The Feckless Foursome

President Barack Obama continues to perpetuate the fantasy that making nice with the rich man puppets who occupy the republican side of the aisle in Washington will somehow result in a ‘reborn’ congressperson who suddenly actually cares about the poor, the infirm, the unemployed, the union member…and anybody else with a net worth below a million dollars.

The latest “won’t you be my neighbor?” ploy was a gruesome golf foursome consisting of our Chief Executive, his Vice President, Joe Biden, Republican Speaker of the House, John ‘boo hoo’ Boehner and Ohio Governor, John “the catastrophe” Kasich, who single-handedly is in the process of ruining the Buckeye state for decades to come. Fitch, S & P and Moody’s bond ratings agencies recently lowered Ohio’s rating to ‘negative’.

The state has an $8.6 billion dollar shortfall, Kasich wants to go on a privatizing binge, he’s pushing education cuts that would jeopardize 7,000 teacher positions plus cuts of a third for the local government fund virtually guaranteeing higher local taxes for fire and police protection and of course Kasich is eagerly welcoming a giant casino for each of the state’s four largest cities after a public vote OK’d the move.

Apoplectic bible-thumpers went berserk when democrats proposed casinos in Ohio, noisily packing public meetings, rolling on the floor in agony, predicting a social tsunami – not a word now. The casino tax has been set at 33% and, over time, will bring in billions.

And who will ever forget  Kasich’s first love – destroying unions. The new collective bargaining bill doesn’t even allow for bargaining for health benefits. FYI, Ohio public employees earn less than their private sector counterparts for the same work.

And 18 holes of strained banter followed by some suds on 19 is going to change even a single syllable of the Kasich agenda?  Maybe Kasich will comp Obama at one of the shiny new casinos.

A closer look at Boehner reveals an agenda that is the polar opposite of what Obama supporters would accept. After fighting like a pit bull with a hornet sting against everything the majority Obama congress stood for, Boehner ascended to the Speaker’s post when the far right took over the House.

Boehner is dedicated to one thing – reversing every policy the democrats hold near and dear. Freeze government into a state of paralysis so the state’s-righters can hold sway; rip the guts out of the Obama Health Care plan, Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security so the unregulated private sector money gluttons can squeeze every last buck out of an impotent public and if you can’t afford treatment or medications, go die in the gutter. That’s Boehner.

Here’s how Obama and Boehner Aides described the golfing aftermath as quoted by reporters. They (the Aides) played down the chances of deals being struck, but acknowledged the outing could improve a relationship that is respectful, but hardly close.

I’m tingling all over.

So as Boehner takes a 3-wood out of his legislative bag and pounds everything Obama was elected to accomplish into irrelevant submission, he’ll do it with a cordial and civil grin as his congressional republican colleagues and their wealthy mentors continue to rob the poor, the ‘have-nots’ continue to expire prematurely, overseas tax havens continue to thrive, unions disappear, services continue to be decimated, social programs continue to be slashed, a few jillionaires continue to run the country (and the states) and nothing, but nothing good comes of the leaderships of Boehner and Kasich. 

FORE!!!