Issues Under Fire: From Shithole to Shutdown, Who Can We Believe?

Issues Under Fire: From Shithole to Shutdown, Who Can We Believe? 

In the public's interest, today's post is a warning to those trying to understand how America's political leadership is managing the nation's affairs. Now that the government has shut down, Americans can expect to be frustrated and confounded by talking heads spinning talking points. Every media platform will be plastered with headlines of blame, denials, and counterclaims. All will be fighting for that ever elusive moral high ground. All will speak with heartfelt sincerity. Most will be lying their asses off. Welcome to the Bullshit Zone.

If you called the White House this weekend, this is the message you would've heard: "Thank you for calling the White House. Unfortunately, we cannot answer your call today because congressional Democrats are holding government funding — including funding for our troops and other national security priorities — hostage to an unrelated immigration debate. Due to this obstruction, the government is shut down. In the meantime, you can leave a comment for the president at www.whitehouse.gov/contact. We look forward to taking your calls as soon as the government re-opens." Now, that's some serious Bullshit!

If you've been paying close attention to the red-hot DACA issue preceding this funding crisis, you'd understand why Democrats saw the budget battle as a last-ditch opportunity to save the Dreamers. The Trump administration ended the DACA program back in September of 2017, after claiming to give a damn. But with no new applications being accepted and March 5th, 2018 being the drop-dead date, somebody had to light a fire under Congress. The Democrats couldn't take the word of a proven pathological liar and a serial flip-flopper. They needed and demanded assurances. It's what you do when dealing with a Bullshit Artist of Donald Trump's caliber. 

If you watched, read or listened to how the GOP is making their case to pin this government shutdown on the Democrats, the casual observer could be led to believe they actually cared about CHIP, the Children's Healthcare Insurance Program. Practically claiming to be powerless against the Democrat MINORITY, one would be hard-pressed to remember it was the GOP led Congress who let the healthcare coverage for those nine million children expire. At any time during 2017, the GOP could've taken up the popular bipartisan issue and put it to rest. But they didn't. The GOP saved that CHIP (no pun intended) to bargain with. No matter how you cut this Bullshit, it stinks to the high heavens. 

Bottom line: While Democrats are being called out for being obstructionists, the reality is, as the opposition Party, they're merely responding to the needs and demands of their constituents. This is every political Party's primary responsibility. On the other hand, the GOP controls the House, the Senate and the Oval Office. And with all that power, comes all the responsibility for keeping the government open 24/7, 365 days per year. No matter what deals, compromises or accommodations must be made to make that happen, that's the expectation. Any excuses for doing anything less is just Bullshit. Podcast below.