About Us
Mission Statement
Rules of Conduct
 
Name:
Pswd:
Remember Me
Register
 

Poor Judgement
Author: BobR    Date: 10/21/2011 12:45:01

The big news of the day yesterday was the capture and death of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. There are some controversies swirling around this. There were people on the left who initially thought we shouldn't be involved in another military action on foreign soil, and some on the right who thought we should have gone "bigger". There are some who think he should have been brought to trial, rather than killed. And then there are people like John McCain who praised everyone BUT our president and troops for their actions.

Of course, McCain was a member of the original "go bigger" chorus, so I guess he felt the U.S. disabling of Libya's anti-aircraft systems and destroying other military capabilities just wasn't enough of a contribution to warrant a mention. McCain, however, has other things to answer to. The internet doesn't forget:

http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ltdn4q9Q8p1qzeo2zo1_500.png


Whoopsie! Looks like someone was for it before he was against it. Despite McCain's lack of judgement on Libya (in it's entirety, really), there are other Republicans whose words and actions bring into question their ability to govern.

The state of Louisiana has always been an odd place, with a strange combination of liberal and restrictive regulations. One has to wonder "what the hell were they thinking?" when considering they passed a law making it illlegal to use cash when buying second-hand goods:
In a new law that could put every trading post, Goodwill, flea market, garage sale and Craigslist merchant in the state of Louisiana out of business, a bipartisan group of elected representatives has opted to ban all cash payments for the buying and selling of used goods.

Though House Bill 195 was intended to make it easier to track the sales of stolen goods by giving police a paper trail to follow, the unintended consequences could be much more widespread. Namely, the law requires second-hand sales be made paid for with credit cards, paper checks, electronic transfer or money orders. Cash is prohibited.
[..]
The law also requires second-hand sellers to obtain personal information about each buyer — information like names, addresses, driver’s license number and even, if applicable, their license plate number — and turn it over to state officials.

The prohibition on cash sales is confusing on its face, and appears to contradict the very text on each Federal Reserve note in circulation. “This note is legal tender for all debts, public and private,” U.S. dollars plainly state.

This CAN'T be legal. It's a fantastic example of unintended consequences when reactionary rules are put in place. This is why the legislative process SHOULD move at a glacial speed so that these types of laws don't make it past the filter.

The Tea Party is another group that doesn't always seem to think. Their latest jaw-dropping stupid move comes in the form of a pledge to not hire anyone in an effort to hurt President Obama:
I, an American small business owner, part of the class that produces the vast majority of real, wealth producing jobs in this country, hereby resolve that I will not hire a single person until this war against business and my country is stopped

Yeah, that's a brilliant move there. Shoot yourself in the foot in the hopes it will make the president look bad. Republicans claim that Democrat's policies hurt small business, and here's the Tea Party asking small business to hurt themselves to prove the Republicans correct.

Another "idealism over common sense" move comes from Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) who is so dead-set against abortion, he doesn't even want it discussed on a government-funded internet:
Anti-choice Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) just filed an anti-choice amendment to a bill related to agriculture, transportation, housing, and other programs. The DeMint amendment could bar discussion of abortion over the Internet and through videoconferencing, even if a woman’s health is at risk and if this kind of communication with her doctor is her best option to receive care.

Under this amendment, women would need a separate, segregated Internet just for talking about abortion care with their doctors.

It's completely unworkable, unless we build another "separate" internet. Hey - maybe that's part of DeMint's jobs plan!

In the end, this all puts a point to the idea that Republicans are better at governing. They flip-flop like a fish on the dock when it comes to foreign affairs, their ideology is more important than jobs, success, or a woman's health, and they just plain pass poorly written and considered laws. Is this what we want for our government?

I think not.
 

74 comments (Latest Comment: 10/21/2011 21:49:33 by TriSec)
   Perma Link

Share This!

Furl it!
Spurl
NewsVine
Reddit
Technorati