Thank God. We're Saved!

Joe Manchin and and Jon Huntsman, "Turning Congress' partisans into problem solvers." January 13

LISTEN, first, can anyone explain to me th' fuck could take something called The Feminist and the Cowboy seriously? Forget the fact that we're supposed to believe that forty-year-old feminists are yet ill-prepared to meet handsome strangers in tight-fitting jeans.  Let's have a look at what the Real Man looks like. Over to Rosin's review of a week earlier:

The verbal instructions the cowboy gives Valdes once she agrees to submit to him are a guide to daily living. No back-talking; no second-guessing; no sarcastic, smart-ass remarks. She must never exit the car unless he opens the door for her. She must never walk on the street side of the sidewalk.

In what sort of female fantasy world do Real Men worry about this sort of shit? That's not a man's outlook. It's a collection of political tics from the Christian Right. You'd think a life-long feminist might'a picked up on that sort of thing in one of her four decades. Just like you think the Marlboro Man there might'a extended his concern and respect for the weaker sex into not using them as sex toys.

But then I guess he wouldn't be masculine.

Rosin says that in the galleys the book was called Learning to Submit. What was wrong with The Hack and the Hackie? You can't see the fit of a cab driver's jeans?

If we can't spot obvious, self-serving phonies in wholly manufactured settings, what hope is there with this?

Joe Manchin, a Democrat, represents West Virginia in the U.S. Senate and is one of the two dozen “Problem Solvers.” Jon Huntsman, a former governor of Utah, was a Republican candidate for president last year. They are the national leaders of No Labels.

Shit. So Just Anybody can publish a WaPo opinion piece? (Asked, and answered, long ago, I know.) Jon Huntsman, who was the slightly sane wingnut alternative in the glorious Republican primary season just past, managed to narrowly avoid ever outpolling anyone, including Tim Pawlenty, Herman Cain, Haley Barbour, and Oliver Closoff. Senator Joe Manchin receives a stocking full of coal from Santa each Christmas, which he promptly exchanges for Krugerrands at the preferred Gentlemen's Club rate. If there's any change left over he uses it to nickel and dime the EPA.

Much ink has been spilled over what’s wrong with Washington. 

The rise of partisan media, too much money in politics and congressional gerrymandering that rewards ideologues with safe seats have all been offered as diagnoses for government dysfunction. 

These explanations are accurate — but almost totally irrelevant to the urgent challenges at hand.

 

"If we are to continue to fail to address the actual reasons for Washington gridlock, not to mention the serious issues behind them, it is vital that we agree to pretend our pants are on fire."

The American people can’t just hope for the creation of a better “system.” Reducing money in politics and building a better election system are worthy and important endeavors — but they are tough, multi-year, state-by state slogs.

"You people are fucked. Won't you at least help us bail ourselves out? For the sake of simple decency?"

We need to attempt those things and to seek solutions now from the system and the leaders we already have. Businesses are not hiring, and investors are not investing as a direct result of the uncertainty created by Washington. Too many would-be workers are not working. The coming generations are being doomed to a worse standard of living than previous generations.

Yes, uh, Your Eminences? Jim Riley, Clueless Gazette. Yeah, listen, aren't you already making an argument just in the shape of a description? I mean, thanks for including "the workers" in there, at the back, an' all, but what makes the government…

Knowing that should light a fire under everybody in Washington. But it hasn’t. The gridlock continues, most recently with the “fiscal cliff” fiasco, and the fight over the debt ceiling looms.

Of course, these were both wholly artificial constructs of this do-nothing Congress you're so on about, or belong to, so you're urging us to ignore them, right? Right?

From our perspective, there is only one way for leaders in Washington to step up: They need an attitude adjustment. Everyone needs to be willing to sit down with anyone — conservative, liberal or anyone in between — to work together to achieve success for our nation. Everyone needs to recognize that principled and deeply held political beliefs don’t require an all-or-nothing approach to governance and that the letter behind a person’s name does not automatically make them stupid or treasonous.

Tell ya what, though. I'll give you a million dollars for every Democrat who's committed treason, and you give me a million bucks for every Republican who can't explain the reproductive process in the human female.

To be clear, we are not naïve about the challenge of fostering cooperation across the aisle.  

There are philosophical differences between Democrats and Republicans that can’t be papered over with nice words about civility.  

But adopting an attitude focused on problem solving is a deeply pragmatic response to Washington’s dysfunction. With Democrats controlling the Senate and Republicans controlling the House, no one can get everything they want. We will either work across the aisle to fix problems or we will achieve nothing.

Luckily, we are not the only ones who recognize this. On Monday morning, the group No Labels — a collection of Democrats, Republicans and independents dedicated to promoting a new politics of problem solving — will unveil two dozen “Problem Solvers”: a group of House and Senate members evenly split between Republicans and Democrats who have agreed to hold monthly meetings in 2013 to build trust across the aisle.Yeah, the sky's the limit.

This is a big deal. While in past years members of Congress used to interact regularly with members of the opposite party, today members of Congress interact very little with people from the other party — or even members of their own party in the opposite body. Members’ daily lives are dominated by party caucus, policy and fundraising meetings that are focused on winning elections or destroying the opposing party. There isn’t much time left over to actually govern.

But isn't this Spit the Difference shit really a political victory for these very people, not The People at large? Isn't…

But the Problem Solvers can and will seek to change this. In the next year, No Labels’ grass-roots supporters will strive to expand the number of problem solvers, with a goal of recruiting 75 members by year’s end. This could transform how Washington works. And it won’t be long before members start hearing demands from their constituents to join the group. Millions of Americans who have tired of the hyper-partisanship have realized that there is an organized group that can finally give them a voice in our political system. They have gone to NoLabels.org and are telling their friends and neighbors to as well.

It's a Washday Miracle!

Despite the gloomy outlook in Washington, the United States has great potential and promise. The American people need their leaders in Washington to start supporting our economy and stop subtracting from it.

Lousy Mine Safety and Health Administration.

We can begin tapping our potential the moment we stop taking score and begin taking steps to start solving problems. That’s the only realistic way forward for America.

No Labels: No Solutions, But Plenty of Back-Room Deals '16!