I really would've thought that this year was to be the year of civility in Congress after the events of Tuscon, AZ back in January. Instead we've gotten nothing the entire year but constant bickering and an extreme right-wing agenda based on a few people that are there. No wonder Congress has a 14% approval rating. No one is willing to work together long enough to solve the problems of our country without trading twice as many insults. Now I may be a Democrat at heart, I am not happy with either party for what's gone down this year.
This is on both parties and it's not a good thing either. When the Democrats were in control of both chambers of Congress, they didn't include the other side in any of their affairs as they rammed through the healthcare legislation without any input from the Republicans. They lost the House of Representatives over it and most of them were kicked out. Not to mention this out of control spending that still grips Washington today.
As for the Republicans, they are just as much to blame as the Democrats when it comes to the culture of politics. Since the beginning of the year, they have done very little to ease the concern of Americans regarding the job front and spent most of the summer with the debt ceiling debate which got us nowhere. All that came out of it was a defiant Tea Party (I'll get to them in a few moments) a piece of crap deal that resulted in S&P, one of the three major rating agencies, downgrading our credit rating. They have shown a constant unwillingness to work with the President on anything of substance.
Now for the President. President Obama has done the best he could when it comes to the economy but unfortunately it hasn't been good enough. Unemployment's still over 9% and the housing and job markets are still a wreck. We do know that on Sept. 8, he will speak before a joint session of Congress with a detailed jobs initative. This better be worth it as that's the day the NFL season gets started. He needs to show that there's a clear path to creating jobs and restarting this stagnant economy. This may be his last chance to convince the people that he does have a plan otherwise he will be out next November.
Finally I'll get to the Tea Party. For those who don't know, the Tea Party is a movement led by the far right-wing fiscal conservatives. Now some of their beliefs I do agree with such as low taxes and cutting back spending. My problem comes from their unwillingness to compromise with their own party or anyone else when it comes to fiscal issues like the debt debate we had over the last three months. They didn't believe in raising any kind of revenues for any reason. Yes Washington does have a spending problem but with the way the economy is right now, we need to increase revenue to offset the cuts but I'll get into that in my final thoughts.
In closing, I'd say that Congress needs to be overhauled in more ways that I can count. With no one willing to compromise on anything and a President who's not showing true leadership, it may be time for another change. Most of those in Congress have been there far too long and need to go and these extreme take or leave it positions both sides are taking needs to stop. The American people are tired of the speeches, the bickering and the overall nature of this do-nothing Congress. They need to remember that they work for us and not just for the money or the lobbyists. Stop protecting the well off and do something for those who are trying to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table. That's the thing that both sides have forgotten and it's a sad thing.
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