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Master-Debater

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  1. Master-Debater
    Congress has just passed the “Protecting Families Through Self Arming Act” which mandates that every American above the age of 21 buy a handgun. The bill is expected to be signed by the newly elected President next week.
    In passing the act House Majority Leader Boehner said “This is a great day as it ensures that all Americans will have the ability to defend themselves in the event of an immediate threat to their person or family.”
    Rep. Anthony Weiner of NY spoke out against the bill almost immediately. “This bill is an incredulous overstepping of Congressional authority. Requiring every American to own a handgun is far beyond the scope of what our founding fathers believed.”
    Immediately constitutionality concerns were raised by Democratic aids who said that this goes far beyond any bill ever passed by congress before. Their claims have come under scrutiny as members of the GOP have brought up the Supreme Court’s ruling over the Obamacare mandate which upheld the idea that the Commerce Clause allows Congress to control all aspects of commerce, including non-participation in a market.
    GOP members in Congress applied the ruling of the Supreme Court as a basis for their mandating that every American buy a handgun stating people’s refusal to own a handgun has driven the prices of handguns “to an all-time high” while leaving American families in danger of attack from “drug gangs” and “people who wish harm to someone.”
    As the bill is expected to be signed by the President, the states of New York and California are expected to issue a challenge in federal court to overturn the mandate. Massachusetts, Illinois, Rhode Island, and Maine are all expected to join in the lawsuit. The lawsuit itself has been described as “a pointless waste of federal resources” by members of Congress who said that the issue of mandating a person’s involvement in commerce was already decided in the Obamacare ruling.
    Congress is expected to take up action on requiring Americans to buy US made cars to combat the increasing decline of US auto-sales next week with plans to take up the issue of American produced Electronics sometime in the future.
    Edit: I did this as a spoof of a future news report........apparently I looked 24 hours into the Future. http://www.argusleader.com/article/20110131/UPDATES/110131031/Bill-would-require-all-S-D-citizens-buy-gun?odyssey=mod|mostview
  2. Master-Debater
    As the tax debate heats up one would think that the fighting would be between Democrats and Republicans. Instead of this usual party-line fighting a fight within the Democratic Party has broken out and caused real fissures to form in the party.
    One the one side President Obama has worked out a deal with moderate Democrats and Republicans to extend the tax rate for all people as well as continue unemployment benefits for 13 months.
    On the other side of the preverbal front like is the Progressives and Nancy Pelosi who have flat out refused to sign onto any bill that does not get exactly what they want.
    The argument is not splitting among partisan lines but along left wing lines. The Progressives are prepared to levy a huge tax increase on the middle class out of their hate for anyone who makes money. They have begun to do what they accused the GOP of doing with taxes, take the American people hostage until they get their way.
    This morning the Democratic caucus voted to send the bill back to Obamas desk saying it was “unacceptable”. When they did this they sealed their own fate because just hours before both President Obama and VP Biden said there would be absolutely no changes made to this bill.
    The fight has clearly broken down between Moderates and Progressives in the Democratic caucus. Nancy Pelosi is once again leading the charge against America by holding hostage the middle class out of ideological spite. Nancy Pelosi has indicated that she will never bring this bill to the floor which essential dooms the hopes of the current tax rates staying in place and assures that every single American will see their taxes increase come January.
    This also has the added effect of dooming any hopes of passing the START treaty or DREAM act as the GOP has clearly said that they will vote against every single bill that comes to their plate until the taxes are fixed and the government is funded. As I type this the Senate has just voted to table the DREAM act 59-40.
    President Obama is not out of options for passing this widely popular tax bill however. He can have the Senate amend the House bill to become his bill and then vote on it. It would garner enough votes in the Senate to be sent back to the House and force them to vote on the bill. It is widely believed that the bill could pass in the House with a combination of moderate Dems and the GOP backing it against the progressives. The question is can he do it?
    Throughout this fight it has become clear that there is a real leadership fight in the Democratic caucus Nancy Pelosi has refused to do anything unless it is exactly as she and the progressives wants and Obama has proven to be more bi-partisan than people believe he is by reaching across the aisle to reach a deal that gives both sides what they want. Nancy Pelosi is set to become the minority leader while Obama will remain the President. The question then will become who is in charge? Pelosi will have no power to set agenda or pass legislature while Obama can use his influence to work to pass legislation as well as veto anything he does not like. This could be the last gasp of Pelosi as she realizes she is going to be ignored completely by the GOP controlled house just as the GOP were when she controlled the House. A bit of karmic retribution if you will.
    This bitter fight between progressives and moderates does not look to be ending any time soon. Under Pelosi’s leadership it has become clear that unless you are a progressive, you are unwelcome. Moderates took a very big hit in the elections last month and may think again about running with Democrats in 2012 if Pelosi is still the leader of the Democratic House caucus.
    SO what does it all mean?
    In the long term this could mean a few things. The most likely is nothing. Moderates and Progressives will eventually come back together under new leadership.
    Another option however is that Moderates will refuse to run with Democrats. In much the same way that the Tea Party has begun to primary RINOS it is possible, and has already been tried, that Progressives could primary anyone that is not ideologically left enough for them. The result of this would be Moderates and Independents running from the Democrats to either form a new party or vote for the GOP. The elections last month show that America does not want a left wing agenda and the Democrats would do well to realize this.
    In the short term it is much much more damaging. Not just to their decreasing chances of taking back the House in 2012 but to President Obama.
    In much the same way that President Bush said “Read my lips, No New Taxes” Obama has found himself in a “read my lips” moment. People often compare Obama to Carter but Bush may become the more appropriate analogy. If the tax rate for all Americans increases on the 1st then Obama will have virtually no chance of being re-elected in 2012. His numbers are already poor and not moving in the right direction for him to win in 2012 and an increase in taxes would doom his chances before they even got started.
    This would cause massive infighting in the Democratic caucus in much the same way there has been infighting in the GOP since President Bush’s departure. A real fight for the soul of the party between hard liners and moderates would break out and would be very ugly with the end result being a very damaged Democratic brand. None of this should be a surprise either. The GOP have been going through this ever since they lost control of Congress and the White House. Democrats would do very well to learn from the GOPs history to not make the same mistake.
    At the same time this entire wound is self-inflicted. The Democrats had, and still have until the next congress, super majority control in congress as well as control of the White House. If they were smarter they would have had this entire argument months ago and passed through whatever tax bill they wanted. They could have used a tax argument to deflect the argument away from the highly unpopular healthcare bill and instead into taxes where they could have had a proverbial “win”. Instead they stuck to their hard line leftist ideology and pressed ahead on even more controversial bills such as Amnesty and Cap and Trade. This entire debacle is their own fault and they have no one to blame but themselves.
    In the end the question for the Democrats is, are they willing to sacrifice the Presidency, middle America, the economy, and their parties chances of regaining power in the near future all over a progressive ideology? After jamming through a highly unpopular healthcare bill the answer very well could be yes.
  3. Master-Debater
    Two years ago many Americans celebrated as the first black president was sworn into office. With promises of a serious discussion on race and a new post-racial utopia all looked bright and well in the world of race relations.
    That vision of a post-racial utopia quickly went up in a thermo nuclear ash cloud as the “Race Card” was thrown around at every turn.
    Today, accusations of Racism are nothing more than a joke and a cheap political tool. What used to be an actual offense has turned into a joke.
    How has this happened? Why is it such a joke?
    It started, in large part, with the birth of the Tea Party. The Radical Left had no real argument to go at them with, so suddenly they wanted to paint the entire movement as Racist. Any reason a person might have to dislike Obama was ignored and that person was labeled a Racist. People suddenly were called racists for not liking the President and disagreeing with his policies. Nothing else mattered. If you didn’t like Obama, you were a racist. Period.
    The wide painting of the Tea Party movement as racist gained ground by many in the media. The more respectable media members ignored this and called it crazy talk while the insane and far left wing talking heads quickly ran around screaming “RACISM!” at the top of their lungs. All serious discussion on issues was ignored in favor of using a political cheap shot. At the time calling someone a Racist actually mattered. People took offense to it. Slowly, however, that changed. You began to see signs at Tea Party rallies that said “It doesn’t matter what this sign says, you will call it racism anyways.”
    An entire group of protestors was instantly and unfairly labeled Racist. The Tea Party group routinely said they were not racist and went out of their way to prove they weren’t. That did not matter too many on the Left, the Tea Party was racist, Period.
    With the unfolding charges of Racism by the Left some on the Right began to return fire. Right Wing shock jocks and talk show hosts began shouting calls of “Reverse Racism”. Reverse Racism in itself is an idiotic notion. Disliking someone on the base of their Race is Racism, there is no other term for it.
    These Right Wing idiots began running around searching for something, anything, that they could show to the masses as proof that Obama and his administration were Racist.
    The recent event surrounding Shirley Sherrod proves this. A right wing “journalist” showed a video of her speaking about what appeared to be her partaking in Racism. The Right’s talking heads sprinted into action calling for her to be fired and saying this was proof of Racism in the Obama administration. Just like the left labeling the Tea Party as racist, not all of them did, but quite a few did. In the end Glenn Becks calls for Context actually came true, context did matter. It did not matter to the course of the “controversy”, the damage was done.
    She lost her job and the Administration was forced to apologize to her for their quickly firing of her. Many on the Left quickly blamed the Right for her firing. Everyone else was at fault, and they failed to realize that the Obama Administration fell into a trap.
    Over time Racism charges became such a cheap political tool that the second someone was accused of Racism they had to be fired. It did not matter what they were saying, they were a racist and had to go. Period.
    No single person was to blame for the incident instead, everyone was to blame. People were so quick to point fingers screaming “NO U” that they failed to realize their own mistakes. The continued building and use of Racism charges led to her firing, nothing more.
    The Thermo Nuclear Warfare that is the use of the “Race Card” had built to a high water mark. The Right was forced to respond to the Lefts opening salvo and in the end both sides look like !@#$ and are full of nothing but idiots trying to score a cheap political point.
    The Media was not the only ones at fault though. Many members of the US House of Representatives said that the Tea Party was racist, some more covertly than others, and even went so far as to label them Nazis. This only threw Jet Fuel onto a raging fire. The Right responded in turn by slamming people in the Obama Administration as Racist. The Thermo Nuclear warfare only continued to build.
    So who is to blame?
    Everyone. There is not a single person in the US right now who is free from guilt. From the Left Wing talking heads who spread lies that the Tea Party is nothing but Racists to the Right Wing parrots who run around screaming “REVERSE RACISM” even the people who sat back and watched are at fault. By sitting back and watching people of a party you may support or agree with and not telling them to back off, you gave them your unwritten support. If you stepped back and said “woah hold on there buddy” then good for you. If not……Even I must take some guilt for this. I sat back and watched things unfold and did not speak up to say “don’t say that” when I should have. No one is free from guilt so don’t try to pretend that you are.
    Today Racism has turned into a cheap political joke. Instead of actually investigating what might be real racism people are too worried about labeling people who do not agree with them as a racist. All logic, all reasoning, all critical thinking is gone. Instead they just look at the person, scream Racist, and ignore anything else they may have to say. Calls from the Left that any Black person who does not support Obama is somehow less of a black person does not help. Calls from the Right that some evil black man is going to kill your babies does not help.
    Some people reading this now will say “YEA BUT THEY ARE RACIST” without realizing they are doing nothing but being a brainless drone. There are many people in the US who are racist. They are not, will not, and cannot be the norm. They belong to the fringes of both parties and show up at events for both sides. Both parties have racist elements on their fringes, and, since it is impossible to totally eradicate these people, that is where they need to stay. The Republicans, Tea Party, and Democrats are not made up solely of Racists, but they are a part of those groups. Go to any event for any group and there will be a Racist in that audience. They may not be overt about it, but they are there. It does not matter what your political affiliation is, someone in your party, is a racist.
    By claiming that wide groups of people are Racist without any backing and by running around saying that anyone who might disagree with you, for whatever the reason, is a Racist you have only helped in turn Racism into the Great American Joke that it now is.
    Note: This is not after any single person but the entirety of the political spectrum that allowed this to happen. I don’t care about Right vs Left….they all suck.
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