An Agenda To Remember

I'm stunned by the political events of the past several weeks.  Starting with President Obama's State of the Union address, through his debate with the House Republicans, to his town hall tour, to the SCOTUS ruling endowing corporations with the right of free speech, and finally to the delivery of the advertising campaign in the form of talking points to the Republican Party by none other that Frank Luntz.

It seems that Republicans are now dedicated to killing all attempts at regulatory reform of the nation's banking system.  Mr. Luntz has delivered talking points, developed in focus groups, that focus on the very things that folks are against or afraid of.  He has advised his GOP clientele to use these words along with their descriptions of Banking legislation.

Mr. Luntz's advertising campaign against health care was so successful that the GOP has embraced him again in their attempt to defeat all attempts to reign in the financial captains of the universe who would continue the socialization of risk of losing their wealth, while privatizing the reward of building it. 

These events are doubly disturbing because, when added to the obstructionism of Senate and House Republicans, the ability of the government to work is at stake.  I can't imagine a political party who's sole agenda is to shut down government completely, and then crow to their constituants about how bad government is.  The duplicity of Republicans shows even more clearly when they refuse to EVEN ENTER INTO SERIOUS DEBATE.

When politicians argue BOTH sides of and issue, when they reverse themselves on long held policy decisions only to toe the party line, these politicians CAN'T BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY.  There is no loyal opposition, there is no attempt to compromise and there is most seriously, (with the little-reported policy statement by Congressman Paul Ryan (R-Wis) no attempt to offer policy alternatives!  I guess Republicans can point with pride to their biggest accomplishment of a generation.  "We brought the government of the greatest nation on earth to a complete and stunning halt."

Congratulations......