WASHINGTON’S FISCAL CHAOS EXPLAINED

Citizens who are still able to go to work everyday have to be bewildered by what is happening in Washington.

Ostensibly the issues appear to be pretty mundane. Congress has to pass a budget bill that involves paying for all the activities Congress has agreed upon. In addition in this stage of America’s history it has debts. The world’s financial powerhouse is currently paying interest on these debts. In fact it is a very low percentage as a result of America’s strength and stability.

So in the real world these procedural motions should be passed and allow America to proceed with its business internally and externally. This especially so in that the American Constitution is designed for compromise. But this is not the real world a whole new politics has descended upon Washington…...

So to explain the fiscal crises one has to realize that it has nothing to do with money and everything to do with changing the ideological direction of the Country by the minority that is controlling the Republican Party. (Blog: America at the Crossroads, 9/22/13).

THE GENESIS OF THIS DEBACLE AND THE NEW ORDER

In the beginning

While the roots of this ideological change have really been there since the 1960’s the impetus for a new order really began in earnest with the election of an African American as President. (To pretend that there is not a racial element to this thrust is to just to deny reality). The loss of the Presidential election was traumatic to all Republicans as that is where they perceive the real power to be.

Sometime back an earnest attempt, by unelected Republican institutions and unelected individuals with the assistance of vast sums of money, was made to change the political landscape. Their desire was first to control State legislatures. The latter would serve two functions: they would introduce social and fiscal legislation in opposition to the general trend in national Federal politics and they would gerrymander the electoral constituencies so that the Republicans would be all but be ensured a majority in the House of Representatives.

In the beginning all the megalomaniac unelected Republican institutions and megalomaniac individuals were in on it. Karl Rove of the establishment, “Bush’s Brain”, unashamedly exploited social issues that he was not remotely interested in to get the base to come out and vote for the “compassionate” conservative Bush.

The Republicans developed the above strategy to an art form. In addition, having taken cognizance of the changing demographics of the American electorate, the State legislatures have been turning out legislation that has the effect of making it harder for minorities to vote

In all of these endeavors they have had the sympathy of the Supreme Court who have ruled, thus far that unlimited money can be spent on elections and political activities, that there has been no voter suppression in the States and that the States are within their rights to delineate constituencies.

Now

So with Obama elected and reelected they had a crisis on their hands. Purist groups had emerged within the Republican Party. They were for radical social as well as fiscal change. They became known as the Tea Party. With safe Republican constituencies to deal with they could get their nominees elected as candidates. They could be as radical as they liked as their constituencies would not allow for a serious challenge from the Democrats.

Obamacare was a total enigma to this group. It was perceived as an extension of the socialist direction that the country was going. It was the epitome of all that was evil and satanic. It was attacked mercilessly and with great resources. It became the central focus that they would attack the established order.

So the procedural financial motions, that legitimized the spending and financing of the country in an orderly manner were to be held to ransom – either they defunded or neutered Obamacare or the country would grind to a financial halt and even financial ruin.

In order effect this policy two factors were needed. They had to change the way politics worked in Washington and they needed a leader to see that this change came about. They succeeded in the change as they found a leader, Ted Cruz, to direct it.

THE NEW POLITICS

*This whole episode thus heralded a new era in the way this country is governed.  While posturing, grandstanding and even filibustering have been part of the political process, this has always taken place in the belief that at the end of the day compromise between the legislative branches and the President would occur when it mattered. Chris Matthews has just published a book on two iconic figures of American politics – Democrat Speaker of the House Tipp O’Neill and Ron Reagan Republican President. The book is a timeous reminder of how the greatest protagonists of liberalism and conservatism managed to compromise and pass acceptable legislation to keep the government running. Reagan even agreed to tax increases, (as did Bush senior), when these were essential to the country.

Now anything goes and you stick to your guns. Forget about compromise. Forget about the outcomes of obstrctionism. 

(In the final analysis it was the poll numbers that drove the Republican establishment to defy the Tea party faction and seek compromise in the Senate. (Blogs; Ted’s Cruzade – The Political Outcome, 10/4/13 and Update: Cruz’s Coup D’etat, 10/8/13).

*The other major change is that the Republican Party for sometime has been controlled by unelected megalomaniacs and unelected institutions. At the forefront now is the Heritage Foundation who is calling the shots for the Tea Party. Their hand has been strengthened as they have found a charismatic elected megalomaniac, Ted Cruz, to act as the enforcer in Congress.  He will threaten those who do not toe the Heritage’s line that they will face a Primary fight.

CARRY ON CRUZ

Ted Cruz is a credible leader who has scant regard for the rules. Cruz filibustered; he broke from the caucus, and caucused against both Republican Congressional leaders. He started this whole raucous by linking payment of the Government’s bills to defunding Obamacare. Now with that concept thrashed it was just anything that could cause chaos and draw attention to his worldview. More significantly he ran around with the likes of Sarah Palin holding meetings with Confederate flags at War Memorials and even in font of the Whitehouse. At the latter meeting Cruz also stood by as the speaker made veiled threats of insurrection and told Obama to get off his knees and stop reading the Koran.  Cruz hurled more invective at a Tea Party Values forum and for his efforts was voted as the gathering’s nominee as Republican Presidential Candidate for 2016.

WHAT NOW?

The Tea Party cannot ultimately win. The demographics just won’t allow it. For the moment these antics are not helping them at all. While the Republican Party ratings are at the lowest ever so are the Tea Party’s.

However, regardless of the outcome of this fiscal fight, they are in this for the long haul. Joe DeMint the CEO of the Heritage Foundation and the architect of the latest strategy said he would rather have 30 Republicans in the Senate who believe in something than 50 who believe in nothing. Perhaps he sees himself as the Barry Goldwater of the 60’s that resulted in the Reagan in the 80’s.

Jay H. Ell believes that they live in a fantasy world and that the Republican establishment better get their act together before they are obliterated. They need to take them on as Obama and whoever follows will be only happy to run against them.