Why Republicans Suck Too

The lefties trying to take over the country obviously don't understand the people they were elected to govern, but the Republicans are hardly an option we're happy to vote for.  The Republicans don't really appear to understand us either.

Though they'll tout the principles they think we want to hear, they don't make much of an effort to live by them and they are just as quick to forget they type of people that make up the majority of this great nation.  What made Reagan such an exceptional leader was that he got it, he understood.  He reminded us of what made us great and celebrated those unique and inherently American characteristics we possess, but this is not what the current Republican party is doing. 

How on earth can a politician believe that he can lead a country, a state or a district he doesn't understand?

I don't want to be lectured to, controlled or even pacified.  I want to be inspired.  I want somebody to stand against the current out of touch idiots in Washington and say that we are a nation who leads, not one who follows.  That we bow to no one.  That our Constitution is the greatest political document ever written and that, when adhered to, results in the finest form of government the world has ever seen.  That a people free to make their own decisions will always work together to improve their situation.  That a man in control of his own destiny will set a higher bar for himself than his government could ever set for him and is far more likely to achieve it.  That we are a nation of self-reliant, hard working people who do not need a nanny to care for them, but who are dedicated to caring for each other.  That we are a generous people and the individual citizens are better at recognizing worthy causes than a politician could ever be. 

I want somebody to show the glaring distance between where this administration is taking the country and where the majority of it's citizens reside.  However, I may as well want to win the lottery as my odds are better for the lottery than they are of finding a politician who actually gets it and can articulate it.  And I don't buy lottery tickets.

Instead of this inspiration we have a Repbulican party that stands as firm as milk toast and is even less appetizing.

May I Have Some Term Limits Please

Today Senator Arlen Specter, realizing that he didn't have a snowball's chance in hell of winning his primary, switched parties so that he could run as a Democrat. This is reprehensible. Not because he changed sides, but because he did it not for matters of principle, but in order to keep his seat. He accuses the right wing of the Republican party of hijacking it so that moderates such as himself could not be re-elected. But how did they hijack the voters. The problem is not where the Republicans in Congress stand, but where the Republicans in his district stand. And they were not happy about where he stood on the stimulus package.

What I find the most disturbing about this switch is that Sen Specter has been in office for nearly 30 years. He's also over 70 years old. Why then, when faced with the loss of his primary, does he not bow to the voice of the people and retire? Why fight to hold on to his seat and his power with such a death grip that he switches allegiances? If he decided to run as an Independent that would be one thing, but running as a Dem (so he could get their help in fund raising) is reprehensible.

With his behavior Sen Specter has illustrated exactly why term limits are an absolute necessity. It's bad enough when we have Congressmen so ill that the can't fulfill their duties still running for re-election or still holding on to their seats. But now, knowing you'll lose the election appears to not be a valid reason to give up your seat either. After all, what does the will or the voice of the people have to do with anything. Just because the people don't want him in office doesn't mean he should leave.

The tenacity with which Congressmen cling to their power is a sad commentary on our government. It's no longer about serving the people but about serving their own self-interest. And nothing illustrates this more clearly than Senator Specter's party hop.