If you’ve spent much time on this site it would not surprise you to hear me say that the present “makeup” of the republican party pretty much repulses me.  The United States is spiraling toward second class status and the republicans are doing everything they can to impede the workings of our government in a way that allows themselves to cement POWER via a constant ATTACK on anyone in leadership who represents the democratic party.  They clearly stated their number one goal as President Obama was inaugurated; and it was his FAILURE.  They’ve done everything they possibly can to OBSTRUCT every initiative Obama would support.  That is, if he’s “for it” they are automatically “against it.”

Take for example the Affordable Care Act, popularly referred to as “Obamacare.”  The basic structure of this legislation comes right out of the Heritage Foundation (a right wing “think tank”) and mirrors the plan put forth in Massachusetts by none other than Mitt Romney when he was the governor there.  Of course, even Romney – when he was running against President Obama in 2012 – bought into repealing “Obamacare” despite him being the proponent of a similar plan in Massachusetts.  The Reason?: Of course, the reason is that no republican can succeed without pandering to the puppet masters (ie Koch Brothers, Rush Limbaugh, Fox “news,”).  As I’ve stated many times here, the republicans are following the propaganda scheme of Joseph Goebbels – “The Big Lie Theory” – that if you repeat a lie often enough people will believe it’s true.  This theory has proven so successful in America that, apparently, the American people accept that their politicians are partisan liars without the slightest bit of impunity.  Yuck!!!

(For the record, I’m not a great fan of “Obamacare” myself.  I would definitely support “Medicare for all” – you know, the Medicare republicans are busy trying to destroy – so, I’m not holding my breath in anticipation.  Even if they would work with the other side to “fix” Obamacare, I would consider a miracle had happened.  Do you remember the “public option?” Republicans – along with Joseph Lieberman – made sure the private insurance companies didn’t have to compete with “that” – you know, a government program that actually works)

So, the reason for these thoughts today is that, on my way home from work, I listened in to the republican prosecution of Hillary Clinton regarding the attack on the American State Department compound in Benghazi, Libya in 2012 where Ambassador Chris Stevens and three others were killed by Libyan terrorists.  This charade reminds me of the endless Whitewater hearings during the Clinton administration when Mrs. Clinton’s husband was president.  Obviously, the republicans fear Mrs. Clinton regarding her candidacy for president in 2016 and they’ve been on the attack for at least two years now.  This partisan WASTE of taxpayer money makes me sick to my stomach.  As the representative from my home state (Washington) pointed out, accurately, there wasn’t close to this level of scrutiny on the 9/11 terrorist  attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. (Dick Cheney was too busy “convincing” GW Bush to destabilize the world by invading the sovereign nation of Iraq)

Again, if you’ve been around here much lately, you know that I’m a fan (I’ve sent him money) of Bernie Sanders.  I believe the New Deal of the Roosevelt administration planted the “seeds” for the greatest middle class in the history of the world.  It’s the same middle class which has been constantly “pruned” by the right wing republicans who’ve been (masterfully) gaining more and more of a stranglehold on this government they supposedly hate since the 1970’s.  To me, Hillary Clinton is not the person I would get excited to support for president.  However, as I watch these hearings I’m gaining more respect for her and I get the sense that if the republicans are going to this extent to defeat her, I need to reconsider supporting her.  Clearly, it’s the republicans – in the present make-up of the party (there was a day when I could respect many republicans – like Eisenhower, Dirksen, Rockefeller, Javits, and others) – that have to go if “we the people” are going to reclaim the fundamental values of this nation that so many, today, take for granted (and, don’t have a clue as to what happened to create them.  For example, the 40 hour work week, child labor laws, Social Security, Medicare, unemployment insurance, minimum wages, workplace safety, food safety, environmental safety, etc. etc.).

The reality of what the republicans are doing is virtually guaranteeing that Hillary Clinton will be the democratic nominee for president in 2016.  I’ve been thinking, are they doing this on purpose?  Are they afraid of Bernie Sanders? (I would think they’d be trying to help him get the nomination so they could lambaste a “communist.”)  Are these guys so stupid that in their zealous attempt to discredit Mrs. Clinton they turn her into a national hero?  Obviously, she showed a complex understanding of the workings of our government as this committee forced her to explain some reality to them that someone like me thought they would be aware of themselves based on their standing in government.  Obviously, for example, several of the members of the republican side of the committee had little expertise on the workings of the State Department and other important aspects of government.

As I’m pondering all this, I can’t keep the thoughts of republican reality from my head – not only are they propping up Mrs. Clinton their “base” is propping up Donald Trump and Ben Carson.  My thoughts on that “reality:” Are you kidding me?  Donald Trump as President?  Ben Carson as President?  Yikes!!!  Do these people really think that America is so “great” that the rest of the world doesn’t see what is happening here?  Maybe the republicans WANT another “Great Depression” – I keep thinking that the “invisible puppet masters” would probably be able to profit even more off a great disaster like that.  Maybe they are so angry with President Obama because he managed somehow to “head off” that type of disaster following the debacle of the Bush/Cheney regime that they’re attempting to push someone worst than Bush/Cheney on us.  George W Bush was so incompetent as President you would think they’d try to find someone who could actually govern – at least that’s my thinking.  (apologies to my good friend who continues to believe GW to be a good man who was blindsided – my term – by Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld – which, to an extent, I agree with) However, I, myself, might be totally caught up in the “trap” they’ve been setting for all of us – all along.

Could it be that those pulling the strings behind the scene have been wishing an economic national disaster on the rest of us all along.  (ie – Trump or Carson for President????)  Clearly, they’re targeting Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, unemployment insurance, the minimum wage, environmental protections, worker safety laws, food safety laws, and, I’m sure, many other aspects of the New Deal “thinkers.” I do find it odd that they argue for their “tax cuts for the wealthy” by claiming that “entitlements” are “out of control.”  (for example, claiming Social Security is the cause of the burgeoning deficit problem)  You NEVER hear them arguing that our defense department – which receives a budget that surpasses the defense budgets of the rest of the world COMBINED – is the budget issue that is out of control and, the more we spend on it, the less “safe” we get.  ‘

Of course, you wouldn’t hear them making that argument, because the plundering of our taxpayers is largely connected to the largess of the defense department’s seemingly unlimited budget.  When’s the last time you heard our congress complaining about money intended for WAR?  Food stamps are causing us to go broke and our HUGE cost overruns on military equipment that is outdated and not even wanted by the military has nothing to do with the problem, if you listen to these people.  Should “things” continue on the present course the American economy will be bankrupted and “we the people” will still be arguing whether it was caused by abortion, LGBT rights, Social Security, Medicare, President Obama, Hillary (and Bill) Clinton, democrats, gun laws, – I’ll be arguing it’s the republicans – and who knows who or what other “wedgies” will be blamed.  All the while those who have “bought” people like the Representatives who created the charade of the Benghazi inquisition are “laughing all the way to the bank.” (I’m not even convinced that the recipients of the money doled out by the invisible “cabal” I often refer to, even know what the REAL agenda is or who the real perpetrators are)

I have a good friend who is a lifelong voting republican with libertarian philosophical views who I have breakfast with most weekends.  He’s a “right wing” Christian and I’m a “liberal” Christian.  We have some interesting discussions and we see things from almost polar opposite directions (except for Jesus).  However, we always have a great dialogue and we learn from each others different perspective.  In fact, this morning I’m pretty sure I heard him say he may have to vote for Bernie Sanders (:o).  In our discussion we talked about the frustration that our “leaders” are unable to have constructive dialogue (similar to our own – it is, we believe, therefore possible) resulting in positive leadership – that would include COMPROMISE.  Both of us are deeply concerned about the nation we are leaving to our children and grandchildren.

I believe it took the emergence of Donald Trump as the republican “front runner” to get my friend to understand why I’ve been calling for the repeal of the present day republican party for years now.  When you consider that reality (Trump – or Carson for that matter – or, really, any of their candidates) with things like the Benghazi fiasco, the present state of WAR in the Middle East (and beyond – thanks to Cheney/Rumsfeld and the “neo-cons”), and the CONSTANT obstruction and dismantling of government by the “right wing,” it’s easy to see why republicans like my friend are reconsidering their allegiance. I have to add here that there’s no way my friend would vote for Hillary Clinton, so it was interesting how he reacted when I claimed that it could be that the Benghazi committee will be responsible for electing Hillary Clinton as president.  (From what I have been able to tell, since that hearing her poll numbers have gone way up – instead of their stated goal of knocking them down)