Brain Lemon

This week, a couple events happened that prove that most of Washington, including virtually the entire Democrat Party, are not serious about anything they claim to be.  Again and again, our politicians claim they are against corruption and for responsible governing.  And, seemingly mere seconds afterward, they prove what a joke that idea is.  The fact is, this week, especially, proves that the large majority of our leaders are NOT serious about doing anything.  They are essentially lying hypocrites who stand for nothing.

The first case is the reaction to Jim Bunning’s brave decision to stand on principle.  He objected to passage of a $10B spending bill that would, among other things, extend unemployment benefits yet again.  Because of this, the bill’s progress was halted until a full vote could be scheduled.  Regardless of one’s feelings about extending benefits, or one’s opinion of Bunning’s strategy, the reaction to this tactic was extremely disturbing.  For daring to suggest that Congress should actually abide by its “pay-go” rules and pay for what it spends, he was demagogued and abused.  Democrats all over mocked him, attacking him as cruel and inhuman for opposing yet another unfunded handout.

In the grand scheme, this bill was not a major piece of legislation.  Many workers already have had unemployment benefits for up to 99 months and it may do them well to get off the public dime.  No one will die without this bill – there will merely be some minor inconvenience, and it appears a fully-funded replacement is in the works.  Yet to hear our glorious leaders speak, you’d think Bunning was walking around the city stealing food from the homeless.  These leaders have thus proved that even in the smallest of circumstances, they have no interest in any kind of restraint or responsibility.  Quite simply, they have no intention of ever reforming or taking seriously our desires to rein in government craziness.  They have no business leading anything, let alone our country, and letting them continue to lead would be like turning the country over to children.  Perhaps worse.

The other event that shows beyond doubt that most of our leaders have contempt for us is the treatment, or more accurately the lack of treatment, regarding Charlie Rangel.  Faced with a host of serious ethical questions, Rangel has been embattled for many months, yet at no time did it seem possible he could even be forced to step down as Ways & Means chairman.  Even now, with some of the charges confirmed, it still seems as if Rangel will hold on to his chair.  Remember, this was supposed to be the “most ethical Congress ever.”  The fact that it has not been, and has in fact been in many ways worse, proves that when Pelosi uttered that line, she was flatly lying to us.  That Rangel still holds his chair, and that many Democrats and liberal columnists have defended him, show for certain that when it comes to their own members, there are no standards and no rules.  And in full honesty, some Republicans are just as bad.

Both of these events should prove, even to the most stubborn out there, that our current leaders are unfit to lead.  To even call them leaders is a sad commentary on the level of corruption we as a country have allowed to fester.  We’ve come to the point where our politicians feel able to lie to our face, as if we are idiots who will never hold them to their words.  This tendency extends even up to our president, one of the most dishonest among them.  Thankfully, there is a movement afoot to change this state of affairs, and this is wonderful.  For to tolerate this nonsense any further would be an abrogation of our duty as citizens.

UPDATE (3/3/10): It appears now that Rangel is stepping down, though his likely replacement, Rep. Pete Stark, is the guy who accused President Bush of sending troops to Iraq “to have their heads blown off for [his] amusement.”  So, still a pretty despicable choice.  And it also seems that Bunning relented on his objection, and the bill he was blocking passed anyway.  Disappointing, but not surprising in both cases.