The Militant Moderate

Not expecting anything of substance, the Militant Moderate was not disappointed in the President’s State of the Union Address.  Expecting the president to go through his usual smirking, grimacing, winking, mannerisms, and body language, the Militant Moderate was repulsed but not offended.  Not expecting the president to admit deadly mistakes, the MM was not surprised with the use of patriotic fervor for defensive cover.  

Not expecting the president to address the real issues in a helpful way, the MM was not disappointed when he offered no real solutions for health care even when elements of the solution are obvious to anyone but a republican congressman with campaign donations in his pocket from the industry.  Not expecting that he would address the horrible snafu with Medicare prescriptions, caused by republican pandering to pharmaceutical and insurance companies, the MM was not disappointed by lack of simple corrections.  

The president called for an end to partisan bickering and for democrats and republicans to work together on the nation’s problems.  That may seem strange coming from the president whose party has divided the country, but it is their custom to pass blame to others.  This administration’s cohorts have pulled every dirty trick in or out of the books, from swift boat lies to rigged elections, to destroy all political opposition.  Why would they expect anything but hostile response to their partisan misconduct?  

Sorry, Mr. President, but the State of the Union is not good, and it is not strong.  This is a badly divided country.  Your approval ratings hover around 40%.  Sixty percent of the people think the country is going the wrong direction.  Six out of ten think that the Iraq war was based upon misinformation.  Many now understand that the Iraq War and terrorism are two different fights, and that you have chosen the wrong one upon which to dissipate our soldiers’ lives and the nation’s resources.  

Only thirty-eight percent give your congress a favorable rating.  There is corruption in the republican congress, and in your own management and procurement operations.  Members of your staff group have violated the laws protecting identity of intelligence personnel – for political retribution.  You and your staff have had dealings with the convicted lobbyist, but you will release no information.  What are you hiding?  Incompetent political cronies have been appointed to important positions with awful consequences.  Your claims to legality for spying on the American people are worthless, and just what did those Quaker folk have to do with Al Qaeda anyway?  Maybe it was an offense like Cindy Sheehan’s T-shirt, which got her arrested?  

Mr. President, you did not mention the $8+ trillion national debt, that over $2 trillion of that is held by the Chinese banks, or that it has become worse on your watch.  You did not mention this country’s capital being drained away by the trade imbalance every year.  You did not mention that thousands of jobs are being exported overseas annually.  Obscene profits of oil companies were not mentioned, although these came at the expense of American consumers.  You did not mention the corporate tax dodges still flourishing in off-shore financial operations.  
Nothing was mentioned about the shrinking middle class and the growing poverty class.  Nothing was said about the undermining of the American standard of living as a result of cheap labor (and no benefits) overseas.  You took no cognizance of the fact that there are thousands of American families, with both parents working at minimum wage, stuck in poverty.  Why not raise that wage?  

Mr. President, you did not tell us that the annual deficit would go away if the tax cuts you advocated making permanent were dropped, except for the costs of your Iraq adventure.  The new budget would be more acceptable if you vetoed it now and sent it back for congressional pork liposuction.  Your talk of cutting spending failed to disclose that total federal spending has increased by 42% on your watch.  

The prosperity you mention must refer to the dramatic increase in both income and wealth for the upper five percent under your tax policies.  The purchasing power of wage earners has actually decreased under your programs.  Of what value are low unemployment rates if the growth is in cheap jobs?   Mr. President, the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer under your administration.  Are you pleased with that?    

The truth, Mr. President, is that there is extreme disunity within the Union, and our beloved country in great distress.  You and your followers must accept much of the responsibility for this situation.  But first you need to recognize realities.  

………   Dr. Edwin E. Vineyard,   AKA  The Militant Moderate