The Congressional Republican ‘Freak Show’
by Lee Olivas
[su_thin_right_skyscraper_ad]Let’s ALL go back to the last midterm elections. Remember? Democratic candidates did an about face adopting an amnesia condition of “Barack Obama who?” It was a pathetic display of cowardice by the spineless progressives vying for Congress who would have fared better had they stood firm in their support of President Obama’s accomplishments and their own liberal principles, but NOOOOO they cowered in fear receiving a midterm election Republican smack down application of whoop ass cream as they pleaded “please sir may I have another.” Victorious Republicans began chanting their own “Hope and Change” mantra proclaiming America had spoken. Well, 36.3 percent of America spoke representing the lowest voter turnout of eligible voters in seventy two years, but “America has spoken” sounded better than “36.3 percent of America has spoken” in their victory speeches. President Obama still has his secret weapon veto pen which weakens the Republican-led Congress, but make no mistake he was pissed and,I’m sure, hurt by his party’s desertion and isolationism when it mattered most. The Democratic midterm losers (they literally lost) made a strategic miscalculation of tsunami proportions paving the way for the new Republican circus. Much like the recent cast of American Horror Story’s “Freak Show”, this circus similarly consisted of performers possessing special talents guaranteed to entertain and shock their viewers. America, let me introduce the NEW installment of American Horror Story “Freak Show” The Republican Congress.
The Republican “Freak Show” actually began BEFORE Republicans assumed their dominant majority in Congress. Obama and Biden had to whip votes from their own members of the House to pass the CRombibus spending bill back in December in order to avoid another government shutdown. Republicans love to leverage Americans when they want to get their way. Elizabeth Warren and Nancy Pelosi militantly railed against the Citigroup lobbyist-written rider warning that Americans would once again be susceptible to financial ruin if Dodd-Frank wasn’t preserved in the one trillion plus spending bill. By the way, what is a Citigroup rider written by lobbyists doing in a spending bill? That’s a rhetorical question, but it passed anyway and, once again, Jamie Dimon and Wall St. proved that when it’s time to pay the piper even the president will have to bow down and “pony up”.
“Hope and Change” is a mantra that echoed over and over during President Obama’s campaign speeches with promises to implement progressive policies meant to improve America. The “Obama Mama” t-shirts were selling like crazy, but early in his first term it was clear that this big bad Muslim, Kenya-born, unpatriotic, socialist, Marxist half black (ask Ben Carson) America-hating president would have to contend with “other forces” as he tried to improve America. It wasn’t enough that he had to resurrect our country from the worst financial meltdown since The Great Depression. Almost every legislative move he made to improve the mess George W. Bush left him was met by Republican filibustering. He had to kickstart the economy, lower unemployment, lower the deficit against GDP, bring troops back from Iraq and Afghanistan, provide healthcare to more Americans, find alternative energy, and battle the Tea Party. Republicans hated this president and they’d have their pound of flesh even if it took them seven years to get the majority in Congress. The Republican “Freak Show” was ready for prime time and January 2015 marked their coming out party.
The current Republican Congress has one primary goal and that is to do everything possible to undermine President Obama and show the 36.3 percent of Americans who voted them in what kind of “Freak Show” America they want to have in 2016. The new “Hope and Change” GOP America will be one where millions of Americans will be denied healthcare because they can’t afford it, medicaid expansions are denied by republican governors, and full-time work weeks are changed from 30 to 40 hours to prevent employers from having to provide healthcare to employees. Unfortunately, the Supreme Court is involved now and will be making a monumental decision regarding state vs federal tax credit subsidies which could cause up to 17 million Americans to lose their healthcare. Of course, Republicans are spinning this to be the fault of Obama because IF the ACA bill had been written better in the first place there wouldn’t be this scrutiny.
The primary goal of Republicans is to undermine President Obama.
But it gets worse.[su_center_ad]
Recently, freshman senator Tom Cotton took it upon himself to dupe 46 other senators to interfere with foreign policy and jeopardize two years of negotiations with Iran and five other countries incorrectly using junior high civics in defense of their pseudo- treasonous actions. A White House petition is now circulating and has been signed by over 235,000 Americans demanding charges of treason be brought against Cotton and his NeoCon band of Obama haters. The white house must respond within thirty days since this petition has more than 100,000 signatures. The P5+1 participating countries have until the end of March to reach an agreement with Iran. Two extensions have been used already with prevailing opinion suggesting that Cotton and fellow GOP senators overplayed their hand and did more damage to their party than good. All this recent interference happened only weeks after Bibi Netanyahu gave his fear mongering political speech to a giddy receptive Republican audience. Despite the numerous standing ovations given by Republicans in attendance many congressional Democrats including Obama chose not to attend Netanyahu’s speech. However, Nancy Pelosi did. Shocked and nearly in tears over the insult and damage by Netanyahu’s speech to United States-Israel relations, Pelosi was later targeted by big bad bully Republican Senator Lindsey Graham who said “Did you see Nancy Pelosi on the [House] floor? Complete disgust. If you can get through all the surgeries, there’s disgust.”
The primary goal of Republicans is to undermine President Obama.
So the Republican Congressional “Freak Show” is in full swing. Aside from the previous mentioned pseudo-treason by forty seven civics-flunked senators, we can add less regulation of Dodd-Frank with the CRomnibus bill, the disrespectful action of Speaker Boehner in inviting Netanyahu to address Congress, and removing 17 million Americans from having healthcare insurance. Republicans will continue defining America with their quest to overturn Obama’s immigration act, destroy unions, eradicate public education, expand profitable charter schools, make abortion illegal, prohibit gay marriage and whatever else suits their fancy. It doesn’t matter that Obama has his super weapon veto pen. Republicans are showing off to their base. They are doubling down with unabashed nothing-to-lose bravado. Gays and marriage? Forget about it. Keeping undocumented parents and kids together? Forget about it. Americans having affordable healthcare? Forget about it. Improved United States relations with Iran? Forget about it. Woman’s right to choose? Forget about it.
The primary goal of Republicans is to undermine President Obama and win the persidency 2016.
Let’s hope The Republican Congressional “Freak Show” gets cancelled.
Suzanne McFly March 14th, 2015 at 8:17 pm
“Recently, freshman senator Tom Cotton took it upon himself to dupe 46 other senators”
He didn’t dupe them, that would imply they did something that seemed different from what they were actually doing. They are grown adults who are responsible for their actions IMO.
StoneyCurtisll March 14th, 2015 at 9:29 pm
Bingo~!
Even if Tom Cotton had set a cross ablaze in the front yard of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
The gang of 47 would have been in the bushes giggling right along with him..
Lolivas March 16th, 2015 at 5:54 pm
I have a feeling Cotton was gullible enough, stupid enough, and “green” enough to put his name on it. The others needed that first before they’d add their names.
allison1050 March 15th, 2015 at 6:56 pm
Let’s just say the boyz like to THINK that they’re men/adults.
Lolivas March 16th, 2015 at 5:53 pm
They are far from it Allison. I agree.
Lolivas March 16th, 2015 at 5:53 pm
Cotton was the poster child for this letter. It wasn’t a generally written letter. It was authored by him and numerous Republicans in damage control mode have implied that they rushed their signatures, didn’t read thoroughly, etc. It’s not like they all sat around a conference table and discussed this. Signatures were added by different senators at different times, etc.
Suzanne McFly March 16th, 2015 at 6:26 pm
So because the other Senators didn’t write it, you are dismissing their responsibilities for signing the letter? I am not sure what you are saying.
Lolivas March 16th, 2015 at 10:42 pm
It’s opinion either way but my gut tells me that Cotton put his name on it and became the “fall guy” and everyone else jumped on board and could more easily dismiss. Have the other Senators been on the Sunday shows?
Suzanne McFly March 17th, 2015 at 7:13 pm
Okay, now I understand what your point is. Of course McCain is already jumping ship, but like you said, Cotton has to go down on the Titanic.
Lolivas March 19th, 2015 at 6:23 pm
Yes, exactly. Cotton is a NeoCon to the 10th degree and he blends his military image with his tea party aggression and I suspect it didn’t take much prodding to get him to “volunteer” and double down. What cracks me up is that he has ZERO credibility. He’s been in Congress for a whopping 60 days. I don’t think many in the administration take him seriously but it’ll be interesting to see how much damage he did to negotiations .
Suzanne McFly March 20th, 2015 at 6:33 am
I think he associated himself with the likes of cruz and it is hard to take any of them seriously. He will have to work very hard to become credible again, I hope he lives to regret what he did.
NW10 March 14th, 2015 at 8:27 pm
The “spineless Dem” meme has been debunked by Milt Shook and is seriously getting old:
http://pleasecutthecrap.com/professional-lefties-should-stop-patting-themselves-on-the-back/
http://pleasecutthecrap.com/why-didnt-democratic-voters-vote-youre-kidding-right/
arc99 March 14th, 2015 at 8:31 pm
Alison Lundergan Grimes refusing to definitively state whether or not she voted for President Obama is not a “meme”. It is a fact.
And in my opinion, a textbook example of the spinelessness of which the author speaks.
NW10 March 14th, 2015 at 8:33 pm
It was completely irrelevant, just as Hillary’s emails are irrelevant. What’s more important is if she and other blue dogs won, they would’ve had the majority and would’ve been able to get things done. It’s getting obsessed over irrelevant minutiae like that which is why we continue to lose in the midterms.
nola878 March 14th, 2015 at 8:42 pm
Gotta disagree, NW. The Dems need to show some balls…Grimes could have turned this into a great moment: “Of course I voted for Obama. Next dumb question?”
arc99 March 14th, 2015 at 8:45 pm
A -bleepin- men
allison1050 March 15th, 2015 at 6:54 pm
smiles
jasperjava March 14th, 2015 at 8:42 pm
They didn’t win, that’s the point. They didn’t win because they pursued a gutless strategy of distancing themselves from the President and his accomplishments. If Grimes had come out and said, “damn right I voted for President Obama! He is way better than Romney!” she would have gotten some respect, instead of looking like a weasel.
alpacadaddy March 15th, 2015 at 12:32 pm
I wholeheartedly agree about the Grimes-ACA-Kynect fiasco. True she was in an uphill battle with KY’s conservative base, however it was disheartening to see McTurtle’s blatent lie about Kynect go completely unchallenged. His preposterous claim that Kynect was ‘just a website’ that was completely unrelated to ACA and medicare expansion was completely disingenuous. By not calling out his deliberate misinformation she ignored an opportunity to educate her constituents and correct some of the ‘I Like ACA but Hate O-Care’ attitude that the Rebags cultivated through lies & propaganda, and thus allowed his smarmy McHalf-truth to stand.
arc99 March 14th, 2015 at 8:44 pm
Then clearly we disagree. I think Grimes’ antics are extremely relevant to the discussion about people staying home and not voting.
If Democratic candidates do not unequivocally support the Democratic agenda why should people make an effort to vote for them, given the difficulty some in our base have in getting out to vote as noted by the author in the article you cite.
Lolivas March 16th, 2015 at 5:50 pm
Cowering from accomplishments of Obama namely reduction in deficit against GDP, consistent job growth in the private sector lowering unemployment to well under 6 % at that time, and oodles more examples of why if anything they should have aligned themselves, not distanced was and is a poor representation to voters. Why would voters vote at all if their party candidates are pulling that kind of nonsense?
arc99 March 14th, 2015 at 8:27 pm
Actually it was not 36.3% of Americans who voted them in, it was a simple majority of that 36.3% who voted for the GOP. So let’s say it was 19-20% of Americans who actually voted for Republicans.
In my opinion, the Democratic voters who stayed home are just as much to blame, if not more so than the Alison Lundergan Grimes and Mary Landrieus of the world who were foolish enough to think that distancing themselves from the President was in any way a winning strategy.
Ms. Grimes will never be a Senator. Mary Landrieu is now a former Senator. I will never understand how or why Grimes who happened to be competing in a state (Kentucky) which has arguably the most popular and most successful Obamacare program called Kynect, did not effectively communicate the message that without Obamacare there is no Kynect.
Mitch McConnell’s blatant lie that somehow Kynect could continue if the ACA was repealed, went essentially unchallenged. As a result, Mr. McConnell is Senate Majority Leader and Ms. Grimes is another failed political candidate. Believe me I shed no tears for the gutless Democratic candidates who lost in 2014 trying to be GOP-lite. Good riddance. We can and should do a lot better.
NW10 March 14th, 2015 at 8:32 pm
so than the Alison Lundergan Grimes and Mary Landrieus of the world
who were foolish enough to think that distancing themselves from the
President was in any way a winning strategy.
Ms. Grimes will never
be a Senator. Mary Landrieu is now a former Senator. I will never
understand how or why Grimes who happened to be competing in a state
(Kentucky) which has arguably the most popular and most successful
Obamacare program called Kynect, did not effectively communicate the
message that without Obamacare there is no Kynect.
Milt Shook debunks that BS here:
http://pleasecutthecrap.com/why-didnt-democratic-voters-vote-youre-kidding-right/
As for “shedding no tears” for the blue dogs that lost, you are aware that they got replaced by Teabaggers correct? Cotton replaced Pryor, in what way is that a POSITIVE? Landrieu was replaced by a bagger, in what way is that a POSITIVE?
Calling Democrats “gutless” and “GOP lite” is exactly why turnout is lower during midterms. FFS, there’s enough negativity from the Republicans regarding Democrats, we don’t need it coming from the left side of the aisle.
BTW, there are no such things as “GOP lite.” Notice that not a single blue dog of those who are left signed the letter by Cotton? Not even the far left’s favorite whipping boy Manchin signed it, and also notice not a single blue dog ever voted to shut down the government or default on the debt, whereas you had recently as 155 Republicans vote to default on the debt.
arc99 March 14th, 2015 at 8:53 pm
Again I would strongly disagree. A Democratic candidate who lacks the conviction to unequivocally state that she voted for the President is I think far more responsible for low turnout than those of us who express disappointment at their lack of conviction.
Lolivas March 16th, 2015 at 5:47 pm
I think they both are poor strategical blunders.
StoneyCurtisll March 14th, 2015 at 9:25 pm
‘Actually it was not 36.3% of Americans who voted them in, it was a
simple majority of that 36.3% who voted for the GOP. So let’s say it
was 19-20% of Americans who actually voted for Republicans”.
Thank you for beating me and making that point~!
Lolivas March 16th, 2015 at 5:46 pm
The citing of the 36.3 reflects the pathetic overall turnout of total voters and how “America has spoken” uttered by victorious GOP Senators and Congressmen is misleading given that 72 yr. low turnout of voters.
Warman1138 March 15th, 2015 at 8:43 am
Media, especially at local level is a big influence, if your newspapers, radio and television are filled with nothing but conservatives, don’t be surprised if an election goes their way. If a lie is repeated often enough, sooner or later enough people will believe the lie.The Pre WW2 Nazi party perfected and applied it very well with domination of print and radio. The GOP has learned this lesson very well and corporate control of media reflects this. A two party system doesn’t help either, forcing those who choose to vote into picking a perceived lessor of two evils. There are two casualties in the political struggles of America and the world at large today………the people…….and truth.
Lolivas March 16th, 2015 at 5:34 pm
But what happened to the Dem voters? I hope they don’t watch Fox unless it’s Megyn Kelly but the few times I watch her I turn the volume down.
William March 16th, 2015 at 11:03 pm
“don’t watch Fox unless it’s Megyn Kelly but the few times I watch her I turn the volume down”
You’re not alone.
Lolivas March 16th, 2015 at 11:25 pm
I think Fox is pretty lame obviously but…um…..I agree William. Thanks for the visual.
oldfart March 15th, 2015 at 10:41 am
this is what happens when people wont go to vote.
while republican voters were fed a 24 hour non-stop diet of isis, ebola and ODS.
the democratic party said don’t worry they’re all too crazy to get elected…
but send in your donations now and pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.
Lolivas March 16th, 2015 at 5:32 pm
I would argue that the apathy of voters wasn’t helped by the ridiculous running away from Obama by the majority of Democrats who wouldn’t stand for liberal ideals and accomplishments.
Warman1138 March 16th, 2015 at 7:33 pm
Fear of the media makes them skittish, the same happened to the GOP with Bush.
Boehner-Monkey March 16th, 2015 at 6:30 pm
~~it’s time to put on makeup, it’s time to dress up right..::tuba:: ~~~
~~it’s time for Whitecastle burgers, it’s time for Doctor Seuss~~