Tag: Fail

A Bill Wilson Op-Ed notes how Michigan Congressman Fred Upton would prefer to shoot 'gift horses.'

That old saying, "if you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything," is being proven true yet again by the Republican leadership in the House of Representatives.

Failing to embrace an agenda that would keep faith with the people who elected them, the House GOP honchos -- led by House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton of Michigan -- are about to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

As the uproar over millions of insurance cancellations began to build, Upton and his cronies devised a cynical plan to try to grab credit "for doing something" to address the real pain and anguish felt by American families.  ..

By Rick Manning

Republican Washington, D.C. insiders have spent the past month wagging their fingers at tea party types and telling anyone who will listen that these people just don't understand realpolitik and the "politics of the possible."

In a first reveal of what constitutes the Beltway Republicans "possible", Fred Upton, the inert chairman of the House Commerce and Energy Committee has introduced legislation to deal with the Obamacare problem of the day - people are losing their health insurance due to regulations propagated by the Obama Administration.

After bruising battles trying to stop, delay or defund Obamacare, Upton's politics of the possible is language that would allow, if they wanted, health insurers to continue to offer this year's plans to customers next year.

Apparently rather than push for a real solution to Obamacare now that some Democrats are approaching panic mode as their constituents and supporters are getting the higher premiums and dropped policies that the Ted Cruz's of the world tried to prevent, the possible politics crowd is choosing to push legislation that delays the problem for another year, and allows the politicians to blame the insurers when policies are cancelled.

Is it surprising that we lost the 8 seats while at the same time maintaining control of the state house?  Those state wide races needed the Michigan GOP to step up, but there wasn't any pretense of help or assistance.

God help us from benevolent bureaucracies!

"HOLLAND, Mich. -- Several weeks after a city zoning officer shut down his hot dog business, 13-year-old Nathan Duszynski and his parents are homeless.

The family was hoping Nathan's hot dog cart could help them through a difficult time.  Nathan's mother, Lynette Johnson, suffers from epilepsy and his stepfather, Doug Johnson, has multiple sclerosis. Their illnesses have restricted them from finding permanent, full-time work.

...

Nathan wanted to help out his family by selling hot dogs from a cart he bought with money he saved.

...

The city of Holland, however, shut down the business 10 minutes after it opened, informing Nathan it was in the city's commercial district where food carts not connected to downtown brick-and-motor restaurants are prohibited. The Mackinac Center's coverage of the issue has drawn national attention."

Unintended or otherwise, it is considered normal nowadays for government to hamper the opportunities of some, to favor others. A pretend scenario is certainly unnecessary for this family.

That was the amount reportedly offered to Schwarz for his campaign on their behalf. From M-Live

Former Republican Congressman Joe Schwarz said Friday he has decided not to run for the seat now held by Republican U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg.

Schwarz, of Battle Creek, represented the 7th Congressional District - which includes Jackson County - for one term in the U.S. House and lost to Walberg, of Tipton, in the 2006 Republican primary.

He had been considering a run in 2012 as a Democrat.

And even though the story doesn't mention it, he may still run as an Independent.

Some Republicans have consistently, even in the face of gains made by "tea party" conservatives in their party, shunned those gains, and pegged the new conservatism as "extreme."  Rather than embrace the ideas of responsibility and restraint with regard to government, they have instead attempted to scuttle reform efforts by those who were in fact elected under a conservative flag.  Such things as spending within means, and abiding by the constitution, to centrists, is tantamount to guaranteeing they would be unelected in following cycles.

So instead of promoting any message that is constitutionally legitimate, or perhaps even (dare we suggest) "righteous," it is far easier to put finger to the wind, and see where society would accept deviation from current conditions and then assume relatively safe positions.  Far easier to be "politically correct," slight those who share your party banner, and continue a path toward complete socialism for the sake of personal power.

And they call it "moderation," being reasonable, more "centrist."

And those who have no ability to stand up for anything they pretend to believe, proudly state that they are indeed milquetoast.

3 easy steps.