So I go away on vacation, and return to find that one major party has gone on strike. Call it the Red Flue. They don't want to govern, and they don't want to let anyone else do it either. If anyone ever doubted that "Just Say No" is now the official party line for the GOP, they should now be convinced.
What remains hard to decide, though, is whether the GOP members on federal payroll are cowardly, craven or merely cynical. But there's no doubt that are unfit for their roles as legislators.
Can they be recalled?
Assume for a moment that they are playing a game of chicken with the nation's credit rating, and, perhaps, America's economic stability for years to come. They're doing just fine, thanks, so why should they care about anyone else?
Cynics? Or merely arrogant?
GOP freshmen are so ideologically pure, they pretand, and care so little about re-election, that they are willing to risk the wrath of the whole country, and even risk losing their next election, to do what they think is right.
In other words, they are so confident of their own abilities to understand the complex machinery of modern, industrialized society that they are willing to ignore all dissenting voices, all the expert opinion of economists from across the political spectrum.
They are right, no matter what.
Apparently, the GOP extremists can't define hubris. Or they are so stupid that they don't understand that capitalism, the system they pretend to love, is based on the principle of borrowing and credit.
Or do they really pretend to yearn for simpler, preindustrial days when you hauled your sack of corn to the market if you wanted to buy a new frying pan?
Craven, or stupid? Idealistic or inexperienced? Does it matter if they are unwilling to do what they were elected to do, ie, serve the people? I say no.
Their "leadership" (sic) seems capable of hatching deals and making promises in private, but runs away screaming when the details hit the light of day. They bow to the Tea Party and anti-tax extremists who claim to hate big government.
In the process, they're willing abdicate their responsibilities as legislators, as outlined in Article I of the Constitution, arguably the most important section of that document. They don't want to represent the people, and act for the public welfare. Not them. Can't get our hands dirty, they say.
No, their plan is to defer authority to the executive branch. They'll hide behind the president, letting him make the tough, adult decision to raise the debt ceiling, and pay for things we've already bought. They figure no one will remember this next year when they stand on the side-lines and scream about how big our debt is.
Cowards.
Here's a thought. Since we're talking about debt reduction, why not start with the federal paychecks of these anti-government hypocrites? And those of their staffs. Why should tax-payers continue to pay the salary of a mob determined to destroy the nation's government and its credit rating.
Seems to me you don't hire a locomotive engineer who brags about wanting to drive the train off the rails.
Either they're telling the truth, or they're lying; they believe their anti-government rhetoric or they don't.
Either way, they've proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are unfit to serve the people.