"We Have Nothing to Fear, But Incompetence and Venality in Government"

Obama as FDR: "We have Nothing to Offer But Fear Itself!"
The recent, partial shutdown of the federal government is focusing the nation's attention on a number of things. First, is the petty, vindictive and unnecessary closing of every open air memorial, roadside scenic overlook and even parking lots and roads to private businesses doing business on or nearby federal lands.

This is unprecedented. During the government shutdown of the 1990's, Bill Clinton did not find it necessary to make draconian closures of monuments and scenic turnouts. The Obama administration is barring people from merely driving by the Marine memorial, with its statue of Marines raising the flag at Iwo Jima, or stopping to look at Mt. Rushmore. Behind the slender fig leaf that the government is prohibited by law from spending money on keeping these sites open, the Obama administration is spending money we don't have to actively close them.

The good news is, is that while the government is at least partially shut down, people are getting sticker shock from Obamacare (those who actually manage to get through for a quote), the traditional 40 hour work week has been reduced to 29 for far too many people, who are unable to support themselves on one job, attempts are being made to turn elderly WWII veterans away from the nation's memorials, in Obama's name, and the President has managed to break away from his golf game long enough to weigh in on the most earth shaking threat to our nation, namely, whether the Washington Redskins should change their name! (No word yet on whether or not he will intervene in having the 'panda cam' turned back on at the National Zoo...)


The second thing, perhaps, is of even greater importance than the pettiness or vindictiveness of Obama in trying to maximize pain with the shutdown, and that is the process of how our government recklessly and carelessly spends our money. The current government impasse is over the funding of one and only one program: Obamacare. The Republicans are willing to fund every program in the "budget"*, save one. This in itself constitutes compromise with the Democrats over countless agencies and programs. Obama, Reid and Pelosi, on the other hand, want an all or nothing package, and refuse to negotiate, no matter what hardships might naturally be inflicted on the health or financial well being of the American public, plus whatever novel, petty and vindictive means they can come up with to further punish anyone who stands in their way. And blame Republicans, of course. It is almost comical the lengths that Obama will go to to negotiate with dictators and tinhorn rulers of third world nations who mean the US nothing but harm, but cannot find it in himself to negotiate with fellow Americans over differences in policy.

The President and his lackeys have all re-bleated the argument that the budget cannot be passed piecemeal, despite the fact that The President himself has signed at least one "piecemeal" budgetary measure protecting the paychecks of military personnel, and then... bragged about it! What's wrong with an up or down vote on each and every federal agency or program worthy of funding, or receiving the amount of funds it does in times of hardship and deficit?

Dim Bulb Nancy Pelosi is of the opinion, stated publicly, that there is absolutely nothing left to cut in the federal budget. "There are no more cuts to make", she bleats. Really, Nancy?? No duplicate programs, no waste, no fraud...My! The US government must have become a virtual Utopia under Barack Hussein Obama. Hardly! And is Obamacare, with its thousands of pages of law and thousands of pages of regulations, so perfect that no detail or aspect can be brought under scrutiny? Every tax in the act, like those on medical devices, and every provision, like forcing Americans abroad to buy insurance that will do them no good in the country in which they live, are now sacrosanct, because they were passed in the dead of night, by a single party and is now "the law of the land"? I don't know about you, but nearly in nearly every election, on every ballot I receive, there is a measure on it, changing, modifying or replacing some "law of the land". Was Obamacare given to us on 20,000 stone tablets at Mt. Sinai that is should be eternally unchanged?

Candidate Obama, in 2008, promised that he would go through the budget line by line to eliminate waste, fraud and unnecessary expenses. Can you name any one program, other than the military, that Obama has cut in the last five years? Any program at all??? Do you expect any sane person to believe that Obama recognized areas to cut in 2008, but not one of them was cut and yet somehow Nancy Pelosi announces in 2013 that they don't exist? Are these people lying or delusional (or both)??

If it's good enough for Senator Obama, it should be good enough for the country: Why not go through the budget line by line? Make every department justify their existence before they receive another dime in federal money. Isn't that the job of government? To determine the wise and just use of federal funds? Simply throwing all of the nation's spending eggs in one basket, allows for bills laden with pork, rewarding special interests at the expense of the American taxpayer, passing budgets laden with fraud and waste, which, as Obama likes to say, hold the taxpayer and the nation hostage, if they are not passed in their entirety. What's wrong with spending taxpayer money in a careful, prudent and responsible manner? Have these people got someplace more important they need to be, other than doing the people's business?

Here's an idea. Since the American people aren't even allowed to look at our national parks and monuments while they drive by, (God forbid they should actually pull off to the side of the road a gawk for a minute), how about we zero out any line items for presidential vacations...and golf games...and fundraisers...and concerts and galas at the White House, until America is back at work and the budget is balanced? Let's ask Barry Beach House to forgo his next trip to Martha's Vineyard, or Vegas, or Hawaii, or his next couple hundred golf outings, and attempt to lead America by example for a change?

I know. I have a dream!



*Actually, a "continuing resolution". Congress hasn't passed an actual budget since 2009. Every time Obama wags his tongue or finger at "Congress" for not "doing their job", or uses the word "budget", you might remind yourself exactly how many times he has admonished Harry Reid for not bringing up any budget passed by the House, for a vote in the Senate? (Zero) Passing a budget, of course, would illustrate just how much more Obama wants to spend, than expected revenues, and exactly where the money would be spent.

Original art work created for Proof Positive by John Cox
Cross posted at LCR