America Voted for Dysfunctional Government

Last week, Obama said that America voted "for a divided government, not a dysfunctional government."  I have to disagree, Mr. President.  The current debt debacle is exactly what we voted for.  People just weren't paying attention at the time.

Every person in Congress was voted in by the American people.  That includes 87 Tea Party Republicans, who promised a litany of things like cutting spending and not being politicians.  They pride themselves on having strong convictions on which they will not compromise.  The problem is a politician has to compromise.  Otherwise, nothing gets done.  That IS how the system works.  When no one compromises, nothing happens.  many of them specifically promised they were going to oppose the Democrats at every turn, and that's exactly what they've been doing.

People voted for this.  People heard "less taxes," "less spending," and "less government waste," but they didn't bother asking how this was going to get done, and they ignored the fact that their candidates were going to all but shut down government efficiency.

The Tea Party wants to make this a budget argument, but the budget has already passed.  Promises have been made.  Bills have have been accrued.   The debt ceiling is not about budget; it's about paying our debts.  Should we be talking about budgets?  Absolutely, but not right now.  Right now we have to figure out how we're going to pay for the budget already passed.  That's what the dept-ceiling argument is about.

But the Tea Party is holding the discussion hostage.  They want to talk budgets, and they will not let us pay our bills until we promise them things about the budget....including promising to pass a Constitutional amendment concerning balanced budgets.  Not just consider an amendment - pass it.  Constitutional amendments have to be voted on by the people.  Our government simply cannot promise an amendment will pass.  It was that impossible demand that killed the Boehner bill this week: not because the Democrats are big, uncompromising meanies, but because that condition is simply impossible.

But the Tea Party doesn't seem to get that.  They want an amendment, so they demand an amendment, regardless of how these things are actually done.  This is civics class 101, folks, just like debt limits are economy 101.  So they hand the Senate an impossible to fulfill bill, the Senate shoots it down, and the Tea Party wails that they passed a solution while the Democrats killed it.  Thus our lack of a solution is the fault of the Democrats.

The fault is also, they say, at the feet of President Obama.  Rep. Michelle Bachmann calls it a failure of leadership, even though she refused to support even Boehner's plan, a member of her own party.  Is she really blaming Obama for not providing an even more conservative plan than that suggested by her conservative party?

And let's make something very clear: legislation is not the job of the President.  He is the Executive Branch.  Congress is the Legislative Branch.  He can talk with people, he can start discussions, he can suggest ideas, but introducing bills isn't his job.

We have bills to pay.  A lot of us don't like how big those bills are getting, but that isn't the issue of the moment.  The issue is how we're going to pay.  I don't like my credit card statement some months, but that doesn't mean I should just refuse to pay it until I straighten out my spending habits.

And let's spend just a moment reflecting the recent history of our habits.  President Clinton balanced our budget.  We were actually paying down our debt.  Then 9/11 happened and we went to war...and for the first time in history, we didn't raise taxes to support those wars.  Indeed, we lowered them.  Republicans raised expenditures.  Republicans lowered taxes....lowered them to the lowest rates since George Bush Sr., whose rates were the lowest since 1931.  And the Republicans have fought tooth and nail to keep military expenditures high, while continuing to drive down tax rates.

And American keeps falling for it, voting for people who promise safety, security and low taxes, without asking how the hell we're going to actually fiscally fulfill such promises.

So, Congress, please pay our debts so our country doesn't become the national equivalent to a deadbeat dad.  Stop arguing about the multitude of things that aren't actually the issue at this exact moment.  Put on your big boy pants and grow the hell up.

And, America, wake up.  Next election, listen to more than the sound bites and the negative advertisements and start asking yourself the hard questions, like whether your candidate will actually get something done in Washington or merely march around and bluster.