Crisis in the Federal Courts

Another example of the effect of irresponsible, intransigent ideological posturing now substituting for rational governance in Congress. They ignore their oaths and placate uneducated minorities while driven by self-aggrandizement or sitting in cowardly obstructionism.  We would do well with our own "American Spring" movement. 

"The nation’s independent federal court system, though hardly perfect, is central to American democracy and the rule of law. Its current crisis was created by Washington politicians, and Washington politicians hold the power to solve it. The letter from the judges asks that Congress approve the $496 million increase in funding for the judiciary recently approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee even if a continuing budget resolution is enacted this fall keeping government spending at its current level.

That would be the reasonable thing to do, even though reason is in short supply in today’s Washington."

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/26/opinion/federal-courts-in-crisis.html?_r=0

Second Amendment Remedies for Traitors

No guts. No rationality. No integrity. No assault rifle ban. Congress, a failure in all but hypocrisy.
These are merely citizens exercising "Second Amendment Remedies."

From the article: "last August ... Aguigui, 21, recruited and led a group of disgruntled Army soldiers who plotted attacks ranging from bombing a park fountain in Savannah to poisoning apple crops in Washington state. They said the group also wanted to assassinate an American president, though prosecutors never specified if the target was President Barack Obama."

The article continues: "Prosecutors said Aguigui used the insurance payments from his wife's death to buy $87,000 worth of semi-automatic assault rifles, other guns and bomb-making materials recovered by investigators."

http://www.military.com/daily-news/2013/04/05/soldier-charged-in-killing-of-pregnant-wife.html?ESRC=eb.nl

Crisis vs. Campaign

The descriptions are frightening to some and seriously troubling to all. “Financial meltdown,” "the most serious financial situation since the Depression,” “crisis” seem to be the milder terms. The Secretary of the Treasury and the Chairman of the Federal Reserve are quoted as saying the situation, if not immediately addressed, could have dire consequences for our Wall Street as well as international markets. They also assert that, unaddressed, the situation would directly harm an American’s ability to maintain her home, his job and savings.

Senator Obama’s staffers contacted the McCain campaign staffers this morning and proposed a joint declaration of principles on the crisis by the candidates which would be presented to Congress and the Bush Administration. Senator McCain called back and, apparently speaking directly with Sen. Obama, agreed with the proposal. Sen. Obama showed initiative and Sen. McCain showed a willingness to adopt a reasonable proposal, even from an opponent.

Later, Senator McCain announced that he was suspending his campaign and returning to Washington to engage in the resolution of congressional/Administration efforts. In this announcement he asked Sen. Obama to do the same and join him in meeting directly with the President to help resolve the differences between the Administration’s proposal and congressional objections. McCain asked that the debate scheduled for Friday on foreign policy, perceived by a vast majority of knowledgeable people to be a McCain strength, be postponed. McCain’s campaign also announced that he had directed all campaign media efforts on his behalf to cease while this suspension continued. Senator Obama has rejected the McCain concept and said that the joint proposal would be sufficient to get their points across and that the American people were anxious to see the debate. Up until moments ago Democrats, Speaker Pelosi included, today (N.P.R. interview) spoke of a substantial gap between the Administration and Congress. Beginning tonight with the six o’clock news, however, a couple of Democrats, when questioned about the McCain effort, said it wasn’t needed and that an agreement was nearly completed. So sayeth the Dervishes.

“Ride to the sound of the guns," has been around in military lore and tradition for centuries. The sound of the cannons is considered to be where the center of action is on the battlefield. A leader belongs at the place of battle where the outcome may be influenced by the exercise of leadership. In some situations the presence of the leader may be enough to influence the outcome while at other times the leader’s continuing decisions are significant to the outcome. If you need me to state an example of the soundness of this exhortation I suggest you go back to your copy of “People” magazine.

Sen. McCain is “riding to the sound of the guns.” This most important debate on the financial crisis facing this country, at least, in our lifetimes is ongoing in Washington. If there are principles and issues of import to a sitting United States Senator on this issue, that Senator belongs in Washington within the arena fighting for those principles and issues. The idea of sending a document of concerns in lieu of standing and asserting those concerns, debating, negotiating, and compromising where essential for the best interests of our country, is not the action of a leader. Each of these candidates is the presumptive leader of his party and one will inherit the results of this effort. Being the leader of the party includes leading the party. Sen. Obama cannot respond “present” in this crisis. As far as the desire of Americans to see a debate, that position is now overtaken and overwhelmed by the concerns of the citizens about their own and the country's financial future.

The Bush proposal is a mere skeleton yet contains Cheneyesk demands that have to be eliminated. The Congress must report for duty whatever the impact on their political futures. McCain is correct in taking this action in moving to the sound of the guns. Obama presents himself as what we used to refer to as a “base camp warrior.” I refer you down the page to my quotation of Teddy Roosevelt, “[T]he credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena…”

Defund State

The United States Senate has begun again to debate the Iraq debacle. The preliminary speeches and sound bites have focused on our continuing military commitment. The President asks that we wait for the September assessment by General Patraeus. His opposition demands immediate planning for troop withdrawals. There had been talk about the congressional exercise of its control of funding to force a military closure. Our men and women in uniform are performing heroically and successfully. The generals now commanding them and commanding media attention are rightly driven by a sense of duty to accomplish the assigned mission. The tragedy within Iraq is not of their doing nor within their capability to correct. To focus on the military is to walk head long into the tree in a pine forest.

All emphasis should now be focused on forcing this President to implement recommendations of the Baker/Hamilton Report and begin immediately a strategic political initiative. This initiative must be open and direct, drawing in all concerned nations. This initiative must acknowledge the willingness of the United States to accept a reasoned and equitable resolution. If only implicitly, this President must acknowledge his administration's inability to command the respect of the other nations in reaching a diplomatic resolution and work to assemble a coalition of nations. The world is aware of the political climate within this country and would recognize the voice of our Congress as an assertion of the long-term will of the Nation. Congress is, frankly, out of its league in directing military matters but, if it can put aside partisan politics, it can speak forcefully both to this President and to the world.

Should the President fail to immediately act to begin such a strategic approach Congress might consider cutting funding for the Department of State. It is clear that the President, during the reign of Rumsfeld, had little if any use for the State Department. It is also clear now that the Department has no functional responsibility regarding this country's single most important international crisis. If Congress shuns the real issue and needs a plaything let it be State and not Defense.

"Gee, Mr. President, help us keep our jobs."

The front page heading on the New York Times websight reads "GOP Moderates warn Bush Iraq Must Show Gains." http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/10/washington/10cong.html?hp
"Moderate Republicans gave President Bush a blunt warning on his Iraq policy at a private White House meeting this week, telling the president that conditions needed to improve markedly by fall or more Republicans would desert him on the war."

Now after four years of obvious, escalating, gross negligence in the Bush administration's orchestration of the war in Iraq and the complicity of a neutered military command structure, do "moderate" Republican Congressmen tell the President that "conditions need to improve." Only now, in fear of the personal loss of political power, patronage and notoriety, do these hypocrites confront the President with a call for "improvements." During the Republican control of both houses of Congress they sat back as our efforts in Iraq and in the region were melded into the fiasco we now face. While over three thousand of our finest young women and men were dying, they sat back and repeated the same inane characterizations our President had memorized. They sat back when the Administration used blatantly unfounded fear tactics to win a national election. When the President took illegal actions against American citizens "to defend our American freedoms," they sat back because the Rove/Bush efforts were good for the Party. While the prestige, influence and power of the United States in the world were dangerously diminished, they sat back and memorized Bush's rhetoric; a rhetoric that was at times simply vacuous and at times blatantly and knowingly false. They sat back and never questioned.

These, "our representatives," have not shown themselves to be worthy of the office we have bestowed on them. They deserve no credit for confronting the President to save votes for their Party. When their time comes and they solicit votes in their district or beyond, I sincerely pray that the voters follow their lead and sit back and ignore their set of lies.

I do not suggest by silence that the Democratic Party is without comparable fault, however, I am sure that there will be ample opportunity to address their hypocrisy in the near future.