I continue to wait for that LEADER to emerge from the “left” who has the guts to take on the establishment which is becoming even more entrenched as I write this piece.  Not only am I seeing more signs of democrats “caving” into republican whims, but I’m also seeing almost frightening signs of the democrats anxiety about holding republicans accountable for their misdeeds – which are probably felonies, but I guess we’ll never know because our policy since the election of Barack Obama is to “look forward instead of back.”  That policy led to Obama essentially pardoning the Bush/Cheney administrtation for illegal wiretapping, outing a CIA agent, politicizing the Justice Department, refusing to answer subpoenas to congress, initiating an illegal and unwarranted WAR, and authorizing TORTURE – just to mention the most noticeable transgressions.  So, I guess it will be no surprise when Eric Cantor is allowed to BLATANTLY violate the Logan Act by ASSURING the Prime Minister of Israel that he will make sure the republican congress sides with Israel AGAINST a sitting US President in American foreign policy.  His exact words were that the republcan congress would act as a “check” on the policies of the Obama administration.  Translated, that means Cantor is assuring Israel that the republicans will continue to do everything they can to undermine Obama and he’s assuring Netanyahu (Israel’s PM) they’ll support Israel in any dispute because ” the security of each nation is reliant upon the other.” (which is total Bull S#@% on it’s face – we would be just fine without Israel!)

Are these republicans going to continue DARING Obama to “man up” until he actually takes bold, firm action?  Are they indirectly trying to help him gather the courage necessary to do this job?  I’m not sure, but it’s WAY PAST the time to DRAW THE LINE!  Let me quote the website “Media with a Conscience” – “What Eric Cantor did on November 10th was illegal. He broke the law. The Law he boasted about violating is known as the Logan Act. This act makes it a felony for an American citizen ‘without authority of the United States’ to interact ‘with any foreign government or any officer or agent thereof’ with the intent to influence that government’s behavior on any disputes with the United States.”  This is the same Eric Cantor who claimed Nancy Pelosi should be subject to the Logan Act in 2007 when she met with President Assad of Syria (with the full knowledge of and approval of the US State Department).  She made no offers to Assad regarding disputes with America – therefore OK – and Cantor’s visit with Netanyahu was without any official sanction whatsoever – therefore a felony!  Simply put, he was simply blowing off his mouth and making an already EXTREMELY difficult situation (which was made unbelievably difficult by the actions of the previous republican administration) even MORE difficult (which hardly seems possible).  I believe you could go so far as to call Cantor’s actions TREASONOUS!

Hillary Clinton and President Obama have been gallantly trying to rejuvenate the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.  What might the damage done by Cantor be – who knows?  But, just the idea that these republican leaders continue to brazenly try to undermine a sitting U.S. President is getting a bit too much for me.  Personally, I care too much for the future of my children and grandchildren to think that destroying this nation so we can be assured we won’t have another Black President anytime soon is an acceptable political strategy ….. obviously, those affiliated with Cantor, Beck, Limbaugh, etc. would disagree!  Come on now, I’m not at all that happy with a lot of what Obama is doing, but I still believe in the process and I believe we are “a nation of laws and not men.”  My deepest disappointment in Obama was his pardoning of Bush/Cheney.  Because of that we’ll never know much of the mischief they were up to.  We’ve already had a major mine disaster and major oil spill that trace right back to the lax regulatory policies of Bush/Cheney, our former president is selling his book by BRAGGING that he authorized WATERBOARDING and that it was legal because some hand picked lawyer told him so, and now we have Cantor assuring Israel that the republicans have their “backs” in any dispute with the president – the man they are going to make sure FAILS!  Is this all a bad dream?  Can this be happening in America?

Here’s what is likely to be continued frustration for the rest of the year.  Remember, until January the democrats STILL have a significant majority in congress.  There is a lot they could get done which would make up for some of the timid behavior of the past 4 years.  However, I honestly don’t think they have it in them.  I’m beginning to think that the demcrats in congress need to be replaced – and, as I stated in my previous post – if Obama “caves” on the “Bush Tax Cuts” which is seeming more and more possible each passing day – the democrats need to find another nominee in 2012.  What could they do you ask?  Well, for starters, they could MAKE SURE that the 99ers are taken care of.  The unemployment benefits for those unable to find work for the past two years is running out.  And, despite Sharron Angle’s claims to the contrary, most of these people aren’t NOT working because they’re lazy – the truth is they can’t find work.  They need support which would include extended benefits and retraining in many instances.

Then there’s the so-called “Bush Tax Cuts.”  As I’ve been stating since Obama took office, I believe they should have been repealed – ALL OF THEM!  I “get” why they don’t want to repeal the tax cuts which affect people like me – I spend the money, it puts money into the economy and due to our economy being consumer driven, it’s important that consumers have money to spend.  However, I’m really tired of the “right wingers” clamoring for more tax cuts and at the same time complaining about the deficit.  The Bush Tax Cuts were instrumental in creating the HUGE deficits of the past 10 years.  If you’re reading this I don’t have to remind you that Bush’s tax cuts took a 250 BILLION dollar surplus and almost instantaneously turned it into the largest annual budget deficits in the history of this nation!  To top it off, Bush/Cheney BORROWED every cent for the Iraq and Afganistan occupations and kept almost $200 BILLION off the books each year by using supplemental budget requests.  The reality was that Bush/Cheney STUCK Barack Obama with a $1.2 TRILLION annual deficit when he took office and an economy making deficit reduction nearly impossible without exacerbating the “Great Recession” Obama inherited.  The Bush Tax Cuts and the Wars in Iraq and Afganistan account for more than 50% of the record deficits and I, for one, would welcome the president eliminating all three albatrosses – although it is apparent he’s not going to do any of the “above” any time soon.  Therefore, the “progressive” hope has to be that he holds firm on eliminating the tax cuts “for the rich.”  (that is, those making in excess of $250,000 individually or $500,000 as a couple)  I’ve heard estimates as high as 80% of Americans favoring allowing the top tax rate to return to where they were under the Clinton administration, but, then, over 70% of America favored a PUBLIC OPTION in the healthcare reform debate, and Obama caved on that one.  The reality is that the republicans are going to FIGHT for those “tax cuts for the rich” even at the expense of eliminating the middle class Bush tax cuts – we’re fast approaching the moment of truth for Obama.  (The republicans have been proving for the past two years they can control Washington’s agenda whether in “power” or not)

Of course, the republicans will attempt to switch the debate to Obama RAISING TAXES on the middle class if he doesn’t cave – and they do have control of America’s “liberal media” – which is what I believe Obama and the democrats fear (that’s a topic for another post) – but, don’t you think it’s time the democrats start putting their collective heads together and figure out how to outsmart the repuclicans and all their shills?  I believe there’s a pent up anticipation for the day when the democrats FINALLY throw down the gauntlett and shout out “I’m mad as Hell and I’m not going to take this any more!”  The question then becomes, “what can they do?” to combat what will clearly be more republican obstructionism.  I say there’s a simple solution.  All funding issues begin in the House of Representatives which still has a significant democratic majority (until January) and ALL THEY HAVE TO DO is originate and pass a middle class tax cut in the House – which mirrors the so-called Bush tax cuts for those earning less than the above mentioned standard of $250,000 and send it to the senate.  Should the senate republicans choose to FILIBUSTER the bill, the democrats would have two options. 

First, (and the preferable one to me) would be to get out the cots and the TV cameras and force the republicans to do an old fashioned filibuster where they are forced to keep talking until they’re blue in the face – all the while in front of the American public which would be adversely affected if they would prevail (although, failure would considerably reduce the deficit) in stopping the “tax cuts for the middle class.”  And, the democrats would need to do a great job of framing the debate in exactly those words – the republicans blocking a tax cut for 98% of working Americans.  The second, and less favorable (to me) – but, probably more practical – option would be to pass the bill in the senate using reconciliation – EXACTLY how the republicans passed the initial Bush Tax Cuts in the first place.  Don’t even give them the option to vote on extending the tax cuts for those in the upper 2% of America’s workforce.  By taking this stand and forcing their will on this issue as a “parting shot” democrats could accomplish the most important success they need at this point in time.  They would be sending a message to their “base” that they are ready to do battle with the republicans and they “get” that the message from November 2nd isn’t for them to move even FARTHER to the “right” but, to begin the process of bringing America back toward the left where you’ll find her best years.  We need to strengthen America’s middle class before it’s too late.  For anyone who’s a baby boomer or older reading this – we’re fighting for our children’s and grandchildren’s futures.  We can’t allow this republican corporatocracy to return America to the days of the 1920’s when corporations and their elite feasted on the labor of America’s workers who were left with nothing but the scraps.  That situation is in NO ONE’S best interests – ultimately, even for the interests of the greedy corporate heads behind the repubican shills.

And this gets us back to republicans like Cantor who will do or say anything to gain “power” in their “cause.”  (whatever it might really be) These people have no scruples as to what comes out of their mouths – listen to a BUNCH of them on any particular day and you will hear the same CODE WORDS, designed to “catapult the propaganda” using the words of George W Bush, spewing from mulitiple mouths.  As if ten of them had the same crazy thought all at once.  They will push their agenda as far as the American public will allow, and listening to some of the “exit poll” data from November 2nd, they are effectively brainwashing America’s public.  It’s time for the battle to be “waged.”  The democrats really are looking like a bunch of whimps – and, as I’ve stated on this website many times – the one unforgivable trait for an American politician is showing “weakness.”  Bush/Cheney BLATANTLY violated one American law after another – confident the democrats didn’t have the guts to call them on it.  I thought Obama would surprise them – but, he surprised me and “looked forward.”  (in my mind, he looked the other way!)  Now, you’ve got a republican congressman committing what could arguably be called TREASON.  Here’s the reality as I see it, If Obama and the democrats allow Eric Cantor to BLATANTY violate the Logan Act without consequence we might as well look elsewhere for our leadership!  Nancy Pelosi took “impeachment off the table” when she took over as the Speaker of the House.  Do you really think the republicans will return the favor in kind?  The democrats “blinked” when investigations were warranted, now we’re about to get investigations on steroids in the republican controlled House exclusively aimed at undermining Obama’s Presidency.  Cantor’s actions, to me, are just one more example of republicans daring democrats to act like adults knowing ahead of time they don’t have what it takes to do so!