The Solution to Obstructionism.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has apparently had enough of Democratic contrariness and he is going to streamline the Senate confirmation process.  In my lifetime, there has never been obstruction like we are seeing in today’s Congress.  The partisan sparring between our two national parties has always involved a certain amount of Congressional gamesmanship; but the hatred and venom that has been directed towards the Trump Administration is reaching a point where some permanent changes are about to be wrought.  If someone on the Democratic side of the aisle does not soon step forward and exhibit some common sense in legislative matters, the Republicans are going to take some dramatic actions that will have ripple effects far into the future…to the detriment of both parties and our nation. 

The strategy of the Democrats is obvious.  They are using their deep state, carryover federal employees in various government agencies to do everything possible towards delaying Trump Administration policy initiatives.  This effort, combined with their obstruction in Congress, is calculated to minimize the possible changes by Republicans.  It is clearly the hope of the Democrats that having created this dysfunction in government until the mid-term elections or the next general election, they can then shift the power back to their liberal philosophy and continue with their Obama business as usual.  Another disappointing aspect of this Democratic tactic is the farcical circus surrounding the Trump Campaign/Russian Collusion investigation and all of the cottage industries that have sprung from it.  Not only has this sham helped to delay any significant policy progress from the Trump Administration; it has also served the dual purpose of deflecting appropriate and necessary attention to the DOJ and partisan abuses of power by the Obama Administration. 

I find myself terribly frustrated by the Republican’s apparent impotent responses to these obstructionist tactics and wonder aloud how with a Congressional majority and a sitting President, the Republicans cannot use the levers of power to at least mitigate these delaying tactics.  It is certainly a critical consideration that even though the Republicans are the majority party in the Senate, they fall short of the magic cloture-solving number of sixty votes and are continuously hamstrung by that threshold.  I am inclined to give McConnell a pass for this reason, while secretly hoping that he would at least show a bit more animation in his protests about Democratic chicanery.  Much more troubling to me is the failure of the Trump Administration to use their administrative tools to reshape federal departments and agencies into a force that will more readily implement a new and improved model for government operations.  I think that we have all, myself included, underestimated the power and influence of the deep state obstacle in trying to transform the federal administrative workforce.  Additionally, it is significant to note that Trump comes into the White House as an outsider and an outcast of his own party; bereft of the type of institutional support that most newly elected presidents enjoy.  

My belief is that Republicans are squishy; but at least they have the right policies.  Their continual habit of bringing a knife to a partisan gunfight is maddening; but they do, in the main, represent a more efficient and effective model for running this country.  The question that is hanging out there is how the Trump Administration can specifically, and the Republican Party in general, overcome this obstruction effort and get some real changes actually implemented before the current shelf life of a Republican majority expires?

The first order of business is to take care of business.  In spite of all the hurdles that may be placed before them, Trump and Congressional Republicans must accomplish legislative goals.  They have to demonstrate the ability to get things done in order to effectively contrast their policies with those of the Democrats.  If the policy discussions are confined to partisan wrangling and rhetoric, the debate devolves into misinformation and misdirection.  As we have seen from the tax reform legislation; it is necessary for new laws and policies to actually work their way into our everyday lives in order for the public to fully grasp their significance.  The Republican Congressional Leadership and the Trump Administration must reassess their approach to governing, use every tool in the box to move along their initiatives, and come to a sobering realization that their time in power is transient and may be coming to an end sooner than anyone thinks. 

Secondly; the American voters must take the time to study exactly what each national party stands for and make the effort to support the party of their choice.  These days do not allow us the luxury as citizens to have our ideal candidate before us on the ballot.  Unfortunately, we are oftentimes faced with the lesser of two evils.  But that uncomfortable choice pales in comparison to the larger facts of what the impact might be if one party’s vision of America is superior to the other.  Carefully consider what principles created the birth of this nation.  Think about the values you hold in your personal life and those of your family.  Think about the relationships between you and your government, at every level, and exactly how much involvement you are willing to give bureaucrats in your day-to-day living.  Think about what actions or services are intrinsically governmental in nature and what actions or services are best left to the private sectors of our society.  Think about whether the inherent and proper rights and dignity of the minority should permit them to impose laws of behavior and loss of liberties on the majority.  Think about the type of life your children will experience as they grow and mature; inheriting the environment that we, the American voters, are creating for them.   Honestly consider the state of this nation at the end of Obama’s two terms and what the election of Hillary Clinton would have done to perpetuate and further evolve that globalist vision of America.  The reality is that the Democratic Party has deserted the pragmatism of President Clinton, advanced far beyond the universal healthcare concepts of HillaryCare, and shifted well to the left of Obama’s liberal utopian ideals.  Just as our President is deeply flawed, so is the Republican Party.  Their policies are not bulletproof; they are susceptible to corruption and distraction; and they can be just as self-serving as any Democrat that ever lived.  But the hard truth is that the current state of Republican policy is far superior to that of the Democrats and it is critically important to preserve that policy through the maintenance of Republican majorities in the House and Senate.

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In a perfect world, a new and unique candidate will arise from the many 2020 presidential wannabes.  It will be a candidate that is motivated by a quest for a smaller and more efficient government.  It will be a leader that can both inspire the public and effectively manage the sprawling bureaucracy that is our government.  It will be a candidate that will speak in terms that are strong and principled, yet civil and respectful.   It will be an individual who has somehow discovered a method to bridge the partisan gap between our two national parties and restore some semblance of statesmanship in the WDC environment.  But, alas…we do not live in a perfect world.  Short of a highly unlikely indictment, impeachment, resignation or retirement, it is almost certain that Donald Trump will be the Republican candidate for President in 2020.  It is nearly as certain that given the way the liberal left has taken ownership of the Democratic Party, the 2020 Democratic presidential nominee will be about two small steps short of a socialist.  In our quest for perfection and our frustration with imperfection, we as voters must not lose sight of the fact that we can only vote for those candidates that are on the ballot.  Our government is more than one Senator or one Representative.   Our government is more than one President.  Our government is a reflection of the collective choices we make in selecting the people to run that government. 

It is my belief that the best direction for this nation, as things currently stand, is to hope that Donald Trump can somehow grow into his role as President and gain the respect that comes from real accomplishment.  I believe that as imperfect and flawed as the Republican Party is; they best represent the ideals that our nation was founded upon and can better manage the government of that nation.  I shudder to think about where this country would be today if Hillary Clinton had defeated Donald Trump and all of the revelations that have occurred over the last year had simply been papered over.  We will get the government we deserve.