RINO Virus Striking the Senate

"We must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt." – Thomas Jefferson, letter to Samuel Kercheval, 12 July 1816

RINO Virus Striking the Senate

Commentary by Sanford D. Horn

February 8, 2009

With the potential, even likely, defections of Senators Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe (RINOs-ME) along with Arlen Specter (RINO-PA), Barack Obama’s scare tactics may succeed in garnering enough so-called Republican votes in order to secure passage of the heinous alleged stimulus proposal.

No Republican in his or her right mind should support such a pork-laden insult to the American people. Quite frankly, the Democrats should also be ashamed for supporting such an excuse for political posturing, but this is typical. Note recent comments made by Dick Durbin (D-IL) when he accused the GOP of not playing ball or being team players and for depriving poor children of the necessities of life that this bill would supposedly provide. Does anyone recall Durbin being a team player during the Bush administration?

And then there’s Obama himself taking to the bully pulpit on an almost daily basis reminding the American people that “a failure to act, and act now, will turn [this] crisis into a catastrophe,” something he said on February 4. Adding to his own audacity, Obama also suggested that to even have this debate is both “inexcusable and irresponsible.” What is irresponsible is a government that bails out the banking industry and has no idea what happened to more than $80 billion. What is also irresponsible is the role the RINOs are playing as enablers.

Well, to paraphrase Franklin Roosevelt, a man with whom Obama has been oft compared, the only thing we have to fear, is Obama’s fear mongering. His doom and gloomism is frighteningly reminiscent of the Carter years. With each passing day of debate and discovery of the actual components of this revolting pack of sewage, there is less and less support for the so-called stimulus package by the American populous themselves. As more and more pork projects are unearthed and made public it is the public that is becoming more and more outraged. Outrage over projects like redecorating the Commerce Department building, water slides, and planting grass seed around the Jefferson Memorial for example. Telephone calls have flooded senate offices in Washington, DC as well as locally across the country by concerned citizens not wanting their great-grandchildren to be the unfortunate recipients of the bills for this institutional largesse.

As we approach the bicentennial of the birth of a great leader, Abraham Lincoln, it is another Lincoln that deserves praise. Senator Blanche Lincoln, an Arkansas Democrat, yes, a Democrat, said on February 7 during an impassioned speech from the Senate floor that “we have to be patient… We have to deal with this crisis and put ourselves back on track. We can do it with timely and temporary measures.”

These measures ought to be temporary, not a permanent, perpetual boondoggle of priming the pump that will lead to almost certain permanent and perpetual dependence upon government instead of personal and corporate responsibility. This kind of behavior will ultimately manifest itself until the United States no longer is a free market economy, but one where the government runs every aspect of our lives; and judging by how they have done thus far, that is something to truly fear.

What people should not be afraid of, is failure. Thomas Edison failed hundreds of times before he achieved success. When business fails, there are reasons – poor management, poor product design, poor salesmanship – whatever the reasons, go back to the drawing board – that’s the purpose of the research and development teams. Government did not bail out the makers of the Nash, Packer or Oldsmobile – my first car, by the way. No, they went the way of the flashbulb, typewriter and dinosaur.

The problem with this bill potentially failing is that the government doesn’t have brains enough to go back to the drawing board. Instead, the party in power, the Democrats, attempts to cajole the leading team of RINOS – Collins, Snowe and Specter to stray from the rest of their pack. The Dems almost nabbed Senators George Voinovich of Ohio and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska – but not this time.

The CEOs and CFOs harping over the possibility of a “mere” $500,000 salary should be thankful they have jobs. Quite frankly, any company going to the government with hands out should relieve the CEO/CFO and the entire board of directors from duty. Clearly they have not managed their ship safely to shore. Stockholders ought to determine the salaries of those who will run the companies, after all the stockholders are the real owners of the companies. Offer a reasonable salary with bonus options relative to the success or lack of same. Salesmen work on commission, why not corporate bigwigs. If they don’t like that plan, go back to work, roll up your sleeves and don’t come to Washington hat in hand.

Democrat Congressman Gene Taylor of Mississippi, who wisely voted against the House bill said, “The nation borrowed $800 billion between the Revolutionary War through Gerald Ford’s presidency. In one vote, the nation is going to borrow another $800 billion. This is nuts.”

What Democrats like Taylor and Republicans ought to be doing is trying to convince those who wish to shove this bill down the throats of the American people how wrong it is and scrap it. Trying to nickel and dime it down is akin to the old, but applicable, adage of the bandage on the bullet hole. Have the patience implored by Blanche Lincoln and invest the taxpayers money prudently and penuriously, if at all. What’s needed are more senators like Dr. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma and South Carolina’s Jim De Mint – they are the cream of the Republican crop.

Lincoln also reminded her colleagues something that all elected officials should remember – “It is our responsibility, it is our duty, and it should be our honor to come together and work these problems out.” Responsibility, duty and honor. Elected officials best remember who put them in their positions in the first place. And the voters would do well to remember how those elected officials voted to spend the taxpayers’ money. For those who don’t approve, and the mounting objections speak volumes, the vote cast in November 2010 will speak louder yet when those elected officials are fired. We hired you and we can damn well fire you.

Sanford D. Horn is a writer and political consultant living in Alexandria, VA.