The election is over, what is going to happen now? Will the Republicans stop Obamacare? Will taxes go up? Is the era of profligate government spending over? Well let’s take a stab at it.
Perhaps instead of asking “What now?” we should ask why are we going to have a “lame duck” session. Unless you believe that there is some overriding national crisis looming, the only reason for this Congress to go back into session is to cram through more of the unbelievably socialistic legislation that the Democratic majority now in power suspended in early September because they perceived further legislation would compromise their chances for re-election on November 2.
Before the election, it seems to me that they refused to take action on “cap and trade” because it was obvious that it would have alienated hundreds of thousands of additional voters. They certainly would have alienated further hundreds of thousands of voters if they had attempted “card check.” They knew that to extend the “Bush tax breaks” to all or only to the “middle class” that no matter which action that they took, for one or the other or none at all, there would have been further fury. Then there is the matter of the Federal budget … where they haven’t even begun. Nor had they begun to think of another round of raising the limit on the national debt. Some of the less radical among them apparently could see that the electorate had already been stirred up a sufficient amount.
So why did they opt for the “lame duck” session? Some will say that it was done to allow for campaigning for the elections, which is undoubtedly partially true, but I will offer you a more cynical point of view. The thinking leaders of the Dems could see by early fall, that to proceed at that time could be likened to a kamikaze attack on a capital ship. If they could cloud their approach to the quarry, they might still succeed, where if they approached in broad daylight they would almost certainly fail, the American people would defeat them. If they delayed further action on their agenda until after the election, the people, having already voted, would have no recourse to their actions. In other words, they had a chance to minimize the ire of the electorate, maybe not losing too many of their fellow travelers and if they failed they still had time to enact their pro-Marxist agenda because there could be no further damage to their members. The leaders of this regime know something that many of their opponents do not, that is … although it is difficult to enact a law … in the face of a determined opposition; it is orders of magnitude harder to repeal a law. This Congress and its President have been reasonably straightforward in promising “CHANGE” and in being very careful not to specify that the “change” is toward totalitarian socialism. These people are not fools, they knew that many of their number were on a one way mission and would not return, but they also knew that a surprise attack, carried out with much élan might carry the day. It was obvious to the planners that they must use all their might in one concentrated attack, for they were as strong as they were ever likely to be. If they could win in November, they could carry on for another two years, if not; they still had two full months to see their agenda to fruition. That was their plan as I see it.
In the “lame duck” session they can attempt cram through the Senate the already House passed “cap and trade” law. Had the election been kinder to them, the bill could have been brought up, cloture invoked and the bill passed on to the President who would undoubtedly sign it. The election of Kirk to Obama’s old seat in Illinois and the election of Manchin from West Virginia, who won his campaign pledging his opposition to the bill, muddy the water somewhat, but don’t forget the RINOs from Maine and possibly Massachusetts or Alaska who “in the interests of comity” might vote for cloture. Once cloture is invoked, the RINOs, including Manchin could vote against the bill, preserving their campaign pledges, and the bill would still pass. If this eventuality comes to pass can you visualize Manchin filibustering like James Stewart’s role of a freshman Senator in “Mr. Smith goes to Washington?”
The above legislative scenario would also essentially be true for the darling legislation of organized labor, the so called “card check.” I think that the Dems will take a run at both these bills.
The fate of the “Bush tax cuts” is a little murkier. I believe that the Dems will probably take no action on this law at all, for if they do not, their objective of a massive tax increase will occur automatically with the New Year. At that time, the “Bush tax cuts” bill could only be effective if it is re-enacted in its entirety by both houses of Congress and signed by the President, who would be sure to veto it. The alternative to this scenario will be some sort of Fabian “compromise” wherein the Dems will agree to the bill “for the middle class only.” The Dems like this type of compromise, because it is sure to provoke controversy, which allows them to further the chaos of their aim of class warfare. At any rate, this issue is a football game that they must play. Let me add parenthetically here my own much considered opinion, on which I intend to elaborate more fully in a blog at a later date, that graduated taxation is immoral.
The specter of this “lame duck” session casts a much darker shadow over the candlelight of freedom than most of us could anticipate.
What is the new Congress, convening in January, likely to do?
They may be confronted with the “Bush tax cuts” which are almost assured to have a “tax the rich” clause if enacted into law. If this abomination passes it is almost a cinch that those with investment capital will be looking for a way to save their money by moving it out of the US, thereby prolonging the recession.
If the Republicans in Congress are serious about their campaign promises, HB 1, repealing Obamacare, should be introduced on the first day of the session and passed out of the House to the Senate in 3 days.
Of course the Dems in the Senate will fight it, but because a lot of their members have to stand for election in two years, passage there is possible. It is without possibility that if passed by the Congress the President will not veto it. There is no possibility of the Congress overriding the veto. In this scene many Dems can claim to their constituents that they voted to abolish the law, but the veto couldn’t be overridden. The reason for this futile exercise for the Republicans is to get a record of how the Dems voted and the most important of these votes will be the one to override the veto, for there the true intent of each member can be seen. Of course, another favorite trick of the Progressives is the Fabian approach … that is “let us tweak this,” “be reasonable,” ” let us modify this a little” “politics is the art of compromise.” This time tried Fabian approach must be resisted: Why tweak something that you violently disagree with? Can you reason with radicalism? Why would you attempt to modify something with which you totally disagree? You don’t compromise with a proposition with which you totally disagree, you defeat it. If your Congressman starts to do this, yell like a mashed cat.
The only way that the Republicans in Congress and then only in the House of Representatives can fight Obamacare is to refuse to appropriate the funds necessary to implement it. If the Congress decides to live within its means, this approach is defensible and if properly managed will be found laudable by the electorate, but it will be a long, hard, name calling fight. This approach will work until a future Democrat Congress funds the law.
HB2, also introduced on day 1 should be a resolution freezing the national debt at the present figure. If this is done, there are two choices, cut spending or have the Federal Reserve print enough money to buy back foreign held treasury bonds, thereby making room for the treasury issue more bonds which can be bought by printing more dollars. One action would put our country on the road to recovery … the other would expose the ponzi nature of the Federal Reserve System.
Once the amount of money that is available from revenues is known, the new Congress would be able to formulate the fiscal budget that the Dems knew that they couldn’t or wouldn’t project.
It is very doubtful that the Congress will have the balls to face the country’s fiscal problems and if they do, it is extremely doubtful that the American people can face the facts, let alone suffer the agonies of the cure.
We have only heard from socialistic economists and their sycophants for years and of their totalitarian remedies. However, some of you new to the struggle may be amazed to find out that there are exceedingly reasoned free market ideas put forward by some of mankind’s greatest thinkers that address the solutions to these problems. We must, all of us, become conversant with the free market way or be prepared to sink ourselves or our posterity into a tyranny far more evil than that that caused our ancestors to leave Europe for the New World.
Oh! And what about Obamacare? It is like this; more than 23 of the 50 States are fighting this 2000+ page monstrosity on the grounds of its Constitutionality. The two main arguments are: (1) that the previous interpretation of the “Interstate Commerce Clause” by the Supreme Court upon which the Federal government relies has been too broadly construed; and (2) under the 10th Amendment (one of the Bill of Rights) the Constitution does not provide that the Federal government may provide for health care legislation, that being reserved to the States.
Presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Madison both pointed out that it is somewhat ludicrous for the States to rely upon the Judgment of the Supreme Court in matters of conflict between the States and the United States. In these cases it obvious that the States are appealing for relief from their tormentor. What do we do the day after the Supreme Court rules that Obamacare is Constitutional? There are remedies, but that blog is for another day.
One thing in answer to “What now?” … it is a helluva mess and the solution is just begun!