Bruce Springsteen has taken a fair amount of criticism for the ad he starred in during the Super Bowl. The message was that Americans need to, “meet in the middle”. The commercial was filmed in Lebanon, Kansas, the absolute middle of The United States, and featured a chapel that is open to all Americans all day and every day of the year. The message is NOT that we should all meet in Kansas and work out our differences. He is suggesting that we should meet in the center of America’s ideological spectrum, which is certainly in line with The View From the Middle’s message.
Bruce is being criticized because he has been a partisan supporter of Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden whose followers boldly claimed to be part of “the resistance” to the Trump administration before he even took office. The hypocrisy is thick. Four years ago, their motto was “Resist, Divide and Demonize”, but now those very same people are calling for unity! And it seems that the message from the Biden administration is not consistent with Mr. Springsteen’s. It seems clear to me that Biden’s definition of “unity” is that conservatives need to abandon their principles and core beliefs and embrace the ideology of the far left, then we can have unity.
After running on a “unity” platform, I have seen no sign that President Biden actually plans to deliver on that promise. His first move was to sign more executive orders in his first two weeks in office than any other President in our country’s history. This is the opposite of reaching out to the other side of the aisle. It is the action of an out-of-touch partisan at best or a dictator at the worst. Next, he could have signaled an attempt at unifying the country by suggesting that the House and Senate drop the unconstitutional and meaningless impeachment of President Trump, but he didn’t. And now he seems more concerned about allowing transgender boys to play girls’ sports than he does about jobs in the very “middle America” that Mr. Springsteen was talking about, the promised land for our political discourse.
But the final and biggest abandonment of his “unity” promise might be yet to come. Many of us were encouraged when President Biden met with 10 Republican Senators to discuss the Democrat 1.9 Trillion-dollar Coronavirus relief bill. There are actually some legitimate concerns about the size and scope of this bill that could and even should be addressed. For example, Republicans would like the $1,400 stimulus checks to go to a smaller but needier group of citizens, say those individuals making $50,000 a year or couples making $100,000. This would borrow less money and will reduce the future burden we are piling on our children and grandchildren. This is NOT a crazy thought and should become part of the compromise bill if uncle Joe actually wants to unite anyone!
Second, this relief bill includes $350 billion to be paid to cities and states across the country. This is way more than is needed to compensate these localities for the costs of fighting the pandemic. Everyone knows that this is simply a move to force states like Arkansas and Kansas (the middle of the country) to pay for the fiscally irresponsible states like New York and California. Again, this is NOT a crazy idea and at a minimum that $350 billion should be reduced if President Biden is serious about seeking bi-partisan solutions. And finally, there are some serious concerns on both sides of the political aisle that this amount of stimulus will lead to hyper-inflation for the country. That would hurt low-income and middle-income Americans the most. Again, this is not a crazy concern.
But the word on the streets of Washington now it that this 1.9 Trillion-dollar bill will be passed without any changes and without a single Republican vote in either house of congress. If this bill passes with a 51 to 50 vote in the Senate and no change in the 1.9 Trillion-dollar price tag, it will be a slap in the face of every conservative in this country. The very people he promised to reach out to and to represent. What part of “unity” does Joe Biden not understand?
But, of course, I still support the message that “The Boss” Bruce Springsteen delivered on Super Bowl Sunday. I think Republicans are willing to work with Democrats to create compromise, bi-partisan legislation. Democrats, however, need to stop demonizing everyone who has a different opinion and actually listen to them. This whole “unity” message may have been a sham from the beginning just to get elected. But, let’s hope not.
Isn't it refreshing that the biggest thing partisans have to complain about is a Jeep commercial? What a relief.
ReplyDelete"I think Republicans are willing to work with Democrats to create compromise, bi-partisan legislation."
This ignores the last nearly two decades of history, but maybe. Last time it was tried was NCLB. The Republican base relentlessly criticized Bush for it. Then when he tried for bipartisan immigration reform his own party wouldn't let it get off the drawing board.
" If this bill passes with a 51 to 50 vote in the Senate and no change in the 1.9 Trillion-dollar price tag, it will be a slap in the face of every conservative in this country. "
This is a false cry. The $1.9 trillion tax cut which led to the President Trump's time in office having the 3rd highest deficit increase of any Presidential term? Passed without a single Democratic vote. And not a single Republican cared.
The Republican "unity" cry is empty, and political gamesmanship for suckers. Actions, as always, speak louder than words. "Conservatives" said nothing about debt piling up for the past four years, two of which the GOP controlled everything. But NOW it's a slap in the face that no one listens to them on the debt? Be serious.
" Everyone knows that this is simply a move to force states like Arkansas and Kansas (the middle of the country) to pay for the fiscally irresponsible states like New York and California."
Nonsense. The only reason Arkansas has a balanced budget is because it's in our Constitution. A reaction to the post Civil War profiteering that left us nearly bankrupt. The Arkansas legislature has spent the last 150 years slowly weakening the prohibition on debt, to the point we now have a ton of revenue bonds. And states like New York and California are net contributors in taxes v. benefits, while states like Arkansas are net takers. This has been well known for years - I'm surprised you didn't know it.
https://www.businessinsider.com/federal-taxes-federal-services-difference-by-state-2019-1#new-york-32
"His first move was to sign more executive orders in his first two weeks in office than any other President in our country’s history. This is the opposite of reaching out to the other side of the aisle."
Silly metric. But as many of those EOs were actually reversals of Trump EOs, did you complain about a lack of unity then? I really don't recall you or any Republican wishing for unity when Trump was President. That's weird it has now become so important to you.
" This is NOT a crazy thought and should become part of the compromise bill if uncle Joe actually wants to unite anyone!"
Not a crazy thought, true. It's just one you obviously don't believe in that strongly, as the last 4 years. No one really believes Republicans take this seriously. Heck, even Mick Mulvaney, Tea Partier who started the Freedom Caucus in Congress and was in the Trump Administration, admitted as much.
https://www.axios.com/mick-mulvaney-republicans-deficit-trump-cc2a7d76-f469-489c-9a0a-c0a75b0e16e1.html
The GOP and its adherents just have zero credibility on debt. It's going to take a third party to get the deficit and spending under control. Neither of the two current ones have any real interest in it.
Also - if you want to play basketball in an old man's game a couple days of week, shoot me an email. Got one I think you'd like.
Matt, I'm still trying to play with the young guys, but who are you so that I can send you an email.
DeleteI don't think you actually make any good points above worth responding to, but would be willing to sit down in person and discuss. It would save us both a lot of time.
AND, I have ALWAYS called for unity!!!!!!!!!!!!! And have been on the record on it which you have obviously missed. Here's a link for you -
https://kevincanfield.blogspot.com/2011/09/uniting-america.html
I have used the word "Unity" in over 100 of my articles. Maybe you should read all of them and then we can talk.
Sent you an email re: basketball.
DeleteHonestly, I don't like talking politics in person much because there's no trust anymore. I prefer writing because people can back up their work.
For example, you may not think my points are good ones, but you can't say they aren't based on the facts, because I link to my facts. That way if you think their biased you can examine the source. In this case my source is Mick Mulvaney and studies of how much states take in and pay out in federal tax dollars. On the Arkansas Constitution history, glad to send you anything you need to confirm.
I'm glad you called for unity in 2011, which was when another Democrat was President. But you were awfully quiet during the Trump era on some pretty controversial EOs. The trick is to do it when your party is in power too. A link to a request for unity or criticism of Republicans for not uniting the country from January 20, 2017 to January 20, 2021 and I'll be more inclined to believe the commitment is genuine and not just partisan.
Not to say you don't want the country to be united (though has it ever been outside of war dating back to the founding?) but "unity" too often means "I want everyone to agree with what I think should happen."