Posted on 02/07/2014 4:40:59 AM PST by Kaslin
Gen. George McClellan commanded Union forces during the Civil War. He famously and constantly retreated across the map despite having larger forces than Gen. Robert E. Lee. At one point, meeting with his generals in the White House, Abraham Lincoln commented, "If General McClellan does not want to use the army, I would like to borrow it for a time." Ultimately, Abraham Lincoln dismissed him.
Gen. McCellan seems alive and well, having returned as the senior consultant to the Republican leadership on Capitol Hill.
After Republicans regained control of the House of Representatives in January 2011, they fought a significant fight against Barack Obama over the debt ceiling. Were they to raise the ceiling so the government could borrow more money, they wanted spending concessions. Though deeply unpopular among lobbyists in Washington, the outcome of the fight was a Presidential cave and sequestration of the federal budget.
For the first time in many years, real spending decreased. Ever since, the Republicans have been running from it. In January of 2013, Sen. John Cornyn claimed the Republicans might have to shut down the government if President Obama would not negotiate with them on the debt ceiling. During the summer of 2013, Republican leaders urged conservatives not to fight over a budget, but to make their fight against Obamacare through a debt-ceiling vote. Now? Speaker Boehner insists the GOP go along for the ride and raise the debt ceiling with no strings attached.
While that might be preferable to stringing Republicans along with a fight they intend to surrender on, it is still a surrender.
Concurrent to this fight, the Congressional Budget Office released an updated report on the impact of the Affordable Care Act, or "Obamacare." Page 128 grimly reports, "CBO's updated estimate of the decrease in hours worked translates to a reduction in full-time-equivalent employment of about 2.0 million in 2017, rising to about 2.5 million in 2024."
Page 124 of the CBO report notes the "Over time, CBO expects, the penalty will be borne primarily by workers in the form of reduced wages or other compensation." The same page worryingly suggests "Businesses ... may respond to the employer penalty by seeking to reduce or limit their full-time staffing and to hire more part-time employees."
Liberals in the media took all of this in stride. The "reduction in full-time-equivalent employment," they said, had everything to do with people opting to work fewer hours or pursuing their dreams now that they could sit more comfortably on the social safety net. In fact, while the CBO did say some of the departures from the workforce would be voluntary, the report clearly showed not all would be. Further, for those who remain in the workforce, many will see a decline in wages because of Obamacare.
The CBO found that there is no concrete, but there certainly is "anecdotal evidence," of some employers shifting employees to part-time employment. More importantly, the CBO notes that after 2015, it is likely employers will begin to transition to part-time employment for employees.
Conservatives predicted all these things. Conservatives predicted doctor shortages, which are beginning to happen. They said the President was not telling the truth when he told people they could keep their doctors, insurance and hospitals. They were right. They were right that the value of wages would decline, part-time employment would increase and many would be shut out of the labor market.
And the Republican response? Nothing. They will not fight on the debt ceiling. They will not fight against Obamacare. Instead, they will divide their own party over immigration. Certainly, for now, they say that too is dead. After the threat of primary season ends, though, they might resurrect it. Their deep-pocketed lobbyist donors covet it relentlessly.
Not since George McClellan have we seen so many retreats, surrenders and failures to act on American soil. If John Boehner and Mitch McConnell do not wish to use their party, some of us would like to borrow it.
Perfect!
I'm old too.
(well, oldish, perhaps .. lol d:^)
Not since George McClellan have we seen so many retreats, surrenders and failures to act on American soil. If John Boehner and Mitch McConnell do not wish to use their party, some of us would like to borrow it.
A good article and a very good final comment in it.
I have to wonder why these guys don’t fight for us and at the risk of sounding stupid I think it comes down to really one thing. They know and like the ‘opposing party’ aka democrats on a personal basis. For some people that makes it very difficult to oppose their ‘friends’ and tell them that what they are doing is bad and needs to be stopped and corrected.
We the people who are their constituents have no problem saying ‘get in there and fight for us’, they on the other hand don’t know us personally like they do their friends and drinking buddies across the aisle from them. That makes it easier for them to ignore us except in ‘election season’.
The democrats on the other hand care about their ideology much more than they care about their ‘friends’ or constituents. That’s why they are so hard to oppose on a unified front. Two different thought processes and goals between the Republicans and the Democrats.
My solution is simple, bring the politicians home and have them telecommute to work. The same with their staffs, do that and the power of the bureaucracy will start to decrease. If they no longer have the constant ear of the politicians and the constant personal interaction that creates ‘friendships’ then the politicians will remember who they are there to represent.
blah, blah, blah
well excuse the hell outta me ! pffft
All depends how you look at it.
He also defeated the Confederates at the Battle of Antietam to stop the first invasion of the north.
Yes - he could have done more.
If Bathhouse Barry and his bosses secretly controlled the GOP would it act any different than it is now?
McClellan was a Democrat and a governor of NJ, I believe. Wonder if Christie even knows that. The “Republican” “leadership” is neither.
By the way, McC leads Bevin among the “Republican” primary voters in KY by 26 points as of the first week of February. KY must be a lingering McClellan stronghold; it did not vote for “native son” Lincoln in either election.
Excellent analogy.
Now......Where’s General Grant?? SHERMAN???
Tho I've not been back in a very long time, that's my native neck o'the woods.
Political allegiances in that area have always been a very mixed bag.
Back in CW days, there was a definite grayish tint to much of the supposed 'blue'.
Whatever else McClellan’s failures, his saddle is the bar-none most comfortable saddle I ever rode.
An apt comparison. The Republicans have a lock on the House, yet they’re letting the Democrats get away with one scandal after another. Why don’t they do like HUAC used to do and throw non-cooperative witnesses like Eric Holder into the slammer for contempt of Congress? They have that power, but won’t use it.
“I have to wonder why these guys don’t fight for us and at the risk of sounding stupid I think it comes down to really one thing. They know and like the ‘opposing party’ aka democrats on a personal basis. For some people that makes it very difficult to oppose their ‘friends’ and tell them that what they are doing is bad and needs to be stopped and corrected.”
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If I have to PRETEND to agree with someone to be friends with them I refuse to do so. If I were a member of house or senate I am certain that no one in the opposition would have a good word to say about me. Maybe that would make me ineffective, all I know is that if we cannot agree to disagree we won’t agree on anything, I will not pretend to agree and when I catch someone pretending to agree with me I do not appreciate it, it lets me know that I can never trust them.
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