Midterm Reckoning

Obama is having a tough run. The Bush Administration left the country in an economic jam that Houdini himself couldn't escape from. But can we really expect the average America to understand the rational underpinnings of anything beyond crude bodily functions, let alone a subject like the economy? We have been spoiled by a succession of quick fixes. Unfortunately they won't work with this one.

Americans are broke, and the Democratic Party is headed for a fall. The bail out did nothing except save an ungrateful Wall Street and never trickled down to the peeps. It will be fine with me to play defense for a while. See if the Repubs can unravel health care and financial reform. I figure that the american people deserve whatever they get. And boy are they going to get it.

Unfortunately centrism is a totally dead duck. The parties have been repopulated at the fringe. Good, conservative, stalwart republicans like Robert Bennett and Lisa Murkowski were not extreme enough for the new GOP faithful, who now desire a bit of raw red meat. The current Tea Party candidates are real beauts, these babies will make Michelle Bachmann look as liberal as Jane Fonda.

People like Christine O'Donnell in Delaware, running for the Senate, who wants to outlaw masturbation.  "The Bible says that lust in your heart is committing adultery. So you can't masturbate without lust." One of her former staffers put out a video that suggests that her Republican opponent is gay. “Isn’t Mike Castle cheating on his wife with a man?” a voice asks asks on the video posted on Liberty.com.

Or Sharron Angle, who wants to do away with Social Security and unemployment benefits. Because “They violate the First of the Ten Commandments prohibiting idolatry.”

And will not disavow her statements that domestic enemies of the United States reside in both the Senate and House. And refused to support any help for victims of Hurricane Katrina.  A woman who campaigned against black jerseys for the local high school football team because black is an evil color.

Or Joe Miller in Alaska, who is against Social Security and Medicare and wants to take over 178 million acres of federal land. Including Denali National Park and ANWR.

My conservative friends take offense when I question the racial hostility that has erupted in their party. They hate Obama viscerally. Their anger is real, palpable and about to be heard very clearly. I give the president the courage for trying while in a tough spot. But something is clearly not working. I read somewhere recently that his problem is that he is so reasonable. He wants to be liked and he is always the gentleman. Would that he was a bit more of a street fighter. Say what you want about Slick Willie, he managed to push forth bipartisan legislation, something we have not seen since his tenure. He was a much more sophisticated political animal.

So I end this by saying all you fiscal conservatives who like to talk about your social liberalness, enjoy the next cycle. All you FCSL's, watch out while your new buddies dismember Roe V. Wade. Hope that no one in your family ever has an unwanted pregnancy. Explain to your gay friends why your concern for your pocketbook trumps their civil rights for now. Privatize Social Security and see what shenanigans those nice folks on Wall St. have in store for the elderly. Show a little tough love and take all the free milk away from the kindergartners. Bulldoze the National Park system and give away a few more oil leases.

You have not been fair with this president. He is as much a Marxist as Ronald Reagan was. The faith based side of your party is getting ready to devour whatever is in its path. Your new southern cousins have stole the family silver, drank all the whiskey and are half way through the gin. And they don't plan on ever leaving.

I will sit on the sidelines and eat popcorn, that is if they don't burn me at the stake. As a conservative merchant in town said to me the other evening, "we're warming up the tar for you."

This country is owned by the corporatists and very soon they will be back running the show. Be careful what you wish for.