Optics Matter

Optics matter!

BOEHNER – Speaker Boehner is suing the president. Why? Because the president unilaterally granted business owners a one year grace period to implement the “mandate provision” of the Affordable Care Act. The suit claims the president acted illegally in modifying the provisions of an existing law without seeking the approval of congress. The suit will cost $3,000,000 tax payer dollars and in all likelihood not be resolved until after President Obama has left office.

The Republicans oppose the Affordable Care Act primarily because of the mandate which requires businesses to offer health care coverage to their employees. One would think that any delay in implementing the controversial mandate would be met with a round of applause from the right. But in this dysfunctional congress anything this particular president does…even if it is something that conservatives would approve if implemented by a Republican president…is viewed as grounds for legal action or even impeachment.

Boehner knows that this suit is as lame as Sarah Palin’s call for Obama’s impeachment. But he’ll go along with the charade to appease his base. Even if this little piece of theater costs the taxpayers $3 million.

OBAMA – The president was in Texas the past two days to attend a series of fundraisers. One would expect that while in the area he would take opportunity to travel 250 miles south and view firsthand the humanitarian crisis taking place on our southern border. We are referring of course to the tens of thousands of illegal immigrant children that have flooded the border in recent weeks.

The president declined. He said that he wasn’t interested in photo-ops or theatre but in solving problems. A White House spokesman said that the president wasn’t visiting the border because he knew that his political enemies would just spin the trip for political advantage.

The president says that he isn’t interested in theater. Then what would he call his much ballyhooed tour of storm ravaged Atlantic City with Governor Christie…or his surprise visit to the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan…or his trip to visit the parents at Sandy Hook?

The US government spent $3 trillion very controversial/politically toxic dollars to secure Iraq and Afghanistan. The president travelled tens of thousands of miles to tell the troops personally how much he appreciated their efforts. Yet he won’t take a short road trip to get a firsthand look at a crisis on our own border that affects millions of Americans…because of POLITICS?

The president had the opportunity to send a positive message to the people living along the border and to stress the importance of his number one goal…passing comprehensive immigration reform. His decision to let the moment pass is mind boggling.

Everything a president does sends a message. Everything he does is scripted theater. We don’t want a president whose decisions depend on which way the political trade winds are blowing. We want a president who bases his decisions on what is best for the country.