Friday, February 13, 2009

The Curious Case of Judd Gregg

Yesterday Republican Sen. Judd Gregg (NH) unceremoniously withdrew himself from consideration for Secretary of Commerce, citing irreconcilable differences.

I'm not surprised. Gregg actually voted in favor of shutting down Commerce a while back, and I was dumbfounded that out of all the Republicans our President could have chosen, he went with Gregg. It shows how far Barack Obama is willing to go in the spirit of bipartisan cooperation.

So what does Gregg do? He accepts the position, and then well into the vetting process he suddenly withdraws. Now, there's a couple ways to look at this:

1) Something came up during the vetting that he doesn't want publicized (maybe taxes, hookers, payoffs, you name it) so he took himself out of the running.

2) He hadn't been paying the slightest bit of attention to the policies of the new administration and waited until very recently to review them, and discovered that they're not simply going to continue Bush's failed policies.

3) The GOP wanted to either embarrass or weaken the administration, and had no intention of letting Gregg accept the position.

I'm leaning towards 1) right now, but I'm sure more facts will come out over the coming weeks. But what it does indicate is that the Republicans aren't willing to work with the Democrats to do anything constructive for our nation. They're much more concerned with playing partisan games and doing whatever they can to diminish the good will and potential of the administration.

It annoys me to no end to hear Republicans complaining about all the "earmarks" in the stimulus package. It's obvious when you examine the individual items, most (but not all) of them will directly create or save jobs. And while the idea of earmarks is a terrible way to govern, the way the system is currently set up makes them a necessary evil.

According to the most recently available figures, Connecticut receives only 69 cents back out of every dollar we pay in Federal taxes. And if it wasn't for earmarks, we wouldn't even get THAT! John McCain has made much of how he supposedly hates earmarks, but his home state of Arizona receives $1.19 (!) back on every dollar they pay, so of COURSE he'd be against earmarks!

You don't need earmarks when you can simply back up the Brinks truck to the Treasury!

Shit, I'd LOVE to get a 19% return on my investments right now! The sad fact is, my 401K is earning roughly what Connecticut earns on its money, about minus 30%. At this rate when I retire I'll OWE money!

Uh...I seem to have gotten off the track here. I started out by bitching about Judd Gregg's stupid move and ended up retired and broke! Jesus, I hope that isn't the way it's really gonna go!

Anyway, the original point I was making is that Judd Gregg is a dope, and he exemplifies exactly WHY those stubborn fools in the GOP will never easily work with an Obama administration. It's only been a month and already they've succeeded in setting the tone for the next eight years. Fine, if that's what they want, they'll become even more insignificant in the future.

In other words, the GOP is saying:
"Take your bipartisanship and shove it!"

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

You "progressives" who are investers are extreme hypocrites. 401K? Why not use that excess money and spend it on the poor? To hear of a "progressive" who invests in the capitalistic oligarchy is appalling. You sound no different than any of the pond scum ceos. Instead of playing the capitalistic game, you and the like minded should join us in eliminating the ownership society with it's caste system that we suffer under. Pure equality means just that, all labor rewarded equally without side ventures into enriching capitalists through wall street investments.

Authentic Connecticut Republican said...

>>The GOP wanted to either embarrass or weaken the administration, and had no intention of letting Gregg accept the position

We should live so long as to have anything near that much influence over our members.

CT Bob said...

You may be right on that ACR, but when it comes to herding cats, us Dems have got ya's beat!

Anonymous - I can't believe it. Out of a hundred million sperm...you were the quickest?

West Haven Bob said...

"...you were the quickest?"

I believe that you should most accurately consider his to be the least slow....

Anonymous said...

This pure equality party where all members are equal is getting interesting. Is it a good way to get girls? J.C. sr.

Anonymous said...

Actually jc it is a very good way to get girls especially if they are TRUE progressives who understand that equality can only happen when we all share EQUALLY in the wealth LABOR produces. My guess is that Bob and the other posters here regardless of political bent, all went to college and feel themselves superior to those of us who actually WORK. Btw sitting in a cubicle helping a capitalist get rich off of another mans sweat is sorta disgusting. YOU are nothiong but TOOLS of corporate goverment and sadly somehow you have deluded yourselves into thinking that you are progressives. However when WE get control YOU woill be janitors, but because we believe in equal pay regardless of job, you will be paid the same as us. See how it works? You have bought into the lie of america, and have helped the corporate oligarchs enslave those that actually PRODUCE the capital, yet true to our belief that no one is better than any other person, all will be forgiven and you will join us as we toast the destruction of the hideous beast known as the usa and our peoples will then join a true world community. If we all belong to one world then we are all equal. So hope and wish for a world leadership that eliminates countries and reconizes that we are all alike and have no need for so called nations competeing and sending our young to die in wars to enrich the capitalists of the world. Just think no money no wars true peace and a classless society. It is within our reach if we only take it.

CT Bob said...

Anonymous, I'd really like to see things from your point of view, but I can't seem to get my head that far up my ass.

Authentic Connecticut Republican said...

CT Bob said:

>>I can't seem to get my head that far up my ass.


Practice Bob, Practice.

West Haven Bob said...

Yeah Bob, practice.

Once you get it right, you can be a Congressional Republican...

CT Bob said...

LOL!

ACR, I wonder if Metamucil would help that guy get his head out his ass?

Anonymous said...

I guess the truth hurts. Insults are for those with no real answers to my ideas for a just sane society. You so called progressives (Talk about an oxymoron, when by supporting the capitalistic oppression we all suffer under you are anything but progressive) really need to reach deep down and try to search your hearts and find that spark of humanity that would enable you to see how a classless society based on total equal sharing of wealth whether a janitor or a person of higher ability is in fact the only way for a just world orderf. No countries, no profit how can any true progressive be against that? As the world spins out of control and societies collapse all over, this way of life is doomed and will be replaced by our vision. All we need to do is sit back and watch as you fools destroy each other.

CT Bob said...

I don't know what makes you so stupid....but it's really working.

Anonymous said...

Let me guess Bob, you don't want to share your wealth with the poor. Well it doesn't surprise me after you and the rest of the "progressive" bloggers supported the resident of white privligeville oops sorry cos cob himes for congress. Ah I remember he worked on wall street as... thats right a capitalist banker. But somehow you "progressives" can't figure out he is as much part of the problem as shays was. But he actually fits right in with the rich lawyers, capitalists and other assorted profit mongers who daily allow this immoral economic system to survive. Rather than trying to stimulate this satanic system of misery creating they should be destroying it once and for all. But like himes they all have a selfish interest in preserving it. That is why only a blind deaf person can fail to see the anger and desire for it's death that is rising through the labor class yhe world over. And thankfully americans are for the first time ripe for sharing in the destruction of profit. It may or may not die peacefully but capitalism is finished and those of us that the himes, shays bush's clintons of the world despise, we the lowly workers will have our liberation and those who have chosen to prop up the beast will have a lot of crimes to answer for.

CT Bob said...

When you were a child did you eat a lot of paint chips? I hear it can affect neurological development.