OK, I get it! Republicans are sore losers and they like to spread the pain. To make the point that President of the United States, Barack Obama, knows very little about international affairs, especially what’s going on in the Middle East, they’ve unleashed an attack led by their number-one angry white male, U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona.
It’s sad to see McCain in this role. Yes, McCain, the man who has served his country for more than 50 years, a war hero, congressman, senator, presidential candidate, respected statesman — and the man who chose Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate. McCain attacks United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice solely because of his disdain for Obama.
McCain claims that he and the Republicans want answers about the embassy attack in Benghazi but, instead of examining and digesting the intelligence provided by the agencies involved, he launched an attack on Rice, even promising to block her potential nomination for secretary of State. Never willing to allow Rice to go through the process, nor extending to his colleagues the courtesy of forming their own opinions, McCain took it upon himself to muddy the proverbial waters.
McCain is angry and claims that Rice is not the problem; the problem is the president for failing to promptly tell Americans that Benghazi came under a terrorist attack by a group or groups that might be involved with al-Qaida.
Rice asked to go to Capitol Hill to face some of her Republican critics. Unfortunately, she basically walked into the Sore Loser’s Den and the meeting left more questions than produced answers. One attendee, Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee, suggested that Rice would be more qualified to run the Democratic National Committee than to be secretary of State.
Fiscal cliff
It appears that McCain is using Rice as the latest decoy to divert the attention of the American people from the reality that the Republicans just don’t understand the message the voters sent on Nov. 6, when they re-elected Obama. Instead, they continue to play games in an attempt to embarrass the president.
Meanwhile, the government is headed for the fiscal cliff — you know, a number of steps which, if not taken, could result in tax increases for you and me, spending cuts in areas such as education and social services and a corresponding reduction in the budget deficit beginning in 2013.
The centerpiece of the problem is the upcoming expiration of the Bush-era tax cuts and, if nothing is done, inaction would be devastating for the economy and potentially spark another recession, the third in 11 years.
The Obama administration has proposed avoiding going over the fiscal cliff by extending middle class tax cuts, allowing tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans to go back up to Clinton-era levels, investing in infrastructure (jobs, jobs) and ending
the Afghanistan war.
Republicans have turned up their nose at Obama’s plan, arguing that it spends more than it saves, and they are deadest against letting the tax breaks for the rich, given under then President George W. Bush, expire.
No specifics
But Republicans so far have not put forth any specifics about which spending cuts they would make to balance the budget. Don’t you hate it when people are at the negotiating table acting out their agenda but claiming they don’t have one?
If Congress fails to act, America will go over the fiscal cliff on Jan. 1. Why isn’t McCain launching attacks against his buddies in Congress for dragging their feet in taking care of the business of the American people? I’m not saying that the situation with Rice and the killing of our diplomats in Benghazi is not important. But I’d like to take McCain aside and ask him, “Is your disdain for President Obama worth your beloved country’s economy rolling down the fiscal slope?” I would continue by reminding him that charity and good deeds start at home. I would end the conversation with this question, “What the heck are you thinking? Is this how you show love for your country?”
Rosa Reed has worked in senior management positions in community-based and governmental organizations throughout a 30-year career. She was born in Cuba, grew up in California, is currently based in Key West, and is a graduate of Barry University, with degrees in in business administration and marketing. She may be reached at rosa123reed@gmail.com
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