Sense and Nonsense

The Dysfunctional Congress

Do yourself the favor of reading this insightful article by John Aloyisius Farrell, who examines the polarized, dysfunctional U.S. Congress -- an institution at odds with its constitutional heritage and with the nation it is said to represent.

Show Some Leadership, Mr. President!

What can one say?  Obama is a disappointment in so many ways.  For sure, he has been thwarted and blocked at every turn by cynical, grotesquely partisan Republicans who care not at all about the national interest. Republicans in Congress are among the most vile people on Earth. (How's THAT for moderate commentary?!)

But it's also true that Obama has failed to show the sort of leadership that so many of us expected of him.  Here is an interesting column in today's New York Times by Tom Friedman that makes a good argument to this effect.  (Please note that my typical reaction to Friedman is that he is a totally arrogant, Gingrichian -- i.e., faux intellectual --  asshole who thinks he is god's gift to mankind, and I usually dismiss his putrid spooge.)  But he makes sense here. 

Also, see this rant by Chris Matthews (the MSNBC asshole whose arrogance is at least as bad as Gingrich's and Friedman's).  He actually makes sense here, too.

A Conservative Dissects the Republican Party

David Frum, a prominent Republican, takes a scalpel to the Republican party, examining how it has "lost touch with reality."   This is an important article.  Do yourself the favor of reading this. 

Republican Nonsense

© Tom Toles

Iron Knee elaborates:

Republicans, who voted against every single bill that Obama came up with to help jumpstart the economy, spent their debate last night attacking Obama for not doing enough about the economy. But their only answer is lower taxes, which ignores the fact that one third of the cost of Obama’s stimulus bill (which they opposed and now attack) was to lower taxes, and the fact that taxes right now are the lowest they have been in 60 years, yet the economy continues to go into the toilet. Oh, they also want decreased regulation, even though it was decreased regulation of banks that triggered the economic collapse in the first place. They also complained about the deficit, even though Republicans have done far more to run up the deficit than Democrats.

Why does anyone listen to them when they trot out their old, tired answers that clearly have not worked? I would love it for some Republican to suggest something new, but they all seem to be part of the Borg collective. As First Read puts it:

The other big loser of the night was a serious, substantive discussion on the economy. After spending the last few weeks criticizing the Obama administration on this subject, not a single GOP presidential candidate offered a convincing plan on how to create jobs. We heard plenty about lower taxes and less regulation. The problem: Taxes are already at their lowest level since the 1950, and that hasn’t really jump-started the economy. Moreover, there was little regulation during the Bush administration, and that didn’t produce a wave of jobs between 2001 and 2009.

Richard Shelby: Good Example of What's Wrong with America

If you don't already know why Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) is the epitome of what is wrong with American politics and government these days, see this post by Jim Fallows today. 

Shame on Shelby.  And shame on all of us Americans for letting this sort of pathological idiocy cripple our system of government.

Essential Chart on Deficits

Here's a chart that anyone wanting to understand current discussions about deficits needs to see.  Jim Fallows explains why it matters. 

Another GOP Meme Bites the Dust

© Rob Rogers

The Insidious Shift in Debate

It's no great insight.  Everybody recognizes that the horrific thing about recent policy debate in Washington is that the Republicans have succeeded in shifting the discourse to their turf.  Rep. Paul Ryan's cynical and sinister budget proposal, which would destroy Medicare as we know it, dismantle Medicaid, and defund many other programs that help the poor and dispossessed in America -- BUT PROTECT LOW TAXES ON THE WEALTHIEST! -- is now driving the discussion.  

Can President Obama, in his speech tomorrow night, change the direction of this? We'll see. Meanwhile:

The Conservative States of America

This will surprise no sentient being, but these here united states of Murica are very conservative -- and increasingly so.  See this interesting article (with data) by Richard Florida at The Atlantic's website. 

A teaser:

Spending Cuts vs. Tax Breaks for the Wealthy

from the Center for American Progress: