House freshmen running scared

Dear MoveOn member,

Freshmen Republicans just called a press conference to beg for a break from attacks on them for voting to eliminate Medicare.1 Seriously.

It's a bizarre—even laughable—tactic. But it points to one thing: Your pressure is working!

The town halls you flooded last month led to national media coverage of the backlash against Republicans.2 That, plus the phone calls and letters against the Republican plan to end Medicare, and the ads you've helped pay for, have Republicans on the ropes.

We're on the verge of stopping their efforts to cut Medicare, Medicaid and other vital services right in their tracks. But we need to double down.

My Response to the MoveOn Hypocrisy

Most of your ADD membership probably don't remember, but back in August of 2009 you were lamenting the appearance of "right wing extremists" at town hall meetings nationally to oppose health care reform. Now that the shoe is on the other foot, you're proud of your own people for doing the same damn thing.

So tell me, MoveOn (there's nothing to see here), why is it different when YOUR team is the one disrupting town hall meetings with "hard hitting questions"? Is that somehow OK whereas when the opposition does it, it's "wrong"?

The way I see it, this is your precious democracy in action, no matter who's doing the town hall disruption.

Own up to your own hypocrisy, MoveOn.

What 73% of Americans want

Dear MoveOn member,

It's already started—hawks in the media and military saying that the killing of Osama bin Laden is proof that the war in Afghanistan is working and that we should redouble our efforts.

Even though bin Laden was captured in another country entirely. Even though the operation was executed by a small, specialized force and not the continued occupation of a nation by over 100,000 of our soldiers. Even though the man we ostensibly invaded Afghanistan to capture is no longer a threat.

And even as the war continues to be a drain on our resources at a time when we need them spent at home, more than ever.

My Response:

Well, this is two times in a row that I'm in agreement with these socialist groups that pretend to be about democracy. Something fishy's going on...

I think this time it's because, once again, we're talking about an issue that is in the (quiet) popular opinion. We're also seeing it from two different angles that happen to coincide in result.

While MoveOn wants to see the troops come home so that those resources can be spend domestically, I just want to see the war and killing end and the end of the wasteful spending of money we don't have. So I think that while both of us want the troops to come home, our difference will be in how the money being saved will be spent (or, in my thoughts, not spent).

Either way, we're in agreement again.

I will also note the lack of energy and pending doom that this message from MoveOn had compared to many of their others that make it appear that if we don't participate in their latest group (think) message, we're all going to be doomed. This one also wasn't accompanied by the usual retort-via-opposite message from one of MoveOn's nemesis groups like the GOP.

Usually the two sides play against one another to get the plebs stirred up. Nothing like that this time. Maybe the GOP didn't get the memo.

House Passes GOP's "The Path to Prosperity"

Normally, I lambast the b.s. emails I get from TrueMajority and MoveOn, but today I decided to give it to my local (Republican) congresswoman with her latest email message to constituents. It's title is the title of this post. Here's what she sent followed by my comments:

Dear Friends,

I've been listening to Wyoming's common-sense minded people from the feed store to the grocery store. They want Congress and the President to put the U.S. economy on a stable path by halting this country’s spending spree and tackling our long-term debt problem. Despite Americans’ calls for action, President Obama has refused to put forward a serious plan. Instead, the President has punted twice.

Today, House Republicans passed “The Path to Prosperity, “a budget for fiscal year 2012 that gets to the business of cutting spending and reducing our nation’s appalling debt.

It’s time to buck the status quo, pick up a mop, and clean up America’s financial mess. The Path to Prosperity offers the solutions America needs by stopping the job-crushing debt that threatens the future of our country. This budget is an honest, fact-based proposal that gets to the heart of our economic crisis by addressing the drivers of our country’s debt.

Cutting discretionary spending alone isn’t enough to get us out of the $14 trillion ditch Washington has dug. Paul Ryan’s proposal preserves and strengthens health and retirement programs. It streamlines the tax code, halts Washington’s sprawl in favor of a smaller, leaner federal government, and it empowers America’s job creators to start hiring and to grow the economy. Additionally, ‘The Path to Prosperity’ cuts $6.2 trillion in government spending over the next decade alone. This historic proposal is a clean cut from the reckless budget policies of the past.

The majority of Americans believe the country is headed down the wrong track. They understand the consequences Washington’s irresponsible culture of spending has for our country’s future. And for most Americans, this isn’t about politics; it’s about putting their way of life, their jobs, their families, and our nation first.

Sincerely,

Representative Cynthia Lummis

I responded via email (hitting "reply") and it was, of course, sent back as undeliverable just like when I respond to those idiots at TrueMajority and MoveOn. I'm seeing a trend amongst the partisans here. Anyway, here's my response to Cynthia Lummis (R-WY):

Cutting $6.2 trillion over 10 years is only $620 billion per year. We're currently spending at a rate of over $1 trillion in deficit annually.

When you are you people going to actually cut the deficit instead of just the amount of debt we incur? Let's see $20 trillion in cuts over the next 10 years. That's more realistic. I can't go into bankruptcy court and tell the judge I'm going to lower my spending so that I'm only over budget by 20% instead of 100%. Neither should Congress.

It's time to get out of the worthless wars overseas and shut down those foreign bases and bring our troops home. It's time to seriously gut the Defense Department and make it realistically manageable again - something your currently plan totally avoids doing!

Doing so doesn't take money out of the pockets of GIs. It takes money out of the pockets of the military industrial complex that is bankrupting this nation.

Now get back to work. You've barely even started!