Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Sand Castles for the TP and GOPOS


Published: The Huffington Post 2011.07.20

Can the GOP be split by the President into two factions -- Tea Party (TP) and GOP Old School (GOPOS)? GOP Old School are moderate GOP Members who are too scared to move without TP approval, but disagree with what the TP is.

Until the end of the month, President Obama has some interesting cards in his hand.

My guess is that he will let the TP and GOPOS attempt to destroy the economy, as they have scheduled for August 2. Then President Obama will step in with the 14th Amendment and obliterate their sand castles. All the whining over the last 2 months will get flushed out with the next tide.

President Obama can hold-up the GOP jellyfish in a shovel and say, "Look these guys wanted to poison the economic ocean and make it unsafe for anyone to swim in. Can they be trusted with anything?"

Another card is more interesting.

Stories like "Tea Party Nation Targets John Boehner, Mitch McConnell On Debt Ceiling" are the starting point.

The TP is using threats to bully the more moderate GOPOS members and leadership into submission. These threats are a sign that the GOPOS is going to get hammered anyway. It is a hostage situation that the GOPOS will need to stand up to and take defensive action. This is the fissure point.

Anyone looking at the polls can see the TP holds about 15%-20% of the population. That means 80%-85% see them as nuts. The GOPOS can still save the Republican Party from itself by showing some courage and standing up to the TP.

It is clear that all GOPOS members have TP targets on their chests. They will be primaried anyway -- so why sell their souls to the TP?

The President has a role in this too. Everyone knows the first rule of negotiating is to deal only with people who have the power to make decisions.

It has become abundantly clear that the House GOP has no real leadership. The TP and GOPOS are playing a rope-a-dope game with President Obama. The TP has threatened their own coalition, now is the time for the fissures to be exposed.

The President can pick who he wants to deal with -- and make a spectacle of it.

President Obama can offer cover for GOPOS members to get themselves out of an abusive political relationship. The President needs to strengthen the hand of John Boehner against the likes of Ryan and Cantor to create a clear thinking coalition to be joined with the Democratic Caucus.

At the next press conference, I would love to see President Obama throw out the idea that he will only listen to one GOP Voice. Speaker Boehner needs to muster a coalition of his own members or President Obama will look for a new dealing partner. If Speaker Boehner cannot supply enough votes to form a coalition with the Democratic Party, then he needs to step aside, simply because dealing with him is a waste of time. Time is of the essence.

Boehner will be given the opportunity to form a coalition government of GOPOS and Democrats to stem the flow of the Tea Party. The President can make it clear to the GOPOS Leadership that if they will not negotiate with him in this manner he will cut THEM out of the process. The GOPOS refusal will allow the President to negotiate only with TP Representatives.

Why -- because the GOPOS are cow-towing to the TP. Who would bother wasting time talking to the GOPOS since they will do what the TP wants anyway?

The Speaker will be exposed as a leader without any power. The President will unleash the TP Congressional sharks to pose an immediate challenge to Speaker Boehner. The question becomes -- Does Speaker Boehner have enough support to withstand a TP Challenge to his leadership?

If President Obama can topple the GOP Congressional Leadership from the inside, will he be able to isolate the uncontrollable TP Members from the GOPOS? If he can, President Obama can create a situation where the Democrats could return to some form of control in the current Congress.

In other words -- force the silent GOPOS members to take sides -- Boehner or TP. If enough GOPOS members stand up we will see the formation of a third party from the molten rock coming out of this fissure. A power-sharing deal would be cut with the Democrats for the next year going into the election.

This is a last chance for the GOPOS to have credibility and to stand up for themselves.

Otherwise, I see a President with a shovelful of GOP jellyfish on the beach.

Friday, July 8, 2011

Social Security's Surgery


Published: The Huffington Post 2011.07.08

It's on the table. It is being prepped by the doctor's group called Oboehner Centrist Inc. The dotted lines are being drawn on the torso and the legs.

The appendage called the Nextus Generatoid is going to be completely cut out of the process. But that appendage will get to pay for all of this. It isn't looking good for the Morphious Geratricus either - they are really talking about killing grandma here.

The Koch American Funeral Company and Associates (KAFCA), where the Spirit of Freedom gets cremated and buried, are truly in control of the system. Centrists in both parties need to do something to wake up the populace - something like that shot of adrenaline administered in Pulp Fiction.

Putting the Social Safety Net on the operating table is that filled needle.

The situation with the debt limit has gotten totally out of control. That clacking sound you hear is not the Tea Party Express steaming on its tracks as we go over the cliff - it is the knees of both parties' enablers knocking so loud that it is just more white noise.

Oboehner Centrist Inc. needs a plan - but they are powerless. Congressional politicians are, for the most part, a spineless bunch (Boneless Chicken Ranch Syndrome). If there is blood on the ground - you know there is a bus scheduled to run a political colleague over (Anthonyweinerectomy). When there is blood in the water - the sharks have a party (Ensignitus).

When there is cleanup to be done - it is nothing but pointy fingers (Digitus Theydidittou) and tumbleweeds.

President Obama needs to stop running backwards for the last 2 years. Moderate Republicans (defined as "not Tea Party") have sold their souls and are co-opted by their own electoral fears. Standard house Democrats want a purge (Azure Canine Extermination Syndrome). All of them need some brass plating applied to their private areas for something other than fundraising.

Putting the Social Safety Net on the Operating Table is not a "Punch the Hippie" Surgical Procedure as much as it is something else.

Remember the movie Fantastic Voyage - the one where a machine shrinks a surgical team and really gets into the head of a poltician. Well, I have one of those machines too! (Craigslist is really amazing.) I got inside the head of one of these guys and here is what these politicians are saying to the American People:

WAKE THE @#$% UP !

We need YOU to step up and get really mad at us. That is the ONLY way we will do ANYTHING for you.

This operating room will have plenty of klieg lights and cameras rolling. We love to perform here!

We need you to do what the Tea Party did to get their start:
  1. Scream.
  2. Yell.
  3. Carry on like 4-year-olds.

We will give back your binky - but you have to yell for it. LOUDLY.

The only way we can do that is to threaten to take something away you all need.

Could it be they have already tried this with?
  • The Educational System with its cuts
  • The Military Complex with its treatment of our troops
  • The Environment with fracking and spilling of oil everywhere
  • State Governments with the curtailment of everything
  • NASA and the smartest guys on the planet not knowing what is next after the shuttle
  • The Unions with successful busting efforts

These are not some theoretical set of political bases we are talking about here - it is the entire flipping country having a stake in this.

This country has been put to sleep by the gas of apathy. Our country is more interested in complaining about the made-up outrage of the Casey Anthony trial at the expense of its real living conditions.

The only way to blunt the effect of the Koch Brothers and their Congressional Tea Party Pallbearers is to create a situation where EVERYONE gets off their butts and onto their hind legs and starts fighting.

What will knock us to our senses?

Neither the President nor the Speaker wants to be the one pulling the plug on grandma. But they are not going to pay the electric bill without a large number of citizens behind them. This may be a cynical method to get us to take to the streets to defend what is ours and what we are paying for and what we have paid for in terms of this Social Safety Net.

If we cannot snap out of it, do we really deserve to have these things?

If we cannot snap out of it, do we really deserve to call ourselves the "Land of the Free"?

This may be the last chance as the President and Speaker, one from each party, are politically screaming at all of us to WAKE UP before they put a knife to us.

Without a word from the population - we are sausage.

Friday, July 1, 2011

PA and DE Declare War on NJ


Originally Published on Norristown.Patch.Com

In a move that is shocking many, the First and Second States (Delaware and Pennsylvania) have declared war on the Third State (New Jersey).

The Geography of New Jersey is a large peninsula bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, the Delaware River and Delaware Bay. The only land access to the Garden State is via New York.

The opening of this war will take place in coordination with 4th of July Celebrations.

Both Delaware and Pennsylvania plan to blow the bridges that link New Jersey to their states as part of municipal and county fireworks displays. No one is planned to be on the bridges as part of the demolition. (Although some are trying to bait the New Jersey governor with a pile of free cheeseburgers strategically placed in the middle of the Commodore Barry Bridge.)

Part of the pressure to blow these bridges is the unprecedented number of refugees expected to be coming across to the mainland in response to Governor Chris Christie's draconian policies and to keep this guy bottled up.

But there are also other reasons.

A spokesperson for Philadelphia Mayor Nutter (THAT is his name - I can't make that up) expressed relief that something is finally being done.

I get up in the morning and look across the river and what do I see? Camden - Camden, New Jersey - that would put anyone in a nasty mood. You know what they put on prime riverfront property - a prison. We put classy stuff on our side of the river - like casinos.

Pennsylvania resident Marcel Wrubbernekker, said it well:
Anything north of Trenton is filled with Yankees and Mets Fans. The Yankees fans are arrogant and Mets fans are delusional. Even though South Jersey people are cool - we just can't take the chance on the people in the North getting out. We certainly don't want them here. It would be great if Wyoming would take them.

In response a New Jersey based Mets fan Dominic Wrubbernekker responded,

Yeah -like what do the Phillies got - they're nuthin'. I got your cheesesteak right here!

A Delaware resident Harriet Wrubbernekker piped in saying,
They only like us for our cheap tax-free booze and outlets catering to polyester suits and QVC overstocked merchandise. We can take the hit on that since all their credit card charges are coming thru here anyway.

Vice President Joe Biden, a Delaware resident, responded with,
New Jersey? It's not a big f___ing deal.

The Cape May-Lewes Ferry will remain as the only way to get to New Jersey from the South or the West. The folks in Lewes are looking forward to the money that may be coming in, but the new title of the town, "Gateway to New Jersey" has some worried; but Lewes, Delaware resident Marjorie Wrubbernekker sees an upside.
They overcharge for everything in Cape May - Now it's our turn.

It appears the action New York will take in response to this issue will be to raise tolls on all the bridges and tunnels leading into their state. Spokesman Chet Wrubbernekker stated,

Look, it's a question of supply and demand. We can charge more because more people want to escape New Jersey. We'll make a killing here.

This story is a cynical way to create panic right before the 4th of July - to get people off the beaches and out of New Jersey for a couple of days. If you are taking this seriously, then you need a vacation.

We could use a little more space on the beach in Sea Isle.

Have a great 4th.