This originated as a comment in LaFeminista's We're not amused post from yesterday. I was surprised by the reaction and elected to post it as a diary, fleshed out and spell-corrected.
In this piece
by pundit Eugene Robinson Republicans are portrayed as "entrenched" is a poor assessment.
Here’s the basic problem: The Democratic Party seems likely to grow ever stronger nationally while the GOP remains firmly entrenched locally. This means the stubborn, maddening, unproductive standoff between a Democratic president and a Republican majority in the House may be the new normal.
It is just too nicey-nice. And in being so, it misses the reality: Republicans are powerfully, systematically and successfully fucking the entire process.
Obama is allegedly quite intelligent and a key aspect of intelligence is pattern recognition. Here I use it simply to suggest that one would, by now, notice a pattern as blatant as GOP obstructionism.
One would imagine, rightly, that Obama would have noted the republican's "lack of good faith negotiation” and outright stonewalling; that he should - by now- realize the GOP would rather he died of some congenital heart defect than do anything he suggests or demands or orders.
Obama HAS extended the whole bipartisany olive branch to them more than enough. He did this more than enough his first 2 years in office.
That he came into a second term still sticking to this Mr Rogers approach is - I guess - largely his business but it is, I think, now more than fair to suggest he has wasted time, cost millions of people jobs, ruined lives, shoved people down the economic ladder (I myself type this in the midst of my 6th layoff in life). Yes – the GOP has the lion’s share of blame in this – beyond a doubt, but Mr Obama has, I think, failed to approach it with the aggression required.
I am NOT amused by what I will call "lame shit'.
Obama has a full 3 years remaining to abandon the Mr. Rogers act: take off his blue sweater and tell his neighbors to go fuck themselves.
Dems, as ever, despite the appearance painted in Robinson's piece, are either spineless or complicit.
Complaining that congress is "do-nothing", is having "gridlock" is wholly missing the point:The so-called 'gridlock" is purposefully created and that is unacceptable: This so-called "entrenched-ness' is artificial. It is not actually based on something immovable. There is no reason for this.
None.
NONE.
It's kabuki. It's as real as 'rasslin' on the TV. It’s 100% fake. All kabuki, all the time.
I wish I could do fucking nothing and get paid out the wazoo for it. I'd like to be going on a useless 1 month vacation - I'm 53 and I have never had a 1 month vacation. I have been laid off for the last 2 months, and despite what those fucking republicans try to say, it's ain't no vacation.
I'd like to not be held accountable and just do whatever I wanted - though I have been told those poor babies spend 5 hours a day every day begging for money when they are already rich.
Fucking wastoids.
And in the midst of it, what is not fake, is that the GOP is very organized and they are systematically taking over states, one at a time with the same playbook - if you do not see this I am formally questioning your IQ.
Democratic process hobbled
Michigan, Ohio, Florida, North Carolina,, Texas, Wisconsin – these are the main battlegrounds on fire as the faux-gridlock drama plays out in Washington DC. These are the states where #republicanbumrush is plain to see.
Voting is a game at this point given this "entrenched-ness" Even as a minority, repubs manage - too often - to run roughshod over the law and anything dems try to do. They have an agenda and they are sticking to it.
Harry Reid's blustering of them to get 3 appointments confirmed after a 2 year waste of life itself, is NOT supreme wrangling - its glacial movement.
The First Amendment
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
People are right to protest vociferously, right to occupy their statehouses, right to cost their local government lots of money in enforcement, right to make local leaders look like the tin-horn dictators they are, and they are right to find whatever method they can to fuck with the systematic bum-rush agenda as much as possible before the firehoses, teargas, and dogs are turned loose.
Wisconsin has the Light Brigade and the Capitol Singers; North Carolina has Moral Mondays; Florida is witnessing The Dream Defenders occupying the statehouse.
In the face of this #republicanbumrush of your rights and your very future, you should want to bum-rush them back....if you value your future and quality of life, or that of your children.
Republicans are gaming the process quite successfully, they are thrilled with the sequester, and wholly undeterred by the prattle of Eugene Robinson or anybody else: talk is really cheap and they know and bank on Americans remaining in their slumber.
They don't care if you're not amused: they do not give a rat-fuck what you think.
I suggest you ponder that and then act like you're under siege.
Because you are.