Thornberry still fighting a good fight

“The opposite of pro is con; That fact is clearly seen; If progress means move forward; Then what does Congress mean?” — Nipsey Russell

That’s an old joke that has been told many different ways, but it still has a ring of truth that is hard to deny. The problems with the imperial Congress in Washington were outlined last week pretty clearly by Clarendon’s native son, US Rep. Mac Thornberry, as he gave multiple examples of counter-productive measures the Legislative Branch has taken in the last year and a half.

Under the Democratic leadership of Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid and with the cooperation of the Obama administration, Congress has enacted several laws that have eroded personal and financial freedoms for all Americans and have taken this nation deeper into debt and further away from its founding principles. Their laws, passed without regard to Constitutional merit or authority, have been crafted literally in backroom deals with little or no input from the minority.

That minority includes people like Thornberry. While there is plenty of blame to be shared by Republicans for the mess that this nation finds itself in, Congressman Thornberry has been fairly consistent in following a philosophy of limited government and fiscal restraint.

This column has not always agreed 100 percent with Thornberry, but we can say with certainty that if the House of Representatives were composed of 250 Mac Thornberries, 50 Ron Pauls, 50 Blue Dog Democrats, 50 so-called moderates, and mixed-bag of 35 liberal wackos (just for entertainment), then America would be in pretty good shape.

But such is not the case right now. Instead, Thornberry and his party (not all of whom are equally conservative) find themselves 20 votes down right out of the chute on any particular issue. It has got to be discouraging, and one wonders how a man doesn’t give in from time to time.

Take health care for example, the Democrats would have probably done anything to get one Republican to turn and vote for that bill. We probably could have had a nice new overpass in downtown Clarendon or an impressive Nancy Pelosi wing for political dinosaurs at the Saints’ Roost Museum if only Mac had played his cards right like some Democrats did. But instead he’s a man of principle and a man of his word – just like most folks from where he grew up.

Hopefully, the November elections will turn this country around and put the brakes on the socialist lurch America has taken. If that happens, Thornberry will have new allies and will have the seniority to help guide our nation back onto the right path. But if it doesn’t, I am sure that Thornberry will continue his tireless battle against the forces on the left.

Either way, Donley County should be proud of the job Thornberry is doing, and everyone should take the time to let him know that.

Meanwhile…
President Barack Obama is concerned about the economy and was reported to be “hard at work” this week with his economic team. The game plan they came out of the White House locker room with is the same one they have been using – Blame Republicans.
The administration slammed Senate Republicans for blocking a small business lending bill, which Obama said is preventing economic growth and Republican leaders said is preventing tax increases.

Speaking as a small business owner and on behalf of other small businesses, Mr. President, I don’t need a loan right now. What I need is some certainty and consistency.
I need to know absolutely what your health care bill is going to do to my health insurance premiums. (Yes, I know they are going to skyrocket. Thank you, sir. But I need to know by how much exactly.)

I need to know what my income tax rate is going to be come April 15 if you don’t extend President Bush’s tax cuts. (Yes, I know you want to raise taxes on the rich. But exactly who is rich? Anyone not on welfare?)

I need to know what you’re going to do about Social Security and the fact that it is paying out more than it’s taking in. Are you going to raise my payroll taxes?
And most of all, Mr. President, how the hell do you propose we get out of this $13 trillion hole you have helped put us in? Is there a plan for that? Or do we all need to start learning to speak Chinese so we can communicate with our country’s new landlords?

I understand you inherited a mess, but you’ve just made it worse from my stand point.

So I need you to quit pointing fingers at other people and other parties, man up, and show some leadership and do it in a manner consistent with the principles that made this country great – Personal Freedom, Economic Liberty, and Individual Responsibility. Can you do that for me instead of taking a vacation to the Gulf of Mexico every damn weekend?

If you’ll take care of all that, I’ll take care of growing my business. In fact, I think I’ll take care of my business regardless of what you do.