As the debate over whether or not to extend all or part of the Bush-era tax cuts comes to an end and a vote is taken, left-wing media outlets along with Obama and leading Democrats are calling for a unanimous, hand-holding rendition of kumbaya. Ironically, this newfound attitude of benevolent affection comes about a month after the president referred to Republicans as “the enemy” and said that his opponents should sit in the back seat.
Is this euphoric behavior a sign that a genuine change in heart has occurred or just another hyper-partisan exercise in selective memory?
I choose the latter.
Because we all know that when Democrats lose elections, all of a sudden everyone must work together in order to make America better. Forget all of the overinflated insults that were launched towards Republican lawmakers for the last two years. Forget all of the secret meetings and locked-door sessions in which Democrats purposefully rammed through radical legislation without GOP insight. And forget about all of the union-led backroom deals that were made in the final hours before a vote was taken on key bills, without the general public’s knowledge.
So why would anyone believe that Washington is about to change the same game it has been playing over and over again for the last two years?
The whole nonsense of having to compromise at this point in history conjures up a scene from the movie “Lean on Me” in which Dr. Napier, the never-reserved school superintendent, chews out Principal Joe Clark during a five-minute verbal barrage. After Clark is about to leave the room with his tail between his legs, Dr. Napier turns to him and says, “Come on, let’s get something to eat.”
Huh?
In other words, after two years of verbally abusing the GOP, Obama and the Democratic Party has said, “OK, we realize we have treated you like a door mat; now let’s go get something done.”
It’s rather obvious that when both parties come to an agreement on common-sense legislation that moves America forward, it is often called progress. Regrettably that particular kind of governing is about as likely to happen as winning the lottery.
And this Christmas our federal government will be giving Americans the gift that keeps on giving of record unemployment, foreign policy incompetence, unprecedented debt, out-of-control spending, a disdain for ethical behavior and the most partisan political atmosphere this nation has ever known.
Remember, this administration has never met an average American it didn’t talk down to.
The bottom line is that the entire Bush tax cuts must be fully extended because working families, middle class earners and even those who are deemed wealthy cannot afford a massive tax hike in the middle of a recession. Allowing honest, hard-working, taxpaying individuals the opportunity to keep more of their money is the common-sense approach. And it would show the rest of the country that government still has a fragment of empathy during the holiday season.
But here’s guessing that at the end of the day, insanity knows no bounds in Washington.
Ashley Stinnett lives in West Virginia, where he serves as an adjunct college instructor, writer, media and public relations consultant, public speaker and political commentator. He is a registered member of the West Virginia Associated Press, and is a nationally syndicated columnist. He is the author of the new book, “Grasping Appalachian Conservatism: How Not To Be Mistaken For A Latte Liberal.”