America's Dysfunctional Politics

When Justice Department lawyers proposed adding a new rule that would require U.S. contractors to report waste, fraud or abuse they encounter while doing work for the government, they intended it to apply to all of the $350 billion in government contracts each year.

But in a twist that has evolved into a Capitol Hill mystery, the proposed rule that the White House's Office of Management and Budget published late last year includes language that would exempt from such reporting all U.S. contractors who do work overseas. There have been more than $100 billion in such contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan over the past five years.

Al Kamen of the Wash. Post tells of an ignoramus Republican who never heard of the concept of valid sources. How convenient since it leaves him free to seek out lies, extremists, and boneheads to report as his sources for Misinformation. Take a gander:

"This is a national security problem," [Rep. Paul] Broun [R-Ga.] told the lawmakers. "I'm told by people who are involved in helping just monitor the border that roughly 40 percent of the people that are intercepted crossing our border are not Mexicans."

(Actually, the official stats for FY 2007 show slightly less than 7 percent are OTMs, or "Other than Mexicans." The ASICs, or "Aliens from Special Interest Countries" -- most anywhere in the Middle East and a chunk of South Asia -- totaled 297.

Another ignoramus, this time a Democratic fund raiser for the Clinton campaign, perplexed by the criticism of her public remark regarding Obama, now claims reverse discrimination. Roger Simon of Politico informs us Geraldine Ferraro now says: "Racism works in two different directions. I really think they're attacking me because I'm white. How's that?" The Clinton campaign has to be quietly breathing a sigh of relief that Ferraro has quit volunteering for Hillary.

It started as an industry induced lobby to protect American Catfish farmers and consumers from tainted and unhealthy foreign catfish imports. It turned into an upside down whale of a political conundrum, and exemplifies why American's want basic general principles applied and not all this special interest wrangling and counter intuitive subterfuge, as consumer representatives oppose fish inspections by the US Dept. of Agriculture. Very good article by Jeffrey H. Birnbaum of the Washington Post.

How is this for political nonsense? Let's say in 2001 your employer cut your salary by 20%. In 2008, you and your worker friends get together and tell your employer "Look, we understand the company was in the hole in 2001, but, profits this year are great, and we would like to have our 20% pay cut back in our paychecks." The employer replies, but, that is ridiculous. That would be the largest pay increase in the history of this company and that is just not going to happen."

Well, this is exactly the argument Republicans are about to make over the Democrat's proposal to allow the 2001 Republican tax cuts to lapse in 2010 as was proposed in the law in 2001. Martin Kady II at Politico reports that the GOP is rehearsing their chorus line, "Democrats are in favor of the largest tax increase in American history".

They are of course, referring to Democrats carrying out the law Republicans passed in 2001 calling for the tax cuts to end in 2010. The rhetoric simply does not get more twisted and distorted beyond all truth than this line being rehearsed by the GOP talking puppets. Will you buy into it, and vote for John McCain out of fear that Clinton or Obama would allow the Bush tax cuts to expire and therefore, foster 'the largest tax increase in history'? Consider this a political IQ test.

The Republican White House repeats again and again the now well rehearsed refrain: "Screw the American people". But, it is a non-verbal refrain for obvious political reasons. The Hill reports on Congress' efforts at oversight of the Executive Branch of government and the White House's rejection of Congress' Constitutionally defined oversight role as a co-equal branch of government.

Congress asks for documents. White House says, 'we will get back to you'. Congress, months later says, 'you haven't gotten back to us'. White House says, 'we will get back to you'. Congress issues subpoenas to previous White House staff, the White House tells the Attorney General not to honor them. The Congress files suit in federal court to get compliance. White House says, 'we will see you in our hand picked Supreme Court'.

At issue here is the fact that the Congress is the American People's branch of government, comprised of the politicians and government staff in closest communication with the American people. When the White House non-verbally tells Congress to go screw itself and its Constitutional powers, that White House is saying the same to the American people and voters. The Congress and Supreme Court are the only thing standing between an American authoritarian dictator and that dictator's contempt for the people. Some say this President already has the Supreme Court in his pocket. If the Congress is rendered irrelevant by the President and White House staff, the people risk having lost their Republic and democracy, entirely.

There are two items common to all these and many other government dysfunctions. The first is the political division between the only two parties in government to represent we citizens. When their fighting supersedes our, and our nation's needs, the American people and nation are in real trouble. And this is clearly the case as I will illustrate in a moment.

The second commonality in these dysfunctions is voter ignorance and apathy; understandable as it may be. How many Americans are aware that the drastic and unprecedented measures taken by the Federal Reserve in the last week are an attempt to forestall bank and financial institution failures, the likes of which, led to the Great Depression of the 1930's? Very few, save those who keep tabs on the Wall Street buzz on a daily basis.

How many American voters are aware that our government's unwillingness to respond appropriately to this crisis for political reasons dating back to the warnings issued forth in 2006, is primarily responsible for the current sub-prime mortgage industry led economic contraction we are now experiencing? Very few.

And therein lies the problem. A democratic republic requires the voters to maintain an informed vigilance over their elected representative's actions and results, and vote accordingly. Clearly, that is not the basis on which a majority of voters in America vote. Voters in America vote for a team (Red or Blue) or a candidate and walk away believing their job is done for the next 2 years. Welcome to the age of specialization. But, in this case, specialization in this fashion is the enemy of a responsible government.

Above nearly all else, if America's best days are not to be behind her, America must invest in civics education and participation with all the sense of necessity and urgency as math and science. And voters must stop tolerating the political in-fighting that prevents our government from solving more problems than it creates. One does not need to vote for the other party to vote for a new face as their representative when the old face has become two faced. The Primaries and Caucuses are the place to elect new faces from your own party and send both the old faces and your party the message that prior performance is NOT what it should have been.

The vote is such a powerful thing. Which explains why so many obstacles are placed between the people and their casting an informed vote of accountability by BOTH the major parties. For an easy uncomplicated example of such obstacles, just listen to both parties' political advertisements. Do they appeal to reason and are they factually informative, or, are they contradictory and designed to appeal to your emotional center and quiet your analytical mind, whatever its level of expertise?

Government isn't going to change until the voters change the criteria they use to vote. That is VOID's purpose and mission, with your support. And that change will require voters taking a genuine interest in what their representatives accomplish and fail to accomplish. The place to learn that is not the slick newsletter your representative sends to your mailbox. You will only get a sales job in those newsletters, not a fair and critical evaluation. Try our Political News Page for 30 to 60 minutes per week and get the scoop from all sides. Or, better, become a regular C-Span watcher.

My Representative is telling me all about how he is working to regulate the mortgage industry and stimulate the economy. Four years ago, he wrote me to tell me how hard he was working to reduce and eliminate government regulation. He thinks I forgot what he said 4 years ago and has done these last 4 years. I haven't.

Hopefully you haven't either and you will use that information in deciding whether your representative is solving problems, or creating them.

By David R. Remer
Published: March 16, 2008 12:48 AM
0 Votes