My Thoughts for January 25, 2015

Well, now House Speaker John Boehner has an ally in the Senate, namely Mitch McConnell, the new Senate Majority Leader to help him belittle and make the President look less presidential.  Neither republican likes the idea of the President taking credit for the country’s rebounding economy or the fact that he claimed credit for the millions of new jobs added to the work force.  Well, it’s a fact Speaker Boehner and it should be noted that trickle-down economics still isn’t working.  It’s great that all these jobs have been created but many of them are at an all-time low in terms of wages.  The truth is the rich are getting richer and the middle class is getting poorer.

 After ridiculing the President for years, Mr. Boehner mocked the President one more time by ignoring protocol and tradition. He invited the Israeli Prime Minister to address a joint section of Congress about the Iranian sanctions.  Boehner has scoffed at the very traditions of our Constitution which are the Office of the President represents our nation to the leaders of other nations.  Article II of the U.S. Constitution bestows the power of diplomacy upon the President and traditionally he has been the person who invites foreign leaders to our country.  The President represents the whole of our country, not just the people of Ohio as does Boehner. 

The fact is Mr. Boehner, while I agree the Iran negotiations are of the utmost importance, side-stepping the Constitution and the Executive Branch plus disregarding our traditions by not at the very least conferring with the White House is egregious conduct at best.  It looked more like a flagrant move to once again embarrass the President.  What the result is Mr. Boehner; you have made us look fragmented to Iran and to our other enemies in the Middle East and around the world for that matter. 

Thank goodness for Secretary of State John Kerry saving the day.  Kerry stated, “… we’re asking people to be responsible here …” That means all of us Mr. Boehner, not some yokel elected by a few people in Ohio.  Your messing with my Constitution and traditions makes curmudgeons like me nervous and grouchy.  You didn’t “poke the president in the eye” you poked my beloved American in the eye. 

By the way Mr. Boehner, are you spending too much time in the tanning booth or do you need to change tanning lotion, one that won’t make you look so orange while sitting behind the President when he’s giving The State of the Union. Or, maybe you’ve been sneaking trips to the Middle East eating too many camel parts and all.