The Mudbath in Washington

"Statesman - an ancient term meaning when people in politics on different sides of an issue could talk to each other instead of yelling at each other..."

A while back, I was asked my opinion on the vacancy in Minnesota CD6. That a very capable person who I really admire recently said "no thanks" to running for that position. My opinion on that decision was "Good!" Not that this person could not do the job - he could have done it very well. In my opinion he is too nice to jump into that mud bath by the Potomac River.

Why anyone would want to venture into this mud bath is beyond me. What a world class mess. And how messy has it become? First off, as many of us know by now, a large majority of Democrats are no longer traditional Democrats. By their own admission (this come straight out of the national news this morning), a large majority of the "new" Democrats favor Socialism over Capitalism. And what does that give us? For one, Bernie Sanders as a viable candidate.

Ergo, part of the problem. Many have blamed the Tea Party wing of the Republicans for the discord and mayhem in Washington and beyond. The Tea Party is blamed because they want our governance to be rooted in Constitutional principles. Period. However, when on the other side of the fence you have Democrats so far to the Left, they become Socialist "light". So then, how can meaningful discussions take place? Bottom line - they can't.

Even Smokin' Joe Biden warned us about this yesterday. He said the country can't take another four years of this type division in Washington. During his announcement where he said he would not run, Biden took a shot directly at Hillary. Why? Hillary recently said Republicans were the "enemy". Joe Biden on the other hand, said no. Republicans are the opposition, not the enemy. The bottom line is this however - many on both sides think people on the other side of the political divide are enemies. Therefore, to negotiate with "enemies" means valuable territory might have to be ceded. 

I am not neutral on this issue. I side with the Tea Party Republicans. Why? Many, maybe most of the folks I know of in the Tea Party use a common yard stick to determine what is right for the country. It is called our Constitution. We all know what that is - that age old document that EVERYONE who serves, swears to protect and defend.

The problem is many on the Left soon forget that promise, that oath, to protect and defend our Constitution. They would rather see our Constitution updated for modern times. Instead of having it as a limiting document government's rights and powers, they would prefer it to be limiting on our rights and powers instead. And in my humble opinion, this is where the battle field lies. Where the mud bath begins. 

So how does Washington become "governable" again? When the majority of Democrats identify more with Socialists than Capitalists? When many on the Left don't give a hoot about equal opportunity, only equal outcomes? I am glad we have a Tea Party. Although not perfect, they do keep our country grounded in Constitutional principles. They keep us grounded. They help keep us from drifting away into the abyss and dysfunction of Socialism.

Again, where do we go from here? Will having Paul Ryan as Speaker help or hurt? Can any of the candidates on either side repair the damage done in the past 7 years? The past 50 years? I have no answers to this. All I have is concern - concern that the greatest country ever conceived might be on the brink of becoming extinct. To be replaced by something that will look a lot like Denmark (to quote Bernie Sanders). God help us all.