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Pat Caddell: America has gone from government of laws to semi-political banana republic
Fox News ^ | November 21, 2013 | Patrick Caddell

Posted on 11/22/2013 12:03:55 AM PST by 2ndDivisionVet

The rule of law has been replaced in Washington by "yes we can." The events we witnessed Thursday in the Senate, that is Majority Leader Harry Reid's success at invoking the so-called 'nuclear option,' stripping the minority party of its primary power to block nominations, have become a stunning capstone to what has been already a steady erosion of a government of laws down to a sort of semi-political banana republic.

We are now living in a republic in which politicians do what they want without regard to tradition or the best interests of our country.

The rule of more than 200 years since the Senate was formed, as described by James Madison, to be "...the saucer of the hot cup of the House" has been overthrown.

The role of the Senate is to be a deliberative body. The rule of filibuster was overthrown Thursday by a change in the rules....

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Editorial; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: endofsenate; filibuster; harryreid; nuclearoption; obama; obamacare; patcaddell; rats
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

I agree 100%!


21 posted on 11/22/2013 3:45:59 AM PST by LibLieSlayer (FROM MY COLD, DEAD HANDS! BETTER DEAD THAN RED!)
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To: SunkenCiv

Exactly, omit ‘semi’.
The politicians do as they please, immune to the garbage laws they subject the people to and amass fortunes through shady deals and selling their votes.

If that isn’t the definition of a banana republic I don’t know what is.


22 posted on 11/22/2013 3:52:09 AM PST by Vinnie
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

the “fundamental transformation of America’ continues

a lot of people forget to ask Screwtape to explain in detail exactly what he was going to transform America into


23 posted on 11/22/2013 4:07:30 AM PST by silverleaf (Age takes a toll: Please have exact change)
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To: Jacquerie

Spiritual wickedness in high places. The D of c is an evil place ruled by the prince of the air. Few men are able to stand, most succumb.


24 posted on 11/22/2013 4:29:30 AM PST by winodog
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To: The Great RJ

-——Obama could declare himself president for life ——

And the Interstates to the North East will be shut down. Truck drivers valuing their lives will cease going


25 posted on 11/22/2013 4:33:25 AM PST by bert ((K.E. N.P. N.C. +12 ..... Travon... Felony assault and battery hate crime)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
The majority of the American people no longer have the, knowledge, courage or common sense to stop these kinds of shenanigans. Once the ruling class sees what they can get away with, as Caddell says, they will increasingly abuse their power.

My tagline expresses how I feel about America right now, and it isn't pretty. The second, unexpressed half due to lack of space, is "What are we going to do about it?" The answer is probably nothing.

26 posted on 11/22/2013 4:34:13 AM PST by Hardastarboard (The question of our age is whether the majority of Americans can and will vote us all into slavery.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Insightful from Caddell. He’s right. This move was a Venezeual-esque power grab of the naked variety.

What purpose does the senate serve right now (other than the obvious puppet functions of Obama’s regime)?
There’s no difference between the senate and the house after these changes. The house was intended to be a majority controlled chamber, where the minority had very little power and things could be done reasonably quickly. The senate was supposed to be far more deliberative, with a big check on majority power, so things could be slowed down and real debate could ensue.
If the senate now has the same characteristics as the house, why bother having a senate at all? It’s not as if it represents anyone that the house does not, after all, its not like senators are appointed by legislatures as they’re supposed to be.

Can anyone tell me why we should continue to pay for a body that just serves the same functions as the house? What’s the point? If our aim is to really cut out the gridlock and waiting time, why not scrap the senate entirely and turn that side of capital into a big Taco Cabana?


27 posted on 11/22/2013 4:41:38 AM PST by Viennacon
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Insightful from Caddell. He’s right. This move was a Venezeual-esque power grab of the naked variety.

What purpose does the senate serve right now (other than the obvious puppet functions of Obama’s regime)?
There’s no difference between the senate and the house after these changes. The house was intended to be a majority controlled chamber, where the minority had very little power and things could be done reasonably quickly. The senate was supposed to be far more deliberative, with a big check on majority power, so things could be slowed down and real debate could ensue.
If the senate now has the same characteristics as the house, why bother having a senate at all? It’s not as if it represents anyone that the house does not, after all, its not like senators are appointed by legislatures as they’re supposed to be.

Can anyone tell me why we should continue to pay for a body that just serves the same functions as the house? What’s the point? If our aim is to really cut out the gridlock and waiting time, why not scrap the senate entirely and turn that side of capital into a big Taco Cabana?


28 posted on 11/22/2013 4:41:39 AM PST by Viennacon
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To: winodog
Spiritual wickedness in high places.

No doubt. There is no aphrodisiac like power + money.

The solution is to change the structure of the senate. Change it from one that follows the whims of the popular mob, that discourages virtue, to one that looks out for the interests of the states. IOW, re-federalize.

29 posted on 11/22/2013 4:43:13 AM PST by Jacquerie (An Article V amendment convention is our only hope.)
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To: Little Pig

2 wrongs don’t make it right.


30 posted on 11/22/2013 4:44:58 AM PST by Mathews (Ecclesiastes 10:2 (NIV), Luke 22:36 (NIV))
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
The slippery slide into semi-banana republicanism was not just a problem with President Obama.

You could see this disturbing trend emerge in the presidency of George W. Bush. And it has only accelerated from there.

Well, it actually emerged in the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt, although Bill Clinton took it down several notches. GWB just took full advantage of precedents already set.

When a new President comes into office and immediately rescinds all outstanding Executive Orders, we will be getting somewhere.

31 posted on 11/22/2013 4:47:40 AM PST by Mr. Jeeves (CTRL-GALT-DELETE)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

“Banana”? “BANANA”? Dog whistle! /s


32 posted on 11/22/2013 5:11:53 AM PST by Riflema
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To: The Great RJ

I fear that our Republic is on its way to becoming little different than Venezuela or other banana republics run by tin horn dictators and corrupt politicians. Obama could declare himself president for life and there would be little more than a whimper from the GOP.

***
Makes me so sad to say that I agree with you completely.


33 posted on 11/22/2013 5:22:40 AM PST by Bigg Red (Let me hear what God the LORD will speak. -Ps85)
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To: Little Pig

the possibility of that

And thst is all it will remain, because the full power
of the government will be used to keep it that way.

I will continue to fight only because it is better to
die fighting than live as a slave.

Anyone who doesn’t see this as a turning point in the
history of freedom is blind. (not you but the LIVoter.)

I have never been this depressed about the future, we
see the deluge upon us.


34 posted on 11/22/2013 5:31:43 AM PST by tet68 ( " We would not die in that man's company, that fears his fellowship to die with us...." Henry V.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

If we follow the pre-Civil War script, I expect to see raids into each other’s territories, resulting in multiple deaths and atrocities. I still haven’t figured out, though, the likely scene for the reenactment of the shelling of Fort Sumter.


35 posted on 11/22/2013 6:42:17 AM PST by sergeantdave
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To: Eagles6
what was the "stupid" party supposed to do in this?.....maybe the stupid voters like those freepers that voted in bammey and al freakin....maybe we should start putting the blame where it belongs...

on every single stinking voter for perot, for frankin, for sarvis, and for every stinking third party idiot that sucker "conservatives" think they need to vote for....and for every stinking voter who just couldn't vote for romney and had to ensure that bammey boy was reselected....

why do we blame pubs when there is so much blame to put on "conservatives" deserting any realistic chance to win elections?....

it is what it is and I just hope those bammey voters will someday get a bit of karma....sadly that will be hitting us all...

36 posted on 11/22/2013 6:51:55 AM PST by cherry (.in the time of universal deceit, telling the truth is revolutionary.....)
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To: Jacquerie
Rubio, Paul and Flake are 3 off the top of my head.

I think they just hid their true intentions and used the TEA Partygo get elected.

Hugely disappointing.

37 posted on 11/22/2013 6:55:07 AM PST by Eagles6 (Valley Forge Redux)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Patrick Caddell is a Democratic pollster and Fox News contributor. He served as pollster for  President Jimmy Carter, Gary Hart, Joe Biden and others. He is a Fox News political analyst and co-host of “Political Insiders” Sundays on Fox News Channel and Mondays at 10:30 am ET on “FoxNews.com Live.”


This is not political Opportunism on Caddell’s part. His position on this issue, like many others, is longstanding.


38 posted on 11/22/2013 7:07:10 AM PST by lepton ("It is useless to attempt to reason a man out of a thing he was never reasoned into"--Jonathan Swift)
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To: cherry
1. They control the house. They grind everything to a halt. Nothing moves from this point on. Period. Nothing gets passed including CRs.

2. Impeach soetoro. Fast & Furious, IRS, Benghazi, NSA, Extortion17, Libya, Syria, Americorp, illegal campaign finances, non-enforcement of our immigration laws, facilitating a foreign invasion, lieing about the unemployment numbers, lieing about obamacare.

That's more than enough to get started.

They should close all of their primaries so dems don't have a hand in picking their primaries.

The RNC should back Conservative candidates not dem lites.

39 posted on 11/22/2013 7:11:33 AM PST by Eagles6 (Valley Forge Redux)
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To: Eagles6
In Common Core texts:
40 posted on 11/22/2013 7:12:27 AM PST by combat_boots (The Lion of Judah cometh. Hallelujah. Gloria Patri, Filio et Spiritui Sancto!)
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