The Real "Big Bang Theory"



The Real “Big Bang Theory”.  Even though the mid-term elections are eight months away, the media is replete with suppositions about how the respective parties will fare.  Upon a broad review, it seems that a majority of pundits give the Republicans anywhere from a decent chance to a slam dunk to reclaim majority control of the Senate.  No one seems to dispute the likelihood that the Republicans will retain control of the House; it is simply a question of how large a majority they will enjoy.  I have yet to read anyone’s projection that the Republicans, in their wildest dreams, will achieve anything close to a veto-proof majority in the Senate.  So, where does that leave us for the last two years of the Obama administration?

I am not ready to say that this administration has experienced more scandals than past administrations; Lord knows there have been plenty on both sides of the political aisle.  However, it is hard to deny that this administration has set a new standard for dealing with scandals in an effective and efficient way.  Using various combinations of outright untruths, misleading statements, stonewalling of information and documentation, and manipulation (willful) of the mainstream media, this administration has managed to run the clock on many areas of question and simply keep them shrouded in mystery.   But it can be argued that one of, if the not the strongest, cards the administration has held to manage their scandals has been control of the Senate.  No matter how valid (not claiming they all are),  pertinent, timely, and objective their investigative hearings are, the fact that the investigations are only occurring in the House and not in the Senate is a compelling contribution to lack of public concern and disclosure.  If, in fact, the Republicans gain control of the Senate this fall, that firewall will come crumbling down.  Put Republicans at the head of the table for all Senate committees and see what happens.  Assuming McConnell retains his seat this fall (I live in Kentucky and trust me, it is very likely…no matter what you might hear or read), the remnant resentment from the implementation of the nuclear option will be fresh in his mind.  Add to that the natural chafing that occurs when one party or the other has to endure minority status and it is an understatement to say that the Republicans will be more than eager to use their newfound subpoena positions to begin to poke and probe into Benghazi, Fast and Furious, EPA’s new appetite for regulatory control,  Obamacare, and the IRS’s newfound and selective suspicions regarding 501C4’s .

Here is your real Big Bang Theory.   It is a bang that will likely turn up some evidence of wrongdoing in this administration.  It is a bang that will likely have more volume than substance.  It is a bang that will exacerbate the lame duck status of an already weakened president and likely bring any productive government process to a slow crawl.  In this one man’s opinion, Legislative oversight of the Executive is a good thing.  Both sides overplay their hands in this area and have diminished the true value or purpose of legislative investigative hearings, but I will take excessive Legislative oversight over Executive power abuse any day of the week; be it Nixon or be it Obama.