These are strange days, indeed. And interesting. Stand by for “stream of consciousness” transmission.

I’m a process guy. For as long as I can remember, I have enjoyed dismantling times to see what makes them go. In my adult years, that has taken the form of “how does it work and is there room for improvement?” more often than not. I despise those who can can only manage to lift themselves intellectually enough to identify a problem and go no further. far too many of those people, when we need problem solvers. Implied the same “problem solvers” will, because it has to be this way, get their hands, and maybe the rest of them quite “dirty” in the pursuit of making things better.

In looking at processes, I enjoy trying to find the core of the problem so that the “fix” might be done with the least amount of effort, while the effort in some cases will be enormous, going to cut the tap root directly is still superior to trying to kill a tree by plucking each of it’s leaves…

With those thoughts in mind, I get to the point of my current wondering:

What happened to the Republican Party? The title of this post conveys some of the problem, and thank God we have a number of our countrymen who still run to the sound of battle to offset the current trend at just about every level of government these days.

I think back to the President’s news conference and actions on November 8th, 2006. President Bush did not stand tall and face the changed balance of votes in the Congress with forthright consistency. I believe this was the day things went south. Well, actually the night of November 7th to be more precise, but the interviews and “conciliatory attitudes” couldn’t be showcased until the next morning. I am a supporter of the President, but wonder why he has stepped back from his upright stance he had from 9/12/2001 through the days before the 2006 election.

How does this factor in? The Republicans have fractured and jumped on the band wagon to try to exercise non-Constitutional control of the military operations of the country. It’s as though the team has lost its coach, and, seeing tough sledding ahead, they “separate” and believe running alone will up their chances of survival politically. Not a chance I’d postulate. That thought process doesn’t work well in the wilderness, nor when lost at sea. “we” as humans do better when we work together (which goes a lot further when trying to solve problems, too). This will be something I think history, and the electorate will not judge in a positive light when our days are looked back on.

I think the Republicans have lost their rudder and I just hope someone can step up to the plate to pull them back together.

Watching the Democrats since 11/8/2006, all I see is a more shrill “voice” to impose their way on the entire nation. They said they would bring a new conversation to Washington, and I’d have to agree, but it is in the form of demanding they have their way, not in bi-partisan open discussions to solve the problems of this nation. Frankly, there are big issues facing this country, and the majority party is frittering away valuable time by spending their waking hours merely trying to oppose the President.

That being said, for those on the opposing side of the political scale than I, it’s one thing to just stand up and vote your power in funding as a Constitutionally valid method to exercise “checks and balances” and quite another to waste time putting forth legislative work that will most certainly be turned down when reviewed in a court of law. You want a prime example of “waste, fraud and abuse?” The “slow bleed” strategy of the Democrats in the House is just that. For those who complain about $400 toilet seats in military aircraft projects, will you also put your elected Federal representatives on notice that they are mis-handling your tax dollars now, or will you give them a pass?

As many others have said, if Congress believes the will of the people is to get out of the Middle East and bring the troops home, that can be communicated loudly and clearly by just not giving money to the military.

“Revoting” how much authority the President was given is also a time wasting, cheap shot at halting the gears of the Nation. At least I have to acknowledge that John Edwards has the courage to say he voted one way and now has changed his mind. Hillary (the smartest women in the world, some would claim) just wants to pretend she was out-foxed. Think about that one: The “Shrub” who is the stupidest man/president ever according to many, out thought the smartest women in the world. If I were Hillary, I’d shut up now, before people realize a dumb man convinced her to do something she shouldn’t have…..

Lately I have heard accusations that the President didn’t plan adequately for this war. I agree, wholeheartedly. In retrospect, and in his favor, who could have predicted that after the deaths of 2996 people on our own soil, in a deliberate attack, that the response would have had to have included plans to counter a national and world press that would consciously not seek the truth, would accept as “news” fabricated stories, photographs and videos provided without fact checking from the enemy in caves and alleys of war torn towns, showing more Americans dying at the hands of a driven, brutal enemy, and then let the same culture demand they not be spoken of in terms to describe, at best their apathy and at worst their clearly stated blood lust and murderously conducted actions?

Who would have known to plan for those same things, pushed in the face of the world daily would be blamed on the man who was in a classroom of an elementary reading class, not having planned to, in cold blood, execute 2996 people on the same day? And, further, that that accepted meme would then cause a party out of power to use this as fodder to re-gain those positions where they could personally gain in political stature? Besides having to plan on how to combat an effort on an world-wide, internal to the nation and from without, war against us, by an enemy who would hide in plain sight, and chose to be stateless in order to confound the reaction to their attacks?

Just as the cry of concern that a fictional television show might influence someone to cross the line and commit crimes in and interrogation, the media is a powerful voice, and it’s not just “24” that may influence. Tipper Gore wanted music controlled, because of the influence. about 20 years ago, ads for smoking products were banned, as “the nation” agreed they were influential. As one talk show host said when wondering why only “24” was singled out: “If only ’24’ is influential, why are corporations spend $2.5M for 30 seconds of Super Bowl air time?” Because the media influences, plain and simple.

Quite honestly, I wonder at the depth of understanding of those in leadership who would trust the polls of the American public to guide their policy positions. For one, they were elected to be leaders, and not to just follow the crowd (which is why, duh!, we refer to them as leaders). Secondly, if they haven’t figured out we are kind of fickle in our positions, then they really have lost touch with the regular Americans and don’t comprehend the comings and goings of fashions, music, the “coolest” cellphone, the hottest movie, the “in” band/musician, do they?

So, to wrap up some random, yet connected thoughts on the state of the Union, it occurs to me that constancy, vision and dogged determination in the face of adversity has been the quality that has served this nation, in public and private affairs the best. Bickering over the “how” of the “how to get the job done/problem solved” is wasted energy and, with the issue of global warming being the impending death of Mother earth, I’d suggest the exhaled breath would serve us all better if it was used to form sounds of conversations about making the future safe for us now, and our heirs later, rather than used to call names and quibble over who had better grads in college/law school.

From here, I return to my regularly scheduled analysis of just what the heck is going on. I refuse to publish a timeline for my plan, just in case you are going to demand one.

Real solutions to the real problems can be submitted in the comments section below.

“Fairness” provided by comments section below.

Common sense and reality accepted.

Crossposted at: The Wide Awakes

Tracked back at: Third World County,