil. We should have ignored them, built up our security at home and spent all of that money we spend blowing up sand castles on improving the technology and infrastructure of our home front.

Bush has simply lied to us. I'm a Republican, yet I find Bush untrustworthy surrounded by henchmen that are no better than crooks. It infuriates me to no end. I think term limits need to be strongly supported. My suggestion is limit the term of a Senator to one term, Legislator two terms. It is the biggest bunch of crap these legislative crooks foist on us in stating they need to understand the system before they can make laws. The heck they do, look what its got us. There is an old saying, Keep It Simple, Stupid, Congress and our President are masters at complication. They use it against us. I shall not see it in my day, but I would so much like to see the American public rise up, impose term limits, eliminate the bloated pension plan congressmen receive and eliminate soft money, in fact, eliminate all money except an allotment from the federal funds. Should these term limited congressmen and women be paid well, hell yes! $500,000 per year with a $1,000,000 lump sum settlement at the end of their term. That way we might get qualified people who can afford to give up 4 to 6 years of their career to do some good. Throw the rascals out, by God!

Bigger than life?

I keep reading about my Republican leadership and grow so disappointed. President Bush seems to ignore the feelings of the American people. From the polls one finally has to come to the conclusion that the American people do not want to be involved in Iraq. Yet you hear Cheney and Bush both ignore the issue to take the position that they know what is best for the American people. Cheney's arrogance is astounding. He recently said that Congress would knuckle under and pass a funding bill for the Iraq war without any strings, yet they did. There was no mandate for Bush's programs in the last election, yet he acts as though his war was approved. I do not like the lack of cooperation in Congress, they also are a bunch of arrogant asses in my mind. However in this instance I must say they probably represent the will of the people and Bush is simply ignoring that.
Wolfowitz a Bush confidant and leading proponent for war with Iraq is no accused of giving a lady friend benefits at the World Bank that are not according to policy. Arrogance again. One of the overriding problems that seems to face almost anyone who gains a leadership position, regardless of the level of importance, is the job then becomes about them and not why they were made the leader in the first place.
Clinton was an extremely arrogant President, just look at his actions. However, in my mind Bush has risen to new heights in making the issues of the United States his issues and ignoring the will of the people. But then haven't our leaders done that time and again?
I support term limits. Throw the rascals out, often. The president gets one term. In the house, three terms and the Senate one. Allowing paternalism and favoritism to grow is not healthy in my mind. I would really like to see idealism in our leaders and if they have a short period of time to impact change, then perhaps effective change will be made.

What's good about anything?

I grew up in the 60's. Our involvement in Vietnam was growing dramatically. Martin Luther King was leading the good fight, and with courage and dignity, but it was a fight trying to right evil acts. The Cold War was in full swing and America was concerned about nuclear war. When our first child was born in 1968 I thought they are going to be raised in tough times.

Today I am a Grandfather in the new millennium. Now we have Iraq-Nam. Politics has become a vicious profession with gamesmanship being the watch word. I do not see much of an attempt by either party to move our society forward, just place the blame on the other guy. I hear Hillary proclaiming she will bring out country together, hell its together, the politicians just aren't listening. We are fouling our planet and it is a tougher time to raise children than at any other time in our history.

Are we divided? Yes, but then if we weren't there would be no politics. What I do not see is anyone reaching out to gain information on what the American public really wants. Everyone is using misleading surveys to put forth their agenda, they are not listening to mine.

Who among the major political figures do I like, John McCain, Joe Biden, John Edwards, and who knows Mit Romney might be a capable person. I do not like or trust Hillary. I see no sincerity in her whatsoever. Obama, he could be good, but I already feel like he is being seduced by the process instead of creating a vision.

I really wish the "Silent Majority" would step up and push term limits. Limit a Senator to one six year term, a Representative to two two year terms. "Throw the rascals out." Let people with ideals and vision vote for us, not the entrenched politicians who develop their own agenda. I recall those words stating a government for the people, by the people and of the people. Now it is rich people pretending to be regular "Joes" voting on our behalf when a lot of them haven't experienced life's travails. I wish those with the power would exert that power on our collective behalf.