There is such an abundance of interesting events simultaneously unfolding that I feel like a mosquito in a nudest colony trying to select a target. So many targets, so little time. For a change of pace I've decided to highlight several unwinding issues with a synopsis of the good, the bad, and the ugly that will probably annoy the robotic voters of both major political parties. It's food for thought if you're tired of business as usual.
The Congress of The United States: Binyamin Netanyahu was invited by the GOP leadership to address Congress last week. Israel is our strongest ally in a turbulent Mid- East where Iran is the leading sponsor of international terrorism. Iran has convinced our administration to re-negotiate sanctions. The falling international price of oil was threatening to make them cry, “Uncle” as in Uncle Sam without new negotiations but the president is a determined guy. Netanyahu is painfully aware of the Administration's track record in negotiations and Iran's repeated pledge to annihilate Israel upon development of atomic weaponry. Threatened with annihilation and snubbed by our President, Netanyahu accepted the direct invitation from Congress to speak.
The President and a portion of the Democratic membership boycotted the address but the audience was still bi-partisan. What a thrill: listening to an address where the strong leadership Americans of all political persuasions crave, echoed throughout the Chamber. Harry Reid spoke for the boycotting Democrats: “ The GOP leadership had violated protocol by issuing the invitation directly to Netanyahu instead of going through the President.” What a crock! This is the same Harry Reid who didn't hesitate to jettison Senate protocol and resort to a nuclear option in 2013, when he was Majority Leader. That option eliminated filibusters for approval of most Presidential nominations with a simple majority rather than the 60 vote super-majority traditionally needed.
Don't worry my Democratic friends, Harry's hypocrisy is exceeded only by the incompetence of the current GOP leadership. More recently Mitch McConnell had the opportunity to also invoke the nuclear option and deliver to the President, a Homeland Security Bill that addressed the controversial illegal alien problem. Even a“ My way or the highway” President could not use his veto pen without owning the political consequences of not funding Homeland Security. His own party would have dragged him kicking and screaming to the negotiating table. However, true to form the Republican leadership snatched defeat out of the jaws of victory. The only thing that bothers me more than the hypocrisy of Nancy and Harry is the incompetence of Mitch and John. With many intelligent, patriotic, non-career politicians on both sides of the aisle, we deserve better.
The Pennsylvania Legislature: The Commonwealth GOP political leadership, who represent the majority in both Houses of the Legislature, are as cowardly and self- serving as their federal counterparts are incompetent. In last November's election they threw Governor Corbett under the bus to ensure their seats at the Harrisburg Hog Trough. The Governor had demonstrated rare gubernatorial courage by promoting the privatization of our antiquated State Store System for wine and liquor sales. Only two states have not privatized and ours is one of them. All the GOP leadership had to do was deliver a bill to Corbett's desk in the last month of his administration and he would have gladly signed it. GOP career politicians were afraid of offending public sector union bosses who promised retaliation against anyone voting for a privatization bill. The career pols, afraid of losing future reelection, folded like cheap suits and left Corbett hanging in the wind. Now the GOP leadership is proposing a bill to privatize the system, knowing full well Governor Wolf will veto it. What a sham to save face with the folks back home who deserve better.
The 2016 Presidential Primary Campaigns: Before the latest landmine of Hillary's private e-mail debacle exploded last week, she was the odds-on pick to head the Democratic ticket in 2016. The politically correct notion of the first woman in the White House seemed to give her enough body armor to deflect all the uncovered faux pauxs of her tour at the State Department. Now the Democratic party bosses are starting to panic. If Hillary becomes too toxic, who from the B team can they call on to take her place? Not Elizabeth Warren who is so liberal she makes President Obama look like Barry Goldwater. She has even lost the Native American vote since her four Pinocchio fib about her ancestry was exposed. V.P. Biden? Nah, scuttlebutt has it Hollywood has offered him the lead in the next Inspector Clouseau movie. The answer is right in front of the party's nose but then this former U.S. Senator is his own man and that scares party bosses from either camp. My pick for the best Democrat to head the 2016 ticket is the recently retired Senator from Virginia, James Webb. This retired Marine officer has served both Republican and Democratic parties as a patriot. Let him pick his own V.P.
On the Republican side I'll just cut to the chase since there is still a large field being weeded out. My team would be Scott Walker and former Secretary of State, Condi Rice. Flip a coin for who heads the ticket, they're both qualified. Dream on Lefty.
These are the thoughts of a former Harry Truman Democrat who became a Ronald Reagan Republican and is now a frustrated Independent.
Stratton Schaeffer retired consulting engineer and farmer who lives on Joe Hill.