Ask a Republican why Iraq is a disaster? It's the
CIA Media Democrats Iraqis General's fault. Ask why the Katrina response was bungled? It's
NOAA Mayor Nagin victims Governor Blanco Army Corp of Engineer's fault. Why is the budget deficit at record levels? It's the
tax code liberals telletubbies Al Gore retirees your fault.
How long will Americans put up with the endless excuses and Republican blame game? About as long as it takes for a GOP screw-up to impact their own pocketbook or lives. And that's exactly what is happening right now with energy prices. Understandably then, Republicans are terrified that their jig is up. High gas prices knocked Jimmy Carter out of office, a hardworking and intelligent man, despite being perhaps a little too ineffective at solving some serious problems that got thrown his way. You can imagine Republican anxiety over voter backlash on gas prices when the man-child at the helm is an incompetent, messianic, ex-oil man afraid to hold those in his confidence accountable--but all too happy to lovingly hold hands with his Saudi petrol-baron sweetheart. So I guess no one should really be surprised that the wingers are squealing like a stuck pig that it's not their fault.
No, it's the democrat's EPA tree huggers sponge-bob square-pants OSHA Dixie Chicks Hillary Clinton's fault.
It's a rather pitiful display, an immature dodge that any kid caught with his sister's Easter candy melting in his hand can instinctively belt out by the age of four, right before he starts bawling for sympathy to avoid a spanking. But it gets even more odious after the obligatory preschool song and dance wraps up. Because, the next snappy number in the GOP repertoire is something that every American should regard with great concern: There's nothing we can do about it they say, while waving their arms around in a pantomime of helplessness.
Left--His Royal Highness Crown Prince Abdullah Al-Saud hold hands with King George 'Al-Saud' Bush. The dreamy look of adoration on King George's face is likely due to the deep affection he feels for a longtime Bush family investor, and heir of the Royal Islamist monarchy who feeds US oil addiction and produced Osama bin Laden and fifteen of the nineteen 9/11 hijackers. Right--His Royal Highness Prince Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud AKA Bandar "Bush". Call me cynical, but I have a hard time imagining any one of these three obscenely wealthy clowns ever had to choose between energy or food
That's right. The defenders of our White House, who routinely claim that their much vaunted War President can do anything, have now flip-flopped to say he can't do a thing and neither can anyone else. To hear them whine and bleat you'd think the nation that won the cold war, the guys who sent people to the moon, the country that invented the atomic bomb, the descendants of the very people who took on the greatest empire on earth and won, twice by the way, is as helpless as a kitten up a tree. They can't do a thing.
They Can't.
Ask the Republicans, how about using less oil? They'll tell you: We Can't. How about redirecting ALL oil company giveaways to providing incentives for alternative energy companies and mass transit? We'll pretend to reexamine them, but We Can't really eliminate them. How about putting the same kind of resources into achieving energy freedom we put into Iraq or Halliburton or the pockets of billionaires via tax cuts? We Can't. How about mandating higher fuel efficiencies for cars and trucks from every manufacturer allowed access to our markets, with some tax credits thrown in for our domestic auto industry to comply? We Can't. How about getting rid of the lavish tax breaks for Hummers and mega-SUVs and instead lavishly reward every compact and hybrid buyer? We Can't.
Instead, in what has become a ritual for this GOP and WH, George Bush and friends show up way too late and billions of dollars short with a PR campaign ...BushCo's vague muttering seems to indicate they will <drum roll please>: Wring their hands rhetorically, blame the democrats, remove the gas tax (Thus forcing state and local governments to raise sales taxes and property taxes through the roof), and 'take a fresh look' at oil company subsides. And you can bet the latter means this oily Republican Rubber-stamp Congress will cleverly rewrite Cheney's sweetheart energy bills and end up giving the most profitable industry in the world more breaks! More free drilling rights! Less pesky regulation! It would be hilarious, if it was a joke.
The recycled excuses and lack of accountability, underscored with blood and treasure, are bad enough. Siphoning off even more of our paychecks for Exxon and the Saudi-Bush Family is simply disgusting. But those two words "We Can't" should send a chill of revulsion up the spine of any American who hears them.
America was not built by the "I Can't's." These United States were first forged as a sovereign nation and later strengthened to world super-power status by generations of visionary statesmen and leaders who stepped up to the plate and said loudly "I Can and I Will!" If the Republican "I Can'ts," really can't (Or won't) then maybe they're in the wrong line of work. And maybe We the People would be better off replacing them with people who Can.