Opportunity Missed

In November a massive movement of Conservative ideas and public hunger for accountability and responsible government manifested in a windfall in the November elections. We sent the message that "We the People" are tired of Washington as usual and kicking the can down the road to protect precious re-elections. The game has ended, its time to pay the piper, we are broke and the only one that doesn't know it is the one that holds the checkbook. With the new leaders. we now have hope that change is immanent.

The nation has been in financial instability for quite some time. There are a variety of factors that true leadership by the President and Congress would have been able to minimize the negative and create opportunity to prosper. The Obama administration choose instead to continue on their failed ideologue track, driving the train head on into a brick wall. The rampant spending and economic uncertainty caused by job killing legislation like Frank-Dodd Act and ObamaCare increase the speed and trust of this out of control vehicle. With no more time and no more money the US finds itself at the end of the track, our borrowing power has been exhausted. The White House predicts basic Armageddon if we do not authorize borrowing even more money to feed our insatiable habit of spending.

Now with the White House touting "crisis" and ordering "balanced compromise" Congress went to work to solve the problem. This was the opportunity we have been waiting for, 6 months ago our new hopefuls were sworn into office. The time is now and we have total confidence in our new leadership to face the challenge and exercises their / our convictions. The GOP had some wonderful ideas, Sen. DeMint and Ryan offered a realistic solution that was shot down by the Democrats before they even read the cover page. The Mack Penny Plan offered by Connie Mak (R-Fl) was genius in its simplicity and effectiveness. This plan wasn't even seriously considered by the GOP much less the Democrats. Then came Cap, Cut and Balance, a wonderful compromise that had elements that everyone should be able to support. It passed the House and was DOA at the Senate. Harry Reid would not even present it to the Senate. Although he offered no plan of his own, he demanded the House go back to work and come up with something else. So they did. Boehner 1.0. Boehner 2.0, Boehner 3.0... We didn't really need the Democrats because we negotiated ourselves down to nothing. They even gave Obama the one thing he wanted which was the after election day time frame. So what did we get, well, we were going to spend 7% more every year and now we aren't going to spend quite as much but still far more then we have. Scratching your head? Then you got it! They are also setting up a "super committee" whatever that means. When the Budget Committee gave Obama they're recommendations last year, he just snubbed his nose at it. How is a "Super Committe" going to be different? Well they built in "triggers" that will drastically reduce spending of military for example, if the Committee fails to come to a "balanced compramise". It's new version of chess where all the players and the referee are armed!

There was an opportunity for our GOP to do something great and they failed. They didn't fail a little, they failed miserably. The stock markets were down 1000 points this week. That alone should count as an "F". The "deal", many found distasteful as the hit the Yes button on their voting switch made no difference to investors. Those that voted for the bill knew it was an inferior bill but had no conviction or backbone to stand up and say no. The ones that did, got the wrath of the others. It has been a pathetic week for most of our GOP in Congress. It has also been a week that many of our favorite leaders, failed too. I am not sure one bad vote erases all the good that Dr Burgess, Sen Hutchinson or Sen Coryn have done but it certainly is cause for concern and future examination.

As for the Tea Party candidates and the others that voted NO, I commend you. I hope they will continue to lead and motivate the others to a new more responsible understanding of what they have been sent to Washington to accomplish. Some say the bill was a starting point for negotiations but the real starting point came from these heroic conservatives that were willing to walk the walk and hopefully will continue to do so.

We are at a starting point of taking back our country and restoring the balance of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That can start when we have responsible leadership that understands business, money, investors, economics and how they work together. There are tough decisions to be made and many are going to be painful. We have become a country of enablers instead of motivators & educators. We cannot continue to be exceptional and lead the world if we are mandating failure by our out of control spending and failure to invest in ourselves. The White House talks about getting Americans back to work but that is just hot air. If they wanted that it could be accomplished with repealling Obamacare, opening drilling and reigning in the EPA. As Obama said yesterday, "we are only half way there". How much more misery do you want? Time for change, the time is now and it starts with us supporting the true conservatives in Washington and telling the rest to get thier A*$ in line.