The "Tea Party" Movement's Disconnect With Reality

The Arizona Republic has been publishing Letter's To The Editor for the last couple of weeks slamming Democrats for being "uncompromising" when it comes to legislation supported by "tea party" movement Republicans.  Living in Arizona, its no surprise that there are those, such as Russell Howe, that the "tea party" Republicans can do no wrong:

Regarding the Aug. 27 letter "Other 'proud extremists' in the world": Can we just take a deep breath and look at "tea party" extremists from both sides?

When the Republican House of Representatives sent the "Cut, Cap and Balance" bill to the Senate, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid tabled the bill and would not allow it to be debated.

In addition, President Barack Obama promised to veto the bill if it passed the Senate and came to his desk.

Does the writer really consider that to be compromise?

Of course, Mr. Howe, like so many of his "tea party" compatriots, completely disconnected from reality.   The so called "Cut, Cap and Balance" bill is and was always a political stunt.  Everyone knew in the House that it would die a quiet death in the Senate.  They all knew that is how the game is played and honestly, that's how the Founding Fathers designed Congress.

If the "tea party" Republicans truly wanted a balanced budget, they would stop with these political stunts and support rescinding the "Bush Tax Cuts" on the wealthiest two percent of Americans.  They would support ending subsidies for oil companies.  They would close the loopholes that give incentives to American corporations to offshore their workforces and their profits.

Hell, if the "tea party" Republicans were serious about governing and not just trying to make sure a Republican is elected president in 2012, they would knock off the games and introduce legislation that will help the nation.  But we all know that the "tea party" Republicans have no intention of actually governing.  Their sole concern is to weaken America by destroying our government and our economic well being.  It is only after achieving those goals that they can begin to build their theocratic "free market" utopia.

Their disconnect with reality is their downfall, now if only the media and the rest of the nation would realize it.

Our Nation Is A Mess

Our nation is a mess.  Our nation's public schools are crumbling.  Our nation's roadways and bridges are falling apart.  Our nation's banks are "too big to fail" and at war with their customers and homeowners.  Our nation's for-profit health care system is a disaster.  Our nation's poor and elderly are under attack as never before.  Our nation's unions are demonized as the source of all our ills and our nation is basically without a leader.  And our nation's elected officials have made pledges that run counter to the Constitution.

Instead of building palaces of learning and fully funding our public schools, we divert precious tax dollars to "charter" schools that can pick their students and to private and parochial schools through "vouchers".  Instead of repairing our cities roadways, replacing bridges and building public transportation we spend billions of tax payer dollars on sports stadiums and entertainment districts.

Instead of breaking up the "too big to fail" banks, we showered them with billions in tax payer funds.  They repaid us by foreclosing on homes they couldn't prove they owned the loans to.  Instead of allowing anyone to purchase into Medicare at cost, we are forced to purchase health care insurance from for-profit corporations.  Instead of expanding our social safety nets that protect our poor and elderly, our elected officials have cut taxes for the wealthy and corporations while destroying the social safety net.

Instead of celebrating the improved working conditions, wages and benefits for their members and non-members, we have elements of our society who wish to blame all of our financial problems on unions and destroy them.  And instead of working toward solutions that benefit all Americans, we have elected officials who have made pledges to Grover Norquist and others that preclude them from honest negotiations and compromise.

Adding to all this we have a president who starts off all negotiations with compromises that mirror what the other side wants.  We have a senate majority leader who couldn't find his spine even if it was placed in front of him.  We also have a Speaker of the House who can't even get 60 members of his own party to do what is right for the country instead of being mired in their hyper ideology.

Our nation is a mess and until we come to a consensus that doing what is right for our nation is better than doing what is politically expedient our nation will continue to be a mess.  I just don't see that happening any time soon.

A Nation Without a Leader

Speaker of the House Boehner has no control over his own fellow Republican congressmen.  Majority Leader Reid has no spine and President Obama prefers that conservatives like him instead of fighting for what's right.  We are a nation without a leader.

Nature abhors a vacuum and our nation's capital is the prime example of that simple rule.  Without true leadership, bad things happen and small groups, such as the "tea party" Republicans, can hold our nation hostage.  Without true leadership our nation can not move forward.  Without true leadership our nation will produce something that will make Japan's "Lost Decade" look like a picnic.

I have made no secret of my disdain for President Obama and his "milquetoast presidency".  His lack of clear and coherent leadership and his desire to start every debate with a compromise that gives the other side all that they want has created a clear and present danger to our nation.  His lack of leadership has allowed 60 "tea party" Republicans in the House of Representatives to fuck with the "full faith and credit" our nation.

Instead of calling in the leadership of both Houses of Congress and demanding a clean "debt ceiling" increase, he only brought in the Republican leadership and offered steep cuts in the social safety net.  This is, of course, President Obama's standard modus operandi: Give the other side everything they want from the start then cry foul when they accept and more.

We need a true leader and I am calling for a primary challenger for President Obama.  One who can not only beat President Obama but also the Republican nominee (whoever that might be) in November, 2012.  But I don't want a Democratic nominee who will be a tool of the right.  I want a Democratic nominee who will fight for Democratic principles of a strong social safety net, sound fiscal policy and equality for all.

Right now, the only person who I believe fits the bill is New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.  His leadership in getting his state's marriage equality bill onto his desk proves he can get things done.  That is the type of leadership we need.  That is the type of leadership we deserve.   Find me a better candidate and I will vote for them.

Who do you think should be President Obama's primary challenger who can also win in November, 2012?  Put your suggestions into the comments.