More Shiny Objects

Just about now I have no patience at all for politics.  We’re in too much trouble for the same old bromides to get us through and we really do need all hands on deck to solve our problems.  This is the worst financial crisis of my lifetime and it comes, ironically, after I have finally voted for a Presidential candidate for the first time.  I just keep forgetting what a dirty job he has.

Ultimately Barack Obama is responsible for this nonsense with Rush.  I can’t imagine that he thought of this ploy or plays an active part, but I have no doubt his people thought it up, so it’s on him.  Rahm Emanuel and others are now loudly proclaiming that Rush is the de facto leader of the Republican party.  They can lay Rush’s worst statements at the feet of all Republicans, knowing full well that the party regulars won’t dare cross His Immenseness for fear of the sound and fury from the Dittoheads.  It’s as if the Democrats are trying to get in free kicks while the GOP is down.  The party of Barack Obama should be better than that.

However, as an old competitor, even I have to admit it’s hard to resist messing with the Republicans these days.  They look awful.  After all, Rush IS the bully of the party.  The group hit man.  He says terrible things to make his points.  But whenever a responsible Republican calls him out, the Dittoheads strike with speed and savagery.  They crushed a couple of Congressmen who dared to criticize El Enormo and RNC Chairman Michael Steele didn’t even last an hour.  A mere 51 minutes after he said what most people believe about Rush he was on the phone doing his mea culpas.  You’d think Rush has all kinds of power.

You’d be wrong, of course.  Actually, he doesn’t speak for the Republican party any more than any other right winger.  Hell, 41% of Republicans have an unfavorable opinion of him!  He’ll zap any GOP politician he doesn’t deem conservative enough, but God forbid you criticize him in return.  For a guy so thick, his skin is amazingly thin.  The point is; he doesn’t speak for the party.  He speaks for a group of about 15 million or so devotees who believe everything he says.  Last time I checked, that’s plenty to be the richest radio host ever, but a good 30 million short of what you need to run the country.  Rush doesn’t want to run the country, but his fans are too dumb to know it and the GOP is too gutless to tell them.

In the middle of this comes my hero Barack.  This is the guy who ran a perfect presidential campaign to win the worst job in the history of the office.  This is the best speaker ever, the brightest man since FDR and we need him more than ever.  Sadly, even though I hate it, I know why his people are doing this.

They’re fighting shiny metal objects with distractions of their own.  This budget is not going to wreck the republic.  Raising those horrible taxes on the rich is an increase of only 4%, a fact the GOP never mentions when they’re crying poorhouse.  They also forget to tell you that Dems want to raise the capital gains tax from 15% all the way----to 20%.  Please.  40% of the stimulus package is tax cuts, just like the GOP wanted.  They still voted against the package.  And this new omnibus spending bill?  40% of the earmarks they’re whining about go to Republicans!  It’s the kind of thing that makes you want to kick a creep, even when he’s down.