Down To The Wire

For the last few weeks, US citizens have gazed at the spectacle of our hobbled lawmakers unable to agree on the issue of raising this nation's debt ceiling. In the recent past, this type of legislation was so commonplace that previous representatives and Senators practically rubber-stamped the one-page legislation with very little second thought. But something has changed in the fiber of this great (maybe, once-great) nation.

Now, there is a President who is a Democrat, but also a man of color, the first one elected to the Presidency. And there are also hate-mongers out there, who think nothing of proclaiming open disrespect for the man who serves in this office. I do not remember ever hearing hateful heckling of a US President before it happened to President Barack O'Bama, a man for whom I voted because of what he stood for.

There is also a prominent fundamentalist right wing group of Republicans who have misread the sentiment of the American people. They have been open about their desire to dismantle the mechanism of government, laws, and programs that have existed for decades. They will stop at nothing to thrust their views at the American people. All of this has come to rest on the issue of raising this country's debt ceiling.



So, within our legislative bodies, where compromise has been the hallmark of law-making, this legislative minority has held this great nation hostage while they dig in their heels and vote, "No, no, no..." until the vast majority caves in. What do they want? Nothing less than gutting Social Security, ditching Medicare and Medicaid, dismantling all EPA laws, massive tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires. Although the hazards of actually agreeing to their stipulations is beyond the scope of this entry, suffice it to say, that their wish list would pull this country's safety net from underneath those vulnerable individuals who most need it.

So, while we all watch this country sinking under the possibility of its first known credit default, those busy Republican tea party members watch clips from The Town, then manage to vote for a proposal that they already know is unacceptable to the Senate, the President, and the majority of US citizens. So much for wasted time and effort. How about voting on that one-page raise the debt ceiling piece of paper that is all that is really needed to resolve this situation? The voters are watching and waiting!