We just celebrated 225 years of the ratification of the US Constitution. This written document contains many wise provisions such as: 1. The Bill of Rights’ guarantee of freedom of speech, press and religion. 2. Equality of all men and women before the law. 3. The principle of popular sovereignty, where the PEOPLE are the source of government, not the other way around. 4. The federal system, with a division of powers between the nation as a whole and the states. 5. The Separation of Powers into three separate branches of government.
This last provision is very wise as it allows for no dictatorship and requires that WE work together. The past four years we have not seen this at all. Just look at Obamacare. Not a single vote from Republicans for Obamacare. This smacks an affront to WE the People. We have many issues before us, such as the HUGE deficit and no budget PLAN or is it a hidden plan? We have not been WORKING together. The Denver Undecided Voters noted this and were impressed that Mitt Romney worked with a legislature that was 87 percent Democratic. It is my hope that with this next election that WE THE PEOPLE elect individuals who are going to WORK for US (Democrat and Republican) and address our issues as the US Constitution set up.
Ralph Willett
Gilbert
truth posted at 5:05 pm on Fri, Oct 5, 2012.
The Republicans have spent the last 4 yerar to defeat Obama, the Republicans have sent 54 bill to be signed by Obama most of them worthless. The Republicans are willing to destroy the American people and the U.S. to defeat Obama. All you offer is mouth very little facts just like a Republican.
My Take posted at 5:36 pm on Fri, Oct 5, 2012.
I would like to ask where have you been these last 4 years? There is no dictatorship, just a “do nothing”, extremely partisan congress who will stop at nothing to prevent this President from accomplishing anything good. This congress has set a record for the most filibusters, so stop pretending like you don’t see this.
Obamacare was debated for a year before it was passed. Republicans failed in coming up with a good alternative. All they did was complain about how much they had to read. Obama ran on it and the people want it.
Healthcare has been a topic that has been on the table for the better part of 60 years, it is nothing new. A lot of it was based on Republican ideas, but they just want this President to fail. They choose not to cooperate, that is not Obama’s fault. Republican voters elected this Tea Party congress, knowing full well they were there to obstruct. So don’t act so surprised now.
sockratties posted at 6:16 pm on Fri, Oct 5, 2012.
Ralph… I suspect Obama could have worked with a legislature that was 87% Democrat, too. Because the House controls purse strings they are able to gridlock government. Anyone who cares to do the math knows you can’t pay off a deficit without adequate income. The Fed operates on taxes for income. Wars are expensive. A recession means less income earned, ergo less income.
But don’t tax the rich. As if they’re investing their money now to create jobs. They’re holding on to it because it can be used to make a killing if Obama loses and rules and regulations go away. We can digress to before the great depression and run amok.
Gotta get the income somewhere. Take it from the shrinking middle class. The poor don’t have any and the rich are untouchable. Move the numbers around enough and people will lose track of the fact that you removed all deductions, cut services and left big oil, big finance and the rich alone while fleecing the middle class. Don’t make good economic decisions because if we recover from the recession, Obama might get the credit. Keep ‘em hurting and he’ll get the blame. Obama will lose the election and then the carcass can be picked clean.
Republicans signed a pledge to not raise taxes regardless of the need or reason. Who with any sense would take a job and sign a pledge that ties their hands before they even get started. They also stated that their number one objective was to make sure that Obama was a one term president, putting party politics before country.
There are actually some voters out there willing to send the same GOP representatives back to the House. When you keep doing the same thing over and over and expect different results… that’s one definition of insanity!
chatmandu002 posted at 9:47 pm on Fri, Oct 5, 2012.
Ralph,
Nice letter and very true. Obama has proven himself not be the leader this country needs and Harry Reid has proven himself to be the worst leader of the Senate ever. Obama and his administration are incompetent and we should let them go.
wdgnas posted at 6:18 am on Sat, Oct 6, 2012.
my take: merely the threat of a filibuster was enough to scare the democrats in the senate. too bad the democrats didn't call the republican's bluff.
when pressed about his budget saint mitt of romney kept repeating it will not cost a thing and ryan told fox reporters 'i don't have time to explain the numbers to you, it is revenue neutral'. which means that cuts in everything except defense are on the table. yes even the mortgage interest deduction.
Arizona Willie posted at 8:01 am on Sat, Oct 6, 2012.
Yep, Romney is fond of saying his tax plan is ' revenue neutral '.
He implies that reducing tax brackets and eliminating deductions and loopholes will work out so that it won't cost you any more than you pay now.
Although the phrase ' revenue neutral ' does not mean that it won't cost one or more groups more while another group pays less ( guess which group pays less ).
Although the Republicans want you to think that.
But, if his tax plan was truly ' revenue neutral ' WHY BOTHER?
The nation needs more money to pay on the deficit.
It is mathematically impossible to keep ' revenue neutral ' and increase revenue at the same time.
The Republicans have shown us what Romney's tax plan is. In Kansas the Republican Legislature recently rammed through tax cuts for the wealthy of up to 20K / year in state taxes while at the same time RAISING TAXES ON EVERYONE ELSE.
That's Romney's tax plan -- but he won't tell you straight out until you elect him.
My Take posted at 11:55 am on Mon, Oct 8, 2012.
Just want to address “Equality for all Men”. Any sensible American can’t say with any conviction that this President has been treated equally. Presidents have been mocked for their policy decisions, and called school yard names such as idiot, or stupid. The difference now is this President has been abused by Republicans regarding his race, religion, birthright, or his Harvard transcripts. It has gotten over the edge ridiculous.
It is clear to me when you look at all this congressional obstruction, that Republicans have a huge problem with African Americans making it and being in positions of authority. Regardless of what you feel about Obama, we still need to honor the seat he holds. I believe all men are created equal, but too many on the right don’t share that vision. Republicans shouldn’t throw the constitution in anyone’s face unless they are willing to abide by it themselves. You can’t just pick and choose what parts you want to follow.
Bluepoet posted at 11:59 am on Mon, Oct 8, 2012.
The principles of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights are lofty, and at the same time pragmatic.
The application of those principles has, to date, not been accomplished all that well, considering that We, the People are just that--people.
The one thing the original revolutionaries didn't really have any control over, was entropy. As time goes on, and we evolve (or devolve, depending upon one's perspective), this country is more and more challenged in its ability to thrive. We are diverse, we don't move in lock-step, and we question everything, incessantly. That's a good thing, and even a great thing, most of the time.
Unfortunately, it's a disadvantage, when it comes to quick actions needed to save ourselves. That is what we have been seeing, the past four years (actually a bit longer, probably). There is a struggle for power going on in our government, and We, the People are no more the sovereign, if indeed, we ever were...no, the strugggle for power is merely two factions of the rich, playing a popularity contest, while the rest of us pay for it...
The question is not who to vote for, next...it's when will the powers that be realise that they need to be the powers that were?
It's approaching time for a change, on the order of Ralph's 225 years ago nostalgia of what wasn't, but may have been...
DonMey posted at 12:35 pm on Tue, Oct 9, 2012.
Don't forget Obama's intentional bypassing of Congress. Libya - didn't ask; he didn't want to put his Dem friends in the position of having to vote for military action after they'd all been elected on how much they hate Iraq. And then there's he amnesty program, which the President doesn't have the authority to do. He could have said he won't deport them as (non)executor of the law, but he went a step further and gave them legal residency, which he has no authority to do.