“Actions speak louder than words.” “I see better than I hear.” “Better to judge a person by the actions that he takes rather than the words he utters.”
No where are these words more appropriate than in the world of politics.
Let’s take a look at the topics that have saturated the media over the past few weeks and compare our elected leaders’ words with their actions. Our focus for this piece will be on the Republicans because they have been by far the most vociferous in their outrage over current events.
BENGHAZI
FACT - Republicans are outraged over the deaths of four Americans manning the American Consulate in Benghazi. The primary target of their furor has been former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. They accuse Clinton and the White House of lying to the public about the events leading up to the murders for political purposes. They condemn Clinton and the White House for failing to provide adequate security for the consulate and they are horrified that the administration would be so crass as to politicize the deaths.
FACT – While under the leadership of Hillary Clinton the State Department repeatedly requested additional funds to beef up the security at US embassies around the world particularly those in hostile environments like Benghazi. House Republicans led by Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan cut the administration’s request for embassy security by $`128 million in fiscal 2011 and $331 million in fiscal 2012. For fiscal 2013 the GOP controlled House proposed spending $1.934 billion for the State Department’s World Wide Security Protection Program…less than the State Department’s requested $2.15 billion. Securing embassies costs money. When you refuse to provide the necessary funds bad things can happen
Regarding the faux indignation over the administration’s politicizing the murders…Republican Oversight Chairman Darrel Issa has held TWO years of investigatory hearings on the matter. Each does little more than rehash the same information while allowing Republican committee members to vilify the former Secretary and presumptive Democrat nominee for the presidency. Noticeably absent in the hearing is any mention of the GOP House cutting hundreds of millions from funds used to provide embassy security.
VETERANS’ ADMINISTRATION
FACT - The big story of course is the scandal involving the Veteran’s Administration failure to properly tend to the medical needs of vets on a timely basis. We know that the books were cooked to make it look like most patients were getting in to see a doctor within two weeks time when in fact it is taking 3-6 months to see a physician. As many as 40 veterans have died awaiting treatment. Republicans, long considered the party of choice for the military establishment are outraged over the agency’s failures and blame the administration, the president in particular, for failing to fix the problems as he had promised to do six years ago.
FACT – The VA is the largest provider of health services in the country. It is a bureaucratic nightmare. Veterans receive the highest quality care once they are admitted. But getting in to see a doctor can take months…even longer west of the Mississippi where VA facilities are scarce. It can take Vets hours to drive from their homes to get treatment. Last February Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Chairman of the Veteran’s Affairs Committee, proposed a bill that would have expanded health care and education programs for veterans. The bill contained measures designed to fund additional facilities to alleviate the backlog. Republicans blocked the measure via filibuster so as not to have to go on record as voting against an expansion of veteran’s benefits. This was after Senate Majority Leader Reid refused to allow an up or down vote because the GOP had attached an amendment that included additional sanctions against Iran? Numerous sources report that Sanders will reintroduce the bill next week.
As previously mentioned Republicans cried “foul” at what they perceived as the Democrats politicizing the deaths of four Americans in Benghazi. Apparently that outrage does not apply to American veterans who died waiting for treatment at VA facilities.
Senator Mark Bagich is a Democrat Senator from the state of Alaska. He is up for re-election in November and is considered vulnerable. Senator Bagich Bagich sits on the Veterans Affairs Committee. Today Carl Rove’s Crossroads GPS will launch a television ad tying Bagich and his committee to the deaths of those veterans. Naturally you will find no mention in the ad of the committees’ request for neither additional funding nor the GOPs’ extraordinary efforts to stop the funding from happening.
These are just two recent examples of where actions speak louder than words. There are others…
FACT - Republicans are seen as the fiscal conservatives, proponents of spending cuts and reduced deficits. However, historically our debt and deficits increase under Republican administrations and decrease when Democrats hold the White house.
FACT – Republicans are considered to be the strong defenders of the military establishment while Democrats prefer diplomacy. It is true that Republicans go out of their way to protect our military, securing appropriations for the most advanced weapon systems available. Even when the military says the systems are unnecessary are redundant, Republicans will push the appropriations through. “Nothing is too good for our fighting men and women” they say. Is that the real motivation? Or could it be that they want to keep those government contracts coming to the munitions developers and manufacturers that reside in their districts? How do they square spending billions of borrowed money on unwanted weaponry while blocking funding for VA benefits under the guise of fiscal responsibility? And what about the increase in the debt that balloons with every weapon system built?
As you go to the polls this year take a moment to look up the voting records of the candidates. More often than not you will find that their words say one thing but their actions say something else.
Friday, May 30, 2014
Thursday, May 29, 2014
What's Your Solution?
The president appeared before the graduating class at West Point yesterday to deliver what was ballyhooed to be a major foreign policy address. By all accounts the substance failed to meet the hype. Critics on both the right and the left voiced their displeasure over the lack of any significant policy declarations.
The president said that the al Qaeda leadership has been decimated but rising up in its place are a host of like minded splinter groups scattered throughout the world. These extremist groups continue to pose a threat to American interests to the extent that “terrorism still remains the most direct threat to America at home and abroad…we need to develop a foreign policy to meet this threat.”
Rather than offering any new policy initiatives the president chose this moment to defend his belief that the way to defeat terrorism is through alliances with other nations rather than the use of unilateral military power. “Military action cannot be the only or even the primary component of our leadership in every instance…just because we have the biggest hammer doesn’t mean that every problem is a nail…exercising the military option in every instance is both unreasonable and unsustainable.” The president sited the effective use of sanctions to force Russia to withdraw from the Ukraine and Syria’s agreement to remove chemical weapons when he took the military option off the table.
The president’s critics were not convinced. “Feckless”…”weak”…”without direction” were the terms most commonly used. They noted that Islamist extremist groups in Iraq and Syria have grown in strength largely due to the lack of American military presence in the region.
Foreign affairs are like the sands in the desert. Conditions on the ground are constantly shifting. Finding the proper balance between diplomacy and military action is an inexact science and a never ending process. That said no one wants to hear a president six years into his term saying that we need to “develop" a new foreign policy to meet this threat.” With all due respect Mr. President, extremist splinter groups have been springing up since George W. Bush took us to war in Iraq and Afghanistan. What have you been doing these past six years?
Everyone is entitled to their opinion. The problem that we have with those who criticize the president’s foreign policy efforts is that they have no thought out solution of their own. It is easy to beat the military war drum every time a skirmish breaks out in some far off place. But once you’ve gone “all in” it is far more difficult to get out.
Critics are right to note the increase in extremist activity that has erupted in Iraq ever since the president withdrew American forces. The same scenario will undoubtedly occur when we pull out of Afghanistan. This should come as no surprise. The only way to prevent the incursion is to maintain a military presence in the region in perpetuity. The Bush administration was too hell bent on taking revenge for 9/11 to consider an exit strategy. President Obama seems to have learned that lesson. Good for him and good for the country.
We are of the belief that the primary reason that our nation finds itself in the cross hairs of every extremist group in the world is because since WWII we have taken it upon our self to insert our beliefs, our morals, our way of life and our military into everybody else’s business. We have proclaimed our “exceptionalism” as the world’s policeman while often acting like a rogue cop. Imagine our indignation if any foreign power, friend or foe, were to stick their nose in the political debate between our far right and far left. Imagine the outrage if any other foreign power, friend or foe, were to set their military boots on our soil or set up a military base on the Washington Mall. To what extent would we go to remove that incursion from our lives? We are where we are because we put ourselves there. Now we must suffer the consequences.
The president understands that save a small number of even smaller minded neo-cons the country has no interest in engaging our military in conflicts across the globe. He understands that the way to defeat terrorism is by building alliances with other nations designed to combat the ever changing foreign threats. He has kept his promise to get us out of Iraq and he has set in place a timetable to get us out of Afghanistan. He has brought the 9/11 terrorists to justice. He has kept us safe. That’s a pretty good record.
To his critics we would say this. You are entitled to disagree with the president’s foreign policy. But just saying “no” does not resolve the problems that we face. What we need are solutions. And if you are not part of the solution…then you are part of the problem.
The president said that the al Qaeda leadership has been decimated but rising up in its place are a host of like minded splinter groups scattered throughout the world. These extremist groups continue to pose a threat to American interests to the extent that “terrorism still remains the most direct threat to America at home and abroad…we need to develop a foreign policy to meet this threat.”
Rather than offering any new policy initiatives the president chose this moment to defend his belief that the way to defeat terrorism is through alliances with other nations rather than the use of unilateral military power. “Military action cannot be the only or even the primary component of our leadership in every instance…just because we have the biggest hammer doesn’t mean that every problem is a nail…exercising the military option in every instance is both unreasonable and unsustainable.” The president sited the effective use of sanctions to force Russia to withdraw from the Ukraine and Syria’s agreement to remove chemical weapons when he took the military option off the table.
The president’s critics were not convinced. “Feckless”…”weak”…”without direction” were the terms most commonly used. They noted that Islamist extremist groups in Iraq and Syria have grown in strength largely due to the lack of American military presence in the region.
Foreign affairs are like the sands in the desert. Conditions on the ground are constantly shifting. Finding the proper balance between diplomacy and military action is an inexact science and a never ending process. That said no one wants to hear a president six years into his term saying that we need to “develop" a new foreign policy to meet this threat.” With all due respect Mr. President, extremist splinter groups have been springing up since George W. Bush took us to war in Iraq and Afghanistan. What have you been doing these past six years?
Everyone is entitled to their opinion. The problem that we have with those who criticize the president’s foreign policy efforts is that they have no thought out solution of their own. It is easy to beat the military war drum every time a skirmish breaks out in some far off place. But once you’ve gone “all in” it is far more difficult to get out.
Critics are right to note the increase in extremist activity that has erupted in Iraq ever since the president withdrew American forces. The same scenario will undoubtedly occur when we pull out of Afghanistan. This should come as no surprise. The only way to prevent the incursion is to maintain a military presence in the region in perpetuity. The Bush administration was too hell bent on taking revenge for 9/11 to consider an exit strategy. President Obama seems to have learned that lesson. Good for him and good for the country.
We are of the belief that the primary reason that our nation finds itself in the cross hairs of every extremist group in the world is because since WWII we have taken it upon our self to insert our beliefs, our morals, our way of life and our military into everybody else’s business. We have proclaimed our “exceptionalism” as the world’s policeman while often acting like a rogue cop. Imagine our indignation if any foreign power, friend or foe, were to stick their nose in the political debate between our far right and far left. Imagine the outrage if any other foreign power, friend or foe, were to set their military boots on our soil or set up a military base on the Washington Mall. To what extent would we go to remove that incursion from our lives? We are where we are because we put ourselves there. Now we must suffer the consequences.
The president understands that save a small number of even smaller minded neo-cons the country has no interest in engaging our military in conflicts across the globe. He understands that the way to defeat terrorism is by building alliances with other nations designed to combat the ever changing foreign threats. He has kept his promise to get us out of Iraq and he has set in place a timetable to get us out of Afghanistan. He has brought the 9/11 terrorists to justice. He has kept us safe. That’s a pretty good record.
To his critics we would say this. You are entitled to disagree with the president’s foreign policy. But just saying “no” does not resolve the problems that we face. What we need are solutions. And if you are not part of the solution…then you are part of the problem.
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Nation Mourns Shooting Spree...awards liquor license to shooting range???
Over the past few days we have watched thousands of mourners attend vigils held in remembrance of the victims of our most recent mass shooting. It is a scene that will continue to play out in the days and weeks ahead. It is a scene that we have witnessed all too many times before. Yet as the nation continues to mourn there are signs that we are already moving on.
We learned this morning that the city fathers in Oklahoma City have awarded a liquor license…to a shooting range. The General Manager of the Wilshire Gun Range maintains that they have a strict “no shooting after drinking” policy. Perfect! Liquor and firearms…what could possibly go wrong?
Have we become so anesthetized to the violence that lives at the very fiber of our society that we think selling liquor in a shooting range is a reasonable proposition? Apparently so!
A vast majority of Americans believe that we need to take steps to curb the violence in this country. A vast majority of Americans believe that those steps include a national gun registry, back ground checks on ALL gun purchases, the elimination of the sale of extended ammo clips, banning assault weapons and an increased emphasis on mental health issues and the role they play perpetrating that violence. Yet the majority continues to be held hostage by the NRA and a small group of wackos who measure the size of their penis by the size of their arsenal.
We like to talk about “American Exceptionalism.” We like to talk about how we live in the greatest country on earth. Patriotic bravado is cheap.
The facts are that we live in a society where any home on any given block can house an arsenal that would well equip a Marine platoon. We live in a society that allows the reoccurring slaughter of its innocents to go unchecked. We live in a society where the safety of our children is routinely held hostage for political gain.
There is nothing “exceptional” about that.
We learned this morning that the city fathers in Oklahoma City have awarded a liquor license…to a shooting range. The General Manager of the Wilshire Gun Range maintains that they have a strict “no shooting after drinking” policy. Perfect! Liquor and firearms…what could possibly go wrong?
Have we become so anesthetized to the violence that lives at the very fiber of our society that we think selling liquor in a shooting range is a reasonable proposition? Apparently so!
A vast majority of Americans believe that we need to take steps to curb the violence in this country. A vast majority of Americans believe that those steps include a national gun registry, back ground checks on ALL gun purchases, the elimination of the sale of extended ammo clips, banning assault weapons and an increased emphasis on mental health issues and the role they play perpetrating that violence. Yet the majority continues to be held hostage by the NRA and a small group of wackos who measure the size of their penis by the size of their arsenal.
We like to talk about “American Exceptionalism.” We like to talk about how we live in the greatest country on earth. Patriotic bravado is cheap.
The facts are that we live in a society where any home on any given block can house an arsenal that would well equip a Marine platoon. We live in a society that allows the reoccurring slaughter of its innocents to go unchecked. We live in a society where the safety of our children is routinely held hostage for political gain.
There is nothing “exceptional” about that.
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
How Many More Lives Must Be Lost?
Another mass shooting!
Six more are dead at the hand of an individual suffering from mental health issues.
The NRA says that the only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. The good guys WERE called. The killers’ parents had previously summoned local police to their home. They were concerned about their son's behaviour. They saw the warning signs. But the officers left after the killer convinced them that everything was fine. No laws were broken. There was nothing they could do.
The response from those who actually could do something was predictable.
Appearing on Sunday’s “Face the Nation” Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn) spoke of the “horrific, insane, mad occurrences” of gun violence. He promised to push congress to revisit stricter gun control legislation. Similar thoughts were expressed by a host of legislators. Rule number one in politics. Never let a tragedy go to waste.
Blumenthal’s comments would be funny if they were not so pathetic.
How many more lives must be lost before congress addresses gun violence and the mental health issues that constantly come into play?
Six more are dead at the hand of an individual suffering from mental health issues.
The NRA says that the only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. The good guys WERE called. The killers’ parents had previously summoned local police to their home. They were concerned about their son's behaviour. They saw the warning signs. But the officers left after the killer convinced them that everything was fine. No laws were broken. There was nothing they could do.
The response from those who actually could do something was predictable.
Appearing on Sunday’s “Face the Nation” Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn) spoke of the “horrific, insane, mad occurrences” of gun violence. He promised to push congress to revisit stricter gun control legislation. Similar thoughts were expressed by a host of legislators. Rule number one in politics. Never let a tragedy go to waste.
Blumenthal’s comments would be funny if they were not so pathetic.
How many more lives must be lost before congress addresses gun violence and the mental health issues that constantly come into play?
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Putin Secures Economic Lifeline While US Bumbles
According to the media the big story of the day comes from the White House where President Obama promised that those involved in the VA scandal would be held accountable.
The far bigger story comes from the Kremlin where the Russian government announced a $400 billion dollar deal to ship natural gas to China over the next 30 years. The Russians will invest $100 million in infrastructure near the Chinese border to facilitate the transport. This unprecedented deal comes on the heels of a similar agreement last year which involved among other things $70 billion in upfront payments to Russia from the Chinese. China has said that it will invest another $20 billion in domestic projects within Russia and expects to increase its investment in Russia fourfold by 2020.
The Russian economy is struggling, their infrastructure crumbling, and their cash reserves held hostage by western sanctions. Russia is in dire need of cash. The only thing Russia has to offer the rest of the world economically is energy…lots of it. But their primary customers are the European markets that are now pulling back in anger over Putin’s invasion of Crimea and Ukraine. The Russians are cash poor with seemingly no one willing to buy their primary source of income.
Enter China! The Chinese do not share the western world’s indignation over Putin’s aggression. The Chinese desperately need energy sources to fuel their growing economy…lots of it. Russia can provide all the energy they need. China has plenty of money to invest. A deal is struck. A marriage made in heaven. No longer dependent on European markets, Putin can now continue his western expansion without fear of economic repercussions.
And where was the world’s loan superpower while this deal was being struck?
The US is on the verge of becoming the world’s largest producer of oil and natural gas. The only thing standing in our way is us. Democrat leaning environmentalists threaten to withhold millions in campaign contributions if the White House tries to mine our greatest natural resource. Conservative groups block anything that might give the White House a win. We should be finding ways to extract the gas and oil resources we have in a manner that does not endanger the environment. That requires investments in infrastructure and research and development. Partisan gridlock prevents us from moving forward.
Take the Keystone Pipeline for instance. The Canadians are going to transport their oil sands to refineries on the coast. They can either do it across the US to our refineries in Texas us or find another partner. The project will create jobs and improve our economy. Environmental concerns are legitimate. Surely we can find a way to address environmentalist concerns while moving this project forward.
The Chinese needed reliable sources of energy. They found a willing partner in Russians. It should have been us cutting that deal. Instead Putin is a hero and Russia gets handed an economic get out of jail free card.
Meanwhile we sit on the sidelines playing with ourselves.
The far bigger story comes from the Kremlin where the Russian government announced a $400 billion dollar deal to ship natural gas to China over the next 30 years. The Russians will invest $100 million in infrastructure near the Chinese border to facilitate the transport. This unprecedented deal comes on the heels of a similar agreement last year which involved among other things $70 billion in upfront payments to Russia from the Chinese. China has said that it will invest another $20 billion in domestic projects within Russia and expects to increase its investment in Russia fourfold by 2020.
The Russian economy is struggling, their infrastructure crumbling, and their cash reserves held hostage by western sanctions. Russia is in dire need of cash. The only thing Russia has to offer the rest of the world economically is energy…lots of it. But their primary customers are the European markets that are now pulling back in anger over Putin’s invasion of Crimea and Ukraine. The Russians are cash poor with seemingly no one willing to buy their primary source of income.
Enter China! The Chinese do not share the western world’s indignation over Putin’s aggression. The Chinese desperately need energy sources to fuel their growing economy…lots of it. Russia can provide all the energy they need. China has plenty of money to invest. A deal is struck. A marriage made in heaven. No longer dependent on European markets, Putin can now continue his western expansion without fear of economic repercussions.
And where was the world’s loan superpower while this deal was being struck?
The US is on the verge of becoming the world’s largest producer of oil and natural gas. The only thing standing in our way is us. Democrat leaning environmentalists threaten to withhold millions in campaign contributions if the White House tries to mine our greatest natural resource. Conservative groups block anything that might give the White House a win. We should be finding ways to extract the gas and oil resources we have in a manner that does not endanger the environment. That requires investments in infrastructure and research and development. Partisan gridlock prevents us from moving forward.
Take the Keystone Pipeline for instance. The Canadians are going to transport their oil sands to refineries on the coast. They can either do it across the US to our refineries in Texas us or find another partner. The project will create jobs and improve our economy. Environmental concerns are legitimate. Surely we can find a way to address environmentalist concerns while moving this project forward.
The Chinese needed reliable sources of energy. They found a willing partner in Russians. It should have been us cutting that deal. Instead Putin is a hero and Russia gets handed an economic get out of jail free card.
Meanwhile we sit on the sidelines playing with ourselves.
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Fix It!
FIX IT! – The VA is the largest health care provider in the country. It is also one of the country’s largest beauracratic train wrecks. It has been for decades. The most recent allegations of VA incompetence, waste, fraud and abuse include the revelation that VA administrators have been intentionally altering the books to show that veterans are receiving treatment on a timely basis when in fact they are forced to wait 3-6 months to see a doctor. We now know that at least 40 veterans died while awaiting treatment at a Phoenix VA hospital. The Obama administration responded to the scandal by accepting the “resignation” of VA undersecretary for health Robert Pelzer…a man who had already announced his retirement in October of 2013 and whose replacement the Obama administration had submitted for conferment three weeks ago. The president made a campaign promise to fix the VA…twice. It has been six years yet nothing has been done. The Obama communications department said that the administration has invested more money in the VA than any previous administration. They called Pelzer’s firing an appropriate response. It would appear that the only agency more incompetent than the VA is the Obama communications department. Secretary of Veteran’s Affairs Eric Shinseki is expected to meet with the president at 10 AM today. Perhaps the secretary will be tendering his resignation as well. Accepting another “resignation” and throwing more money at the agency won’t fix the VA. The VA needs a complete and drastic overhaul if it is to meet the needs of our veterans. The president needs to fix it.
FIX IT! – The results of the first primaries are in and the GOP establishment had a pretty good night. Led by Mitch McConnell’s 25 point win over Matt Bevin moderate establishment Republicans countrywide posted victories over Tea Party opponents. McConnell celebrated by using his post election speech to label Alison Lundergran Grimes, his Democrat opponent in the general election, as Obama’s candidate. “She is the Democrat candidate because President Obama wants her to be the Democrat candidate.” Unfortunately for Senator McConnell that strategy won’t work. Republicans are just as tired of Washington gridlock as the Democrats. Big money Republican bundlers are making it clear that they are tired of investing in Washington if all they are going to get is more of the same. They want their Republican candidates to stand for something…to have a vision for the future. If the result of the mid-terms is more of the same Washington gridlock then what difference does it make if Harry Reid is majority leader in the senate or Mitch McConnell? Moderate Republicans seem to be convincing their more radical members that before you can change Washington you have to win elections. And in order to win you have reasonable candidates who actually stand FOR something. Thus far there is no apparent plan. Republicans need to fix this if they want to succeed in November.
FIX IT! – GM just announced another recall. 2.4 million GM manufactured vehicles are affected. This is the 27th GM recall this year. Say again…the 27th GM recall this year…15 million GM cars worldwide. GM says two more recalls are imminent. USA Today’s front page headline asks: “Are There Any GM CARS That Haven’t Been Recalled?” GM needs to fix this!
FIX IT! – The results of the first primaries are in and the GOP establishment had a pretty good night. Led by Mitch McConnell’s 25 point win over Matt Bevin moderate establishment Republicans countrywide posted victories over Tea Party opponents. McConnell celebrated by using his post election speech to label Alison Lundergran Grimes, his Democrat opponent in the general election, as Obama’s candidate. “She is the Democrat candidate because President Obama wants her to be the Democrat candidate.” Unfortunately for Senator McConnell that strategy won’t work. Republicans are just as tired of Washington gridlock as the Democrats. Big money Republican bundlers are making it clear that they are tired of investing in Washington if all they are going to get is more of the same. They want their Republican candidates to stand for something…to have a vision for the future. If the result of the mid-terms is more of the same Washington gridlock then what difference does it make if Harry Reid is majority leader in the senate or Mitch McConnell? Moderate Republicans seem to be convincing their more radical members that before you can change Washington you have to win elections. And in order to win you have reasonable candidates who actually stand FOR something. Thus far there is no apparent plan. Republicans need to fix this if they want to succeed in November.
FIX IT! – GM just announced another recall. 2.4 million GM manufactured vehicles are affected. This is the 27th GM recall this year. Say again…the 27th GM recall this year…15 million GM cars worldwide. GM says two more recalls are imminent. USA Today’s front page headline asks: “Are There Any GM CARS That Haven’t Been Recalled?” GM needs to fix this!
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
What Are You Thinking?
Today begins the six month marathon to the November mid-terms. Today primary voters in key battleground states begin to create the political landscape for the next two years. Even though these are only primary elections the results will play a key role in determining the respective party’s message moving forward.
Over the past several months both political parties have worked tirelessly to create a lasting image that they hope voters will carry with them into voting booth. We found ourselves wondering just exactly what that message might be. What is it that the Democrat and Republican parties want voters to be thinking about when they cast their ballots?
So we decided to look back over the past 60 days leading up to the election to get a sense of what the Democrat and Republican parties wanted voters to hear before casting their vote. We examined key conservative (FOXNEWS, Wall Street Journal) and liberal (MSNBC, New York Times) media outlets to ferret out the party talking points. For nothing gives you a better sense of what a political party stands for than the daily talking points their political hacks repeat ad nauseam. Ask any political operative any question you like…he/she will always return to the days talking points.
Here are our findings.
Democrats – In no order of importance here is what Democrats have been talking about in recent weeks: Immigration reform, gender equity, increasing the minimum wage, gay marriage, health care enrollment, immigration reform, climate change, new trade agreements, immigration reform and diplomacy first in foreign affairs.
Republicans – Again in no particular order here is what Republicans have been talking about in recent weeks: No, No, Benghazi, No, repeal Obamacare, Military intervention in Syria, Benghazi, No, Military intervention in Crimea, No, No, Benghazi, Benghazi, military intervention in Ukraine, the president’s feckless foreign policy, Benghazi, No, No, repeal Obamacare, repeal Obamacare, No, Benghazi, Benghazi, Hillary Clinton has brain damage.
Both parties talked about job creation but in a limited context as compared to the other topics mentioned.
Democrats seem to have a vision for the future on a variety of topics. You may disagree with their vision but at least they have a plan and you know where they stand.
Republicans do not speak of the future. Their focus is on military intervention, Benghazi and Hillary Clinton’s mental health.
Which poses this question: Why would you turn power over to a party who seems to ignore our future domestically, promotes an unpopular foreign policy and calls into question the mental health of an individual who is not running for office?
If you think we are being a bit harsh…feel free to perform your own analysis.
Over the past several months both political parties have worked tirelessly to create a lasting image that they hope voters will carry with them into voting booth. We found ourselves wondering just exactly what that message might be. What is it that the Democrat and Republican parties want voters to be thinking about when they cast their ballots?
So we decided to look back over the past 60 days leading up to the election to get a sense of what the Democrat and Republican parties wanted voters to hear before casting their vote. We examined key conservative (FOXNEWS, Wall Street Journal) and liberal (MSNBC, New York Times) media outlets to ferret out the party talking points. For nothing gives you a better sense of what a political party stands for than the daily talking points their political hacks repeat ad nauseam. Ask any political operative any question you like…he/she will always return to the days talking points.
Here are our findings.
Democrats – In no order of importance here is what Democrats have been talking about in recent weeks: Immigration reform, gender equity, increasing the minimum wage, gay marriage, health care enrollment, immigration reform, climate change, new trade agreements, immigration reform and diplomacy first in foreign affairs.
Republicans – Again in no particular order here is what Republicans have been talking about in recent weeks: No, No, Benghazi, No, repeal Obamacare, Military intervention in Syria, Benghazi, No, Military intervention in Crimea, No, No, Benghazi, Benghazi, military intervention in Ukraine, the president’s feckless foreign policy, Benghazi, No, No, repeal Obamacare, repeal Obamacare, No, Benghazi, Benghazi, Hillary Clinton has brain damage.
Both parties talked about job creation but in a limited context as compared to the other topics mentioned.
Democrats seem to have a vision for the future on a variety of topics. You may disagree with their vision but at least they have a plan and you know where they stand.
Republicans do not speak of the future. Their focus is on military intervention, Benghazi and Hillary Clinton’s mental health.
Which poses this question: Why would you turn power over to a party who seems to ignore our future domestically, promotes an unpopular foreign policy and calls into question the mental health of an individual who is not running for office?
If you think we are being a bit harsh…feel free to perform your own analysis.
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