Enough

I’ve purposely kept quiet about the government shut down for the same reason I never name the perpetrators of mass killings.  I don’t want to call attention to criminals.   There is no other word to describe the political “debate” which has permeated Washington since being ushered in during the Clinton administration.  I think its part and parcel of the information age where each self serving politician is looking for that one sound byte that will propel him higher.

Friends have been ending me their views from both sides of the political spectrum but as with all recent American political views they usually comes from either the far right or the far left, symptomatic of the polarization that is the true Clinton legacy. 

One of those friends forwarded a well thought out piece which captured what I thought about the whole mess.  While Obama and the left can writhe and posture about the actions taken by the House of Representatives I think this is an interesting take.  One must remember that the current House of Representatives was elected in the aftermath of Obamacare passage, almost in response to it.  Now they are being pilloried by the president and his cronies for exerting their constitutional power reflecting the will of the people who elected them.  There is a separation of power under our constitution and the only way government will work is through negotiation and compromise.  Compromises are only arrived at through negotiation which President Obama steadfastly refuses to do.  The media seems to cast an unfair amount of blame at the House while Saint Barack is portrayed as the victim.  Both sides need to figure out how to govern because even well into his second term Obama hasn’t.

The forwarded article: 

“Even when it comes to something as basic, and apparently as simple and straightforward, as the question of who shut down the federal government, there are diametrically opposite answers, depending on whether you talk to Democrats or to Republicans.

There is really nothing complicated about the facts. The Republican-controlled House of Representatives voted all the money required to keep all government activities going -- except for ObamaCare.
This is not a matter of opinion. You can check the Congressional Record.
As for the House of Representatives' right to grant or withhold money, that is not a matter of opinion either. You can check the Constitution of the United States. All spending bills must originate in the House of Representatives, which means that Congressmen there have a right to decide whether or not they want to spend money on a particular government activity.
Whether ObamaCare is good, bad or indifferent is a matter of opinion. But it is a matter of fact that members of the House of Representatives have a right to make spending decisions based on their opinion.
ObamaCare is indeed "the law of the land," as its supporters keep saying, and the Supreme Court has upheld its Constitutionality.
But the whole point of having a division of powers within the federal government is that each branch can decide independently what it wants to do or not do, regardless of what the other branches do, when exercising the powers specifically granted to that branch by the Constitution.
The hundreds of thousands of government workers who have been laid off are not idle because the House of Representatives did not vote enough money to pay their salaries or the other expenses of their agencies -- unless they are in an agency that would administer ObamaCare.
Since we cannot read minds, we cannot say who -- if anybody -- "wants to shut down the government." But we do know who had the option to keep the government running and chose not to. The money voted by the House of Representatives covered everything that the government does, except for ObamaCare.
The Senate chose not to vote to authorize that money to be spent, because it did not include money for ObamaCare. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says that he wants a "clean" bill from the House of Representatives, and some in the media keep repeating the word "clean" like a mantra. But what is unclean about not giving Harry Reid everything he wants?
If Senator Reid and President Obama refuse to accept the money required to run the government, because it leaves out the money they want to run ObamaCare, that is their right. But that is also their responsibility.
You cannot blame other people for not giving you everything you want. And it is a fraud to blame them when you refuse to use the money they did vote, even when it is ample to pay for everything else in the government.
When Barack Obama keeps claiming that it is some new outrage for those who control the money to try to change government policy by granting or withholding money, that is simply a bald-faced lie. You can check the history of other examples of "legislation by appropriation" as it used to be called.
Whether legislation by appropriation is a good idea or a bad idea is a matter of opinion. But whether it is both legal and not unprecedented is a matter of fact.”

The New Stooges

Enough of that for now, as I’m sure my Cantankerous Friend is gearing up to fire a telling broadside from the outraged political left at my temerity to question the sacred ground trod upon by our president. 

Detroit Come on Down and Face the Power of the Beards

The Sox learned last night that they’ll be facing the Detroit Tigers in the Championship Series.  I like this match up much better than the Oakland team that Detroit vanquished.  Detroit is the more veteran team with a lot better starting pitching but when I saw the Sox playing these two over the past season I always thought they matched up better against Detroit.  It’ll be a fun series to watch and the Sox have already exceeded all expectations – we are into pure gravy territory.

Uphill Construction Progress

The two construction projects around the house seem to be rushing towards completion getting the houses buttoned up before the inevitable New England winter.  As my wife and I drive up out driveway last night we saw lights on in the downhill house for the first time.

Downhill Construction Progress - Lights Are On

I am so ready for this weekend.

Playoff Beard Day 12