Lily Tomlin famously said that “no matter how cynical you get, it is impossible to keep up,” and even though I have consistently expressed my unwillingness to embrace the corrosive cynicism that afflicts our culture, I have to admit that she might be right. Consider the following three examples:
EXAMPLE 1:
From the Washington Times, “Senate nixes GOP bid to have generals testify,” 10/2/09:
“In two votes the Senate rejected Republicans' attempt to tie Mr. Obama's hands and instead backed the Democrats' amendment that puts off any hearings from military commanders until after Mr. Obama makes his final decision on a new strategy in Afghanistan.
Republicans had insisted Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, testify before Congress on his belief that without more troops sent to the region, the war there will be lost. But Sen. Carl Levin, Michigan Democrat and chairman of the Armed Services Committee, said Congress didn't tie President George W. Bush's hands when he was planning the troop surge in Iraq, and that lawmakers should give Mr. Obama the same leeway as he decides whether to send more troops to Afghanistan.
"Nobody tried to have a hearing at that time," Mr. Levin said. "We should follow that same pattern here. We should allow this deliberative process to take place. We should not try to intrude upon it."
Suddenly liberal democrats in Congress have had an “I could have had a V-8 moment:” we actually AREN’T in charge of foreign policy! It’s the president’s responsibility, as it turns out! Back when we were attempting to prevent Ronald Reagan from ridding our hemisphere of Soviet communist satellites, and before that when we were ensuring the slaughter of millions in Southeast Asia by defunding our South Vietnamese allies, we just didn’t get that! Why, even as recently as 2007, as this story reflects, we did all we could to stop Pres. Bush’s plan for a surge in Iraq.
“In some of the harshest comments aimed at the president by any member of Congress, Senator Ted Kennedy used a Washington speech Tuesday to compare the situation President Bush faces in Iraq to the war in Vietnam.
The Massachusetts Democrat, who was among senators voting against a measure in 2002 giving congressional authorization for U.S. military action in Iraq, is taking legislative steps he says will ensure that Congress takes a firm stand. "That no additional troops can be sent, and no additional dollars can be spent on such an escalation unless and until Congress approves the president's plan," he said.
A version of Senator Kennedy's bill is being introduced in the House by Massachusetts Congressman Ed Markey, another key critic of Bush administration policies in Iraq.”
What were we thinking!
EXAMPLE 2:
In another amazing epiphany, some democrats have moved some stuff around in some long ago forgotten, cob-web filled closet and discovered an irrelevant, dusty document written by evil dead white European men, the U.S. Constitution! When did they decide to refer to this insignificant, quaint historical scribbling? Was it when they were discussing their scheme for the federal government to take over the health care system and threaten those who don’t purchase medical insurance with jail time? Was it when they were handing the man-god B. Hussein Obama and his union cronies General Motors? No. It was when Republicans in Congress decided to finally cut off the gushing spigot of federal funds (read our money) being funneled into the dems’ vote fraud factory, ACORN. Apparently, any denial of largesse from the tax payers to this criminal enterprise might be an unconstitutional bill of attainder, which is a piece of legislation that seeks to punish a particular individual or group, is prohibited by Article I, Section 9, paragraph 3. I guess it’s one thing to ignore the Constitution when they are trying to take over our economy and control every aspect of our lives, but let someone threaten to “punish” their pet racket, then, suddenly, it’s not only no longer an impediment to the wonderful things that they want the government to do for us, it’s a bulwark against tyranny. I
Cynical bitter clinger that I am, I’m having a hard time getting my flyover country pea brain around the notion that a denial of federal funds to finance vote fraud, intimidation shakedown projects and similar “community organizing” is “punishment,” but then I did go to a state university, after all.
EXAMPLE 3:
Barack Hussein Obama (MMM MMM MMM-sing along, won’t you?) on 9/23/09 at that asylum called the United Nations:
“We know the future will be forged by deeds and not simply words. Speeches alone will not solve our problems - it will take persistent action. So for those who question the character and cause of my nation, I ask you to look at the concrete actions that we have taken in just nine months.”
This was just the latest in a series of apologies in which our man-god president has basically said “I know America sucks, but I’m doing my best to fulfill my promise to remake it, as I promised in my inaugural address. Now that I am there to apply my healing preternatural touch, trust me. I’ll fix it.” (A list of Barry’s Top Ten Apologies is here.)
B. Hussein today in Copenhagen, on his errand at the behest of Boss Daley:
"Nearly one year ago, on a clear November night, people from every corner of the world gathered in the city of Chicago or in front of their televisions to watch the results of the U.S. Presidential election," Obama said.
"So I urge you to choose Chicago. I urge you to choose America. And if you do — if we walk this path together— then I promise you this: the city of Chicago and the United States of America will make the world proud."
Apparently the rest of the world is supposed to trust Sham WOW (Walks on Water) that by 2016, he’ll have sufficiently emasculated the Constitution, indoctrinated most of the population, increased the percentage of the population beholden to the federal government, and otherwise “remade” this “mean” country, so that it will no longer be the international embarrassment that it has clearly been until his sainted arrival.
Never mind. Perhaps there’s no inconsistency in that last example, and no cynicism in my observation about it. Everything is about the narcissistic, pompous, prevaricating, elitist empty suit who we have the misfortune to refer to as “president.”