Conservative Donnybrook

Paul Ryan (you know, the “conservative” on the 2012 presidential ticket?) wants to fold on the issue of the increasing the debt ceiling… but only for three months. 

Nice. 

It seems the plan is to appease the liberals in Washington by allowing nearly unfettered borrowing and spending (almost makes you miss the old plan of taxing and spending, no?) in order to convince them to see the error of their spending ways in a few months.  What was it the Sir Winston Churchill said about feeding crocodiles?

What is really happening here is that Republicans are not fighting for the voters in their districts.  They are not fighting for a fiscally sound republic.  They are not fighting for a secure future for our nation, our children or our American way of life.  No.  They are not fighting at all.  This is the real strategy: appease the liberals and in so doing ensure the continued existence of the Republican Party.  Speaking to reporters, Rep. Ryan addressed the planned appeasement.  “We have to recognize the realities of divided government that we have,” Ryan said. “We’re discussing the possible virtue of a short-term debt limit extension so we have a better chance of getting the Senate and the White House involved in discussions in March.”

“So we have a better chance of getting… involved in discussions.” Not exactly a strong negotiating position.  The Republican plan seems to be taken directly from that 1987 classic, Can’t Buy Me Love.  The problem is that, unlike the nerdy Robert Miller (Patrick Dempsey), the Republicans have nothing to bribe the popular kid (Obama) with. Sure, they will take the debt ceiling like it were a $1,000 suede dress but unlike Cindy Mancini (Amanda Peterson), they will never fall in love with the appeasers.  Not unlike young Robert miller, the Republicans are very much at risk of losing their true friends: Voters in their congressional districts. 

How can we possibly sit back and watch as Republicans continue to appease the crocodiles by feeding our future to them?  Well, at the moment we have no choice.  The appeasers will sell our future in exchange for possibilities. I have heard of living to fight another day but the Republican tactic looks a lot like losing in order to lose another day.  I see no victory here.  I see no honor in feeding the crocodile.  I see no dignity or brilliant tactician in Mr. Ryan or Mr. Boehner nor any of their following minions.  I see appeasement, I see attempted bribes.  I see the Republican Party apparatus searching for a future for its retreats and the occasional cabinet post.  And I see myself and, I suspect, most of you on the chopping block.  George Washington warned about this in his 1796 farewell address:    

However [political parties] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion.

He was rightly suspicious of political parties.

So, what was it the Mr. Churchill said?  Simply his best quote ever (and there were many great quotes):  “An appeaser is one who feeds the crocodile hoping it will eat him last.”

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