The GOP: A tragedy in 52 acts

[PumpkinAle]

Excellent article -

By Kathleen Parker, The Washington Post
Posted March 10, 2015, at 7:45 a.m.

I’m getting that deja vu feeling as House Republicans these past several days have failed to alter the public’s perception that they’re incapable of governing.

This week marked Episode 2, Season 2 in the series “Homeland Security Face-Off.” Subtitle: “How Republicans Forfeit the White House in 2016.”

Notwithstanding Tuesday afternoon’s vote, which funded the Department of Homeland Security through the end of the fiscal year, last week’s high-stakes game of chicken — and this week’s near repeat — provides a lesson for future skirmishes.

http://bangordailynews.com/2015/03/10/opinion/contributors/the-gop-a-tragedy-in-52-acts/

[ffr]

1. "Republicans aren’t in town to govern. They’re in town to lose."

Lest the tea party faction or the Freedom Caucus construct an effigy in my image, allow me to note that, yes, they are doing their people’s bidding. These folks who prefer shutdowns to compromise were elected to stand on principle, no matter the consequences. Given that most are in no danger of being challenged in their home districts, they seem perfectly content to oblige.

They may be viewed as villains in Washington but they’re hailed as heroes back home, where hating Beltway insiders is a Campaign Pledge.

But principles defended at the expense of pragmatic application is the business of priests.

Here on terra firma, if you lose, you lose. You may be re-elected as approval for your zeal as a live-free-or-die, stand-with-Bibi, “Duck Dynasty” patriot, but to what effect if one’s ability to bring about change is neutered in the process?

It is fair to note that Boehner hasn’t been able to corral enough votes to move forward with any momentum. In 2013, he essentially caved to his members and allowed them to shut down the government.

But it is also true that a leader can’t lead those whose proudest accomplishment is to not follow.

Not even Majority Whip Steve Scalise, who is a member of the tea party, has been able to whip his brethren into line. Herding cats? Loading frogs into a wheelbarrow? There is yet no simile or metaphor adequate to describe the moment. How about this: They are like the football player who intercepts a pass, then turns around and runs the ball over the opposing team’s goal line.

Insisting that Homeland Security funding be attached to the president’s executive actions to curtail deportations of immigrants here illegally — a predictably losing gamble for Republicans — was a touchdown for the other team.

Once again, Democrats were handed the opportunity to point out that Republicans aren’t in town to govern. They’re in town to lose.

Some really strong points made.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

2. They clearly don't understand the art of governing

1. They believe that because they control both houses of Congress, they can do whatever they want or, more importantly, President Obama should just sign everything they pass because they do(assuming it makes it to him in the first place). Bush vetoed a lot of things that a Democratic Congress sent him from 2007-2009. Get over it.
2. They believe that President Obama should (and will) voluntarily destroy his own signature achievements (i.e. ACA). Sorry, guys (and some gals), only somebody out of his/her mind would voluntarily sign legislation destroying their own achievements. Not.gonna.happen.
3. Adding "poison pill" riders to bills, while totally legal, is not a recipe for getting legislation passed and when it comes to having to pass "must-pass" legislation to fund the government, it's an especially bad idea and they're going to have to cave on it eventually, so why waste everybody's time?
4. Demanding that "a majority of the majority" support something (in the House) or a supermajority in the House before even bringing it to a vote is extremely undemocratic and isn't to be found in the Constitution anywhere. The more you insist on passing things in this way is going to ensure a lot of time wasted on things that might not pass in the Senate and will be DOA on President Obama's desk if it somehow makes it there. The House and Senate were NOT designed to work in this way!

[blkmusclmachine]

3. GOP goal is to make Government absolutely dysfunctional, and steal all our wealth while we fight

among ourselves.

[kairos12]

4. That is exactly my thoughts.

Joke I read on a different post here sums it up.

A teabagger and a liberal are in a room with 100 cookies. A rich guy comes in and steals 99 cookies. Before he leaves, the rich guy whispers to the teabagger "be careful that liberal will steal your cookie."

To me, that is the story.

[appalachiablue]

6. Good one, have to watch those dirty, thieving libruls..

[appalachiablue]

5. +10