Doofus Of The Day #461

Today's award goes to the leadership of the Republican Party in the House of Representatives. According to the Washington Post:

House Republican leaders on Wednesday announced that they plan to pressure the Senate by voting Friday on a measure that they have termed the “Government Shutdown Prevention Act.”

“What this bill says is it reiterates again the deadline, and that the Senate should act before the deadline, and that’s what the American people are expecting,” House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said Wednesday morning at a news conference with other House Republican leaders. “The bill then says if the Senate does not act, then H.R. 1 [the House-passed bill that cuts $61 billion] will be the law of the land. In addition to that, it says that if all else fails, and the Senate brings about a shutdown, then members should not get their pay.”

. . .

Asked about how a measure facing such Democratic opposition -- and having passed only one chamber — could be deemed the “law of the land,” Cantor responded: “We are trying to say this: We have not had any indication that the Senate is interested in changing the status quo. We’re about trying to cut spending here. We’re about trying to demonstrate to the American people again and again the Republican House has said, look, come work with us. Cut spending. Again, there’s two options here. Either you’re going to keep spending the way you are and you’ve got to raise taxes, so if that’s the case, show us your tax-increase plan. If not, join us in cutting spending.”

There's more at the link. Bold print is my emphasis.

Pay attention, Mr. Cantor. First, there's this thing called the Constitution of the United States of America. It clearly defines how bills become law . . . and they do not become law just because you and your dumbass colleagues want them to! They have to pass the House, and the Senate, and be signed into law by the President (or his veto has to be overridden by the House and Senate to enact them over his objections). Just because you say your bill will become law whether or not the Senate passes it, doesn't make it so. (Hint: see King Canute.)

Second, both the Republican and Democratic proposals for reductions in spending are so minuscule as to be laughable. You're trying to cut one or two individual hairs on the budgetary head of America, when what's needed is a military-style buzz-cut of the whole damn scalp!

(Cartoon courtesy of Crucis' Court)

Wake up and smell the coffee, Mr. Cantor - and every other politician in the House, irrespective of your political party. Either you fix the budget, and cut our catastrophic level of spending, or economic forces beyond your control will do it for you. Unfortunately, they'll do it by bankrupting every last one of us . . . and there will be payback if you allow that to happen.

You were elected to fix our problems. Stop pontificating, stop posing, and get to work!





Peter