I was listening to several campaign debates on C-SPAN and came across the Braley-Ernst debate in Iowa. This is a U.S. Senate race, so it's pretty important.
During the debate there were several moments when I thought Ernst lost touch with reality for a while. She smiles a lot, so it's hard to know whether she is experiencing something ecstatic or is merely following the advice of her "hard-working Iowan" campaign staff.
When asked about things she opposed she mentioned several things which aren't actually laws yet. On another occasion she was talking about tax reform and sounded entirely interested until she ended by saying she hadn't actually endorsed anything.
What I wonder is why nobody asks these Right-Wingers (are they all Right-Wingers in Congress now?) if they would be willing to vote for anything (anything at all) which Pres. Obama or indeed any Democratic president said they supported? I have a feeling they would all flinch and begin having spasms while trying to find a way to sit on the fence: opposing Democrats and sounding normal-ish when it comes to reasonable ways forward for America.
Is there anything these Right-Wingers would vote for if Pres. Obama had said publicly he would sign into law?
Even candidates like West Virginia's Shelley Capito (R-WV) try to sound entirely normal, but their practice in Washington has been to vote the party line -- and that is controlled by the far Right branch of the Congressional Republican caucus. Even Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) won't oppose them as he would lose his job.
Could Ernst or Capito vote for a minimum wage increase, knowing Pres. Obama would sign it into law?
America's Billionaires Are Getting Richer, What of Poorer Americans?
I'm almost amazed the president has been so free to (essentially) go to war in Iraq & Syria against ISIS. Generally the Congress demands an opportunity to debate it and vote for the war (if only to grab political credit for being hawkish) and in this case (as well as a year ago when the president wanted to go into Syria to get rid of Assad) the Congress, particularly the House Republicans have refused to vote. Why? Maybe, despite their desire to vote for war and killing, they just can't vote for something the president would agree to. That's beyond Right-Wing, that's asinine.
Democrats should challenge a few of these Republican candidates to some basic questions: can they ever vote for something, or even say publicly they endorse it, knowing the president may say publicly he endorses it too and would sign it into law if it gets to his desk?
In Kentucky Senator (and Republican Leader in the U. S. Senate) says he's against this and that and that his opponent, Alison Grimes (D-KY) sides with Pres. Obama. Yet, Mitch won't say why his job doesn't involve improving the economy, so more people can get jobs. Mitch won't say why people don't deserve some kind of pay raise as their productivity and the overall economy improves (and as billionaires get richer).
Are Republicans willing to say publicly they would vote against anything if it appears Pres. Obama is for it? Against an improving economy? Against National Security (as in the case of fighting ISIS)?
Where are the not so Right-Wing Republicans? Until I see any on the horizon I think America is better-off voting for Democrats who can work for America instead of just their own re-elections.
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