Obstruction Equals Thievery

"Barack Obama began his Presidency devoted to the idea of post-partisanship. His rhetoric, starting with his “Red State, Blue State” Convention speech, in 2004, and his 2006 book, “The Audacity of Hope,” was imbued with that idea. Just as in his memoir, “Dreams from My Father,” he had tried to reconcile the disparate pasts of his parents, Obama was determined to bring together warring tribes in Washington and beyond. He extended his hand to everyone from the increasingly radical leadership of the congressional Republicans to the ruling mullahs of the Iranian theocracy. The Republicans, however, showed no greater interest in working with Obama than did the ayatollahs. The Iranian regime went on enriching uranium and crushing its opposition, and the Republicans, led by Dickensian scolds, including the Senate Minority Leader, Mitch McConnell, committed themselves to a single goal: to engineer the President’s political destruction by defeating his major initiatives. Obama, for his part, did not always prove particularly adept at, or engaged by, the arts of retail persuasion, and his dream of bipartisanship collided with the reality of obstructionism."

This quote comes from a "New Yorker Magazine" article. To me, it is one of the most important pieces of the picture and one that has not been voiced often or loudly enough. The obstructionists in congress referred to by "the editors" not only slowed Obama's progress and damaged his ability to achieve anything close to what he had hoped (while providing fodder for Romney to complain about Obama not keeping promises), they neglected to do their jobs: representing and advocating for the citizens who elected them. Instead, they attempted to usurp our  jobs--to vote for or against a candidate for office, to use our voices to show approval or disapproval. They preempted the citizens of the United States, trying to steal the decision from us. It was the first of many methods the GOP is using to manipulate our right to vote for those who lead and serve our country in public office.

Now, let's just think logically for a moment. Do you think that if they had a viable, fair, and valuable alternative to Obama they would have to go to such lengths to swindle the American people? I don't. If you are undecided, please consider giving Barack Obama four more years to accomplish OUR goals. Romney will take us back, not forward, and he said last night at Lynn University that his plans would need eight to ten years to see results.

I am not willing to wait that long. Are you?