The Party of No

It has become crystal clear that the majority of Republicans in Congress was not sincere when they proclaimed to support bipartisanship and wanting the Administration to succeed. Many are doing everything they can to ensure it doesn’t happen or that the Democrats must do it alone.

Why should we even seek bipartisanship when the majority of the Republicans in Congress want the economy, the administration, The President and virtually everything else to fail? You can tell by their actions. This is not the Bush Administration. If you do not want America to succeed because of your ideology and unwillingness to listen to your own Republican Governors who want the stimulus, the administration and The President to succeed if for their own state’s interest, why can’t you?

Even if you don’t listen to them, you should take a queue from another famous Republican that once gave his definition of your role in the government. “The legitimate object of government is to do for the people what needs to be done by which they can not by individual effort do it all or do so well by themselves.” You may recall this Republican because we just celebrated his 200^th Birthday, President Abraham Lincoln.

It is true that government doesn’t always have the answer. Some of us understand our individual rights and responsibilities, but in the midst of an economic crisis, two wars and unemployment raising what We The People or at least 57% of us voted for is not only a change in the political affiliation of the President, because Democrats can mess up too. But a change in HOW Washington affiliates itself with partisan politics. Many have forgotten why they’re even there. It was our hopes that you would get that.

Instead of complaining about the symptoms start taking care of the illness.

Some may remain bitter, upset or disappointed because their guy didn’t win, but regardless which boot you put your foot in we’re both going in the same direction. We can’t pull ourselves up if you keep pulling the bootstraps down.

Again I say quit all of this foolishness and do what you’re suppose to be doing for ALL of your constituents not just the ones who voted for you.

Your fuel of interest should be the desire of We the People. Your sincere participation and cooperation in the collective American Dream of true opportunity and equal justice for all.

When we consistently hear Republicans in the House and Senate and those previously in leadership positions (Karl Rove & Dick Cheney) work towards disunity of this union for the sake of their own political expediency it pushes the argument for bipartisanship closer and closer out the door. At least we can site 3 Republicans who was serious by demonstrating bipartisanship while the rest of their party only speak about bipartisanship.

Listen, I’ll say this with the strongest partisan language I can come up with since that’s the only way you’ll listen to me. The last thing I want to see is Republicans gain any seats or power, so continue on with the obstructionist practices and the Democrats will continue to capitalize on it. Don’t be naïve and think that there isn’t young liberal bloggers, journalist and creative media professionals like myself that won’t remind the general public of who did what. 2010 is right around the corner and 2012 is standing right behind that. If you continue obstructing everything the only conservatives on Capital Hill will be the three who voted for the stimulus package.

I hate sounding like that, but is that divisive enough for you? Can you hear me now?

Who knows, there may be a new Congressman from my state sharing his Thoughts, Ideas & Suggestions.

References & Inspirations

Wall Street Journal – 02/12/09 “Karl Rove: Obama’s Legislative Victory Comes at Hight Cost”

Washington Post – 02/13/09 “Axelrod To Bush Advisers: Butt Out”

Institute for Public Accuracy – 02/13/09 “GOP Filibuster Hypocrisy”

Associated Press – 02/09/09 “GOP Chairman Steele Attacks Dems on Stimulus Plan”

Eastern Arizona Courier – 02/11/09 “Opposers Determined To Undermine, Not Support, Obama”

President Abraham Lincoln – 1854 – 1857 “All We Have Ever Held Sacred”

An Overactive Mind: Part 3

Thought #2 — This really sets into motion the need for all of the things that followed. If you really want to get down and dirty to why it appears that some Black people have a heighten sense of discrimination, unequal treatment or even mistrust, you can look to 1862 as a benchmark. Slavery is absolutely apart of it, but the journey to the White House didn’t begin on February 10, 2007 in Springfield, Illinois, it began long before that.

An understanding of this and other events before and after the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950’s & 60’s may be enough to put into context the jubilation you saw on election day not only in America, not only with Obama supporters of all races and not only with Black people.

I think this is important to include. Historically and symbolically the election of Barack Obama was a fulfillment of a promise and a reality of a dream. What you will see on inauguration of Barack Obama, as President will be more than what it appears on the surface to some. It’s not about Barack Obama. You have heard him say that. Barack is a representative, a benchmark of sort of a larger struggle within Black America and the American society as a whole. It’s bigger than any one person.

Regardless of what he does, to paraphrase a quote by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Barack Obama does not belong to Black people, he belong to the ages. The struggles of yesterday are now the fights of today in hope for a better tomorrow. So all the people who got upset with me throughout this year this is just a touch of what I mean by when I told you that you’re missing the point or you’re uninformed. I was speaking beyond the surface of the moment, but towards the magnitude of the meaning of it all.

Thought #3 — What Barack did was take a different approach, an approach that wouldn’t have been possible if it wasn’t for the actions of Americans of all races, religions and creeds.

If it wasn’t for the actions of President Lincoln, Frederick Douglas, W.E.B. DuBois, Dred Scott, Malcolm X, Medgar Evers, Martin Luther King, President Kennedy, President Lyndon Johnson, Rosa Parks, Dr. Vernon Johns, Rev. Ralph D. Abernathy, Robert Kennedy, Rep. Shirley Chisholm, Rep. Barbara Jordan, Jesse Jackson and thousands of other unnamed people 2008 would have been the year of the Same and not a year of Change.

Barack is a student of history when you think about it. He understood the message these people were essentially trying to convey, the American Dream.

Thought #4 – The American Dream is a continual quest for freedom, equality and justice for all. The substance of the dream is expressed in the profound words of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence. It is expressed the Emancipation Proclamation. It’s expressed in the Supreme Court decision in Brown vs. The Board of Education in Topeka, KS. Women demanding equal rights expressed it on the protest outside of the White House. It was expressed on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial August 28, 1963. It was expressed by thousands of Anti-Immigration Protesters marching in the streets around the country demanding justice. It was recently expressed in the voting booth on November 4, 2008. It is expressed everyday by people like yourself.

Thoughts #5 — Change is not instantaneous. Change takes more than a coalition of Blacks, but a collaboration of Whites, the cooperation of Latinos the inclusion of Gays & Lesbians the support of Asians, the participation of Jews and the acceptance of Muslims to make good on the promises of America. The proclamation is the emancipation of us all. Out of many came one. In 2008 it was Barack Obama on the surface, but in essence it was all of us. Those who supported him and those who scorn him. We are the dream that makes up America as unperfected as we are, we must always keep in mind the ultimate purpose of America.

Thoughts #6 — I need to conclude here. I apologize for my tangents. It’s like I start out with one thing and 5 other things partially related just flows out of my mind onto the page. I really am trying to focus more, but I wanted to share so many things that I find significance about this year its difficult to summarize.

So I will do spin the bottle again back around to the original topic, Watch Night. LOL. Now that was a journey of thought. I hope I didn’t lose too many of you. If so, just read it in bits.

Watch Night – December 31, 2008 is like its historical counterpart of this day in 1862, but today we share the great anticipation of the emancipation of tomorrow. January 1, 2009 will be the beginning of a new year and new possibilities.

Thank you 2008 and welcome 2009.

These are my thoughts, ideas and suggestions,

Tim Valentine