Shocking! Simply Shocking! I couldn’t make this up if I tried. This is a very good article, but it is very selective about who it is condemning. The media has gone after Palin, Bachmann, and Paul in particular because these candidates have some very specific views on political and foreign policy. When asked to condemn or defend those views, they have refused to give an answer, claiming that they are non-partisan. I get that–this isn’t about the political positions those candidates take, it’s about the way they present those views. If I’m not mistaken, the candidates themselves would be the first ones to point out that they are non-partisan, if you asked them. I don’t think it’s a bad thing to say that Palin and Bachmann are attractive and relatable, even when they are wrong. But like all things, there is a line at which your presentation crosses from non-partisan and relatable to unacceptable and un-appealing. We can criticize this sort of presentation and criticism, because those are real human weaknesses. If we don’t, we aren’t doing our job. In addition, it’s easy to put down Palin as the poster child of the Tea Party. Who doesn’t want to paint all tea partiers as ignorant morons? She is certainly a leader of the Tea Party and that gives her a prominent voice to speak. But this article is about the more moderate politicians, who don’t have a voice so distinct from the extreme voices. They are being attacked because of their more moderate views that have been taken as the face of the Tea Party. Bachmann isn’t even a part of the Tea Party; why are you picking on her? The author herself is a Democrat. I didn’t vote for President Obama, and I have very little respect for him, but he was the right man for the job, and there is no question that the Republican party has no regard for their party. They are the best and most qualified party to govern, with a diverse range of experienced and smart candidates. Yes, Obama’s campaign was a great show, and you see how it inspired the “Occupy” protests around the country. But I’m not going to go on record saying I believe Obama was a Democrat just because he spoke well. I was on the fence, but my vote was for Romney. He would have done what he said he would, as was proven by his very successful healthcare plan that saved businesses billions of dollars. If he hadn’t done so well, and if we were still in such an economic crisis, the Democrats would have taken the loss. Obama isn’t a bad guy–just a bad candidate. We are in a very difficult situation with a very divided country, so it is imperative that we maintain control of the White House and the Congress as well as maintaining our influence internationally. We are living in an age where America must get its act together and be a leader in the world. If you want to change that, then keep your head buried in the sand and keep blaming the Democrats. We the People, I’ve been telling people that we are entering a pivotal moment in America. The tea party is becoming a powerhouse, and while we are still small, there are a lot of people who are listening. Sooner or later, we are going to need a leader who is moderate, reasonable, understanding, caring and caring for the country, regardless of what you think of their personal ideologies. When they run out of people who have enough influence to win a battle, the party starts to lose momentum and we are going to be stuck with what we get. My two favorite presidents are Jefferson and Lincoln. If we can’t pull together and work on our shared problems, we will never become that great nation Jefferson wanted us to become. Until the people decide that the American way is no longer the best way, we will still be stuck in political fighting. And the fighting between groups is doing more damage to the very fabric of our country and keeping us from reaching our full potential. This country could be so much better. That was the promise of the revolution, and that is what our founding fathers signed up for. We need a leader who will uphold that promise and be unifying instead of divisive. Well, you are a little late to that party. There have been a lot of things going on behind the scenes while you were busy getting your news from Leno. So let’s get into it, shall we? The biggest story has been the continued fighting between the Tea Party and the RINOs, and the Republican Party establishment, specifically regarding health care reform. A lot of the Tea Party members are angry over recent events–mainly the idea that the House version of the “Affordable Care Act,” the one passed by John Boehner and the Republicans, is an expansion of ObamaCare, when it actually removes the government’s power to deny people benefits based on their health status. Instead of the Democrats creating a new bureaucracy, with an ever-changing bureaucratic monster, this act would actually do away with a large portion of Obamacare. This act does make me wonder how people can be against ObamaCare and not recognize the improvements it made in the bill? I was one of the millions of people who voted for ObamaCare. The idea that people are fighting against it is absurd, especially given that this bill removed many taxes from the plan, and left out a ban on abortion. We can’t have that, can we? Of course, those who opposed ObamaCare have always said it was going to be disastrous for the country, so we can’t help but wonder if that isn’t the case. We can debate whether or not it was good for the country, but it definitely was good for the people of this country. The bill that passed the House isn’t what Obama campaigned on in 2008, but it is a step in the right direction and it’s not like the Republicans did such a great job on their bill that they would have done even worse. This is America, people! Let’s see how they do. As far as the Democrats, well, I’m surprised that Democrats are trying to pass legislation to benefit the people instead of themselves. The only reason they are voting for this bill is because it’s a good way to prove that they can govern, while proving that they are a force to be reckoned with. If Republicans and the Tea Party were to pull the rug out from under them at this point, they’d be in a lot more trouble than they are already. I remember when Republicans were in control of both Houses of Congress, and then got rolled on by Bill Clinton. They still managed to have an impeachment proceeding against the President, despite losing their majority in Congress. That’s why the House voted to overturn the rule to extend the Bush tax cuts on the last day, for crying out loud. Congress is a joke. I didn’t think we were in this mess of dysfunctional government yet, and I’m sure we will get over it eventually, but how much more dysfunctional can the government get? So, Republicans are losing their House majority, but since they have the majority in the Senate, and are expected to pick up more seats in the House and Senate, they shouldn’t expect to be in this situation. They did some bad things, like holding healthcare hostage for a better deal, but the Democrats did some stupid things as well. If you want the government to fail, keep spending money that you don’t have and causing more problems when you can’t afford to bail out those who got in trouble themselves. The Democrats should have learned their lesson, but they didn’t, and now they have to suffer for it. They just made a bad situation worse, and now we’re in an even bigger mess. I was reading about the vote that went through the House yesterday, and the Democrats aren’t off the hook yet. With the “motion to recommit,” which means they are only going to pass the amendment if there is an overwhelming demand, it may not be so bad for them. I’m just waiting to see what President Obama does when it’s all said and done, and to see if we go over a cliff. All of this dysfunction is going to affect the country long-term, but no one knows what the outcome will be. I’m not an expert on the issues, so all I can do is guess. Right now, I’d have to say it’s gonna be a rough couple of years. The Tea Party Republicans are in the process of trying to hold all the cards in a game where they can’t have a majority in the House. Yes, they’re playing a dangerous game, but if they lose, they lose. It’s their turn to play, and it isn’t a surprise that they would take the blame for whatever happens. It’s a win/lose game for everyone involved, and everyone knows that. The big question is what this country needs to change, and how we can get over our political differences and start pulling together for the betterment of this country. You know you’ve hit bottom when you realize that you can’t even agree on what the problems are.