Rants & Raves

To the Democrats: Congrats on standing up for your convictions by pledging not to vote on Obama’s tax deal with the Republicans. You felt you weren’t in the loop and you’re pissed. So why weren’t you like this two years ago? You spent 2 years sitting on your rich fat asses, capitulating to people who didn’t agree with you even though you had votes to pass bills.

I mean, that year-long health care debate? WTF? I don’t want to be cliche, but grow a fuckin’ pair! If Republicans threaten to filibuster, call their bluff! Show America that in no uncertain terms, Republicans want to hold this country back! For God’s sake, they want to deprive people who worked at Ground Zero. They love the wars in the Middle East, but want to keep 14,000 people from serving in the Armed Forces. They complain about spending money, but don’t want their precious millionaires to pay more taxes to help close the gap. They don’t want the children of illegal immigrants to contribute legally to America and make us more productive.

Why are you trying to do stuff all of a sudden, when you could have been working like a dog for the 2 years you were in the majority in both houses?

To the Republicans: OK, so I’ve never voted Republican. I may be a curmudgeon, but I would never consider myself a conservative. But what I have to say, I say with the respect owed to you.

What are you smoking, and can I have some? Maybe then I’ll understand how you think.

If you’re going to threaten a filibuster, go through with it! And get rid of that stupid provision of not having to take up time to filibuster. Go all “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” on the Democrats! Show them you mean business! This tax bill? You talk about small businesses earning $250,000 suffering if we let taxes go back to Clinton levels. Democrats talk about millionaires and billionaires who can afford to pay the extra tax. Do you want to continue to be known as the party of the rich, or do you want to be called the party for America? Let taxes rise for the rich and exempt small businesses. Yeah, there are loopholes, but you’re trying, right?

To President Obama: Don’t think I’m forgetting you. For the first time in a decade, I voted for somebody I wanted in office, not just voted against the person I didn’t want. And we’re talking about any office, not just for the presidency. That’s a big deal.

But I have to ask – do you have an opinion on anything? You say you want one thing, people get somewhat angry, and you back away. Apply that rhetoric of yours to more of a debating form; convince people that you have good ideas.

You’re the big cheese; be proud of that! You never crowed about the achievements Congress made before the midterm elections. Yeah, you made a list every once in a while. That’s not boasting, and it was too little, too late. If you did that early on, you might not have lost the House and almost lost the Senate.

And while we’re on that subject, have you ever gotten so angry at something that you had to yell? Were you not that angry when Republicans said “no” at every turn? Oh, you were that angry? Then why didn’t you yell? Again – big cheese. Even if people don’t agree with you, they might respect you more when you show that you’re not a robot. Cool and collected is excellent in a crisis; angry is great when the other side is giving you nothing.

And get Congress to work more than 120 days a year. That’s a constitutional right you have. There are millions of Americans working 6-7 days a week for minimum wage with no paid sick days. There are millions more who aren’t even getting that. And these people, many of whom are millionaires, take month long vacations and 2 month long campaign breaks, never really talking to their constituents when they’re at home, and doing nothing but bicker when they’re at work. Get them to the table to vote on things. Even if things don’t go your way, at least they’re doing something.

To conclude: You have to work with the person next to you. You may not like it, but guess what? Life isn’t fair. So many Americans have lost all respect for you because you’re acting worse than most 5-year-olds. Both sides have to be willing to compromise (what you’re doing right now isn’t compromise; it’s the equivalent of holding your breath.) Stop acting like spoiled children and start acting like the respectable elected officials you’re supposed to be.
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I feel better now.