Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
Republicans frequently like to say that "government should run like a business."
This is a false premise on multiple levels, but for the moment, let's accept this premise as true.
Let's say that you need to hire someone to run your business. The first applicant is someone who says that he is "anti" your business, that your business doesn't work and is bad for America, and that he will do everything in his power to ensure that your business fails if you will only hire him and give him the opportunity.
Would you hire this person to run your business? Of course not!
Yet this is precisely what so many Americans do when they "hire" Tea-Publicans who are anti-government, who say that the government doesn't work and is bad for America, and that they will do everything in their power to ensure that government fails. "Government doesn't work, and if you elect me, I'll prove it!"
The TanMan, Weeper of the House John Boehner, is without equal the "Worst. Speaker. Ever." He presided over the "less-than-do-nothing" 112th Congress, which went down in history as the most unproductive ever. Now Boehner hopes to break his record for epic failure with the 113th Congress.
Anne Kim writes at the Political Animal blog, Already, the Most Unproductive Congress Ever:
During 2011-2012, Congress passed a mere 283 laws – fewer than a third of the more than 900 laws passed by the “do-nothing Congress” derided by President Harry S Truman in 1948.
The current Congress, however, is already on track to shatter the dubious record set by its predecessor.
Sixty-six days into the current session (Congress is again in recess this week), Congress has passed a whopping … 10 laws. Count them.
And the most recent of these – Public Law 113-10 – was enacted to
address this pressing priority: “To specify the size of the
precious-metal blanks that will be used in the production of the
National Baseball Hall of Fame commemorative coins.”
Even to catch up to last Congress’s legislative output, Congress
would need to pass roughly one bill every other day (and with no more
breaks for recess).
There is One Area in Which Congress Excels: Naming Post Offices. Not saving the U.S. Postal Service, mind you, just naming post offices (that will probably have to close).
Polarization has crushed Congressional productivity in two ways.
First, it’s virtually eliminated the moderates who have historically
played the role of bridge-builders between the two parties.
Moderates have often been the first to walk across the aisle and have
been essential to many of the bipartisan coalitions that have passed
major legislation in the past.
But more importantly, polarization has emboldened and entrenched the
conservative obstructionism that is the real reason behind Congressional
paralysis. Conservatives ensconced in “safe” seats can fan the flames
with their base and face no consequences electorally.
* * *
Unfortunately, the consequences of conservative obstructionism go far
beyond the frustrations of vacancies not filled, issues not dealt with,
and manufactured crises over the debt ceiling. The degeneration of
Congress has, in fact, blackened government’s reputation with the
public, perhaps indelibly.
* * *
In the meantime, the lack of legislative progress hasn’t stymied
legislative activity. Lawmakers in the current Congress have already
introduced 3,093 bills, while members of the last Congress sponsored
10,437 pieces of legislation. Many members now also engage in a 24/7
sideshow of hearings, town halls, tweets and gigs on Fox and MSNBC.
But for all this sound and fury, Congress, increasingly, is signifying nothing.
This is no way to run a business, or a government. Tea-Publicans have got to go.