You learn very early in the military this lesson, especially as a young lieutenant: “the maximum effective range of an excuse is zero meters.” It appears that lesson needs to be taught to some folks masquerading as elected officials in Washington DC — oops, I mean on vacation, wherever they may be.
I am responding directly to the absurd comments of the GOP Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.As reported by The Hill, “Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Monday expressed frustration with what he called President Trump’s “excessive expectations” of the legislative process as Republicans struggle to chalk up major achievements under a united government.
During a speech to the Florence Rotary Club in Kentucky, McConnell said many of Trump’s “artificial deadlines” are “unrelated to reality,” indicating the president may not fully grasp the ins and outs of lawmaking.“Now our new president has of course not been in this line of work before. And I think had excessive expectations about how quickly things happen in the democratic process,” McConnell said.
“And so, part of the reason I think people feel like we’re underperforming is because too many artificial deadlines unrelated to the reality and the complexity of legislature may not have been fully understood.” McConnell’s speech comes less than two weeks after the Senate failed by one vote to move forward on plans to repeal and replace Obamacare.”
First of all, these were not “excessive expectations” from President Trump; these were campaign promises and pledges that GOP leadership gave for electoral patronage. They asked for the House, the U.S. Senate, then asked for the White House in order to enact a conservative legislative agenda, which included the repeal of Obamacare.Now the Senate majority leader is looking for someone else to blame for his abject failure, and yes, I mean that wholeheartedly. Senator Mitch McConnell has had nearly seven years to conduct studies, hold focus groups, research, whatever you call it, in order to develop a legislative policy way forward and solutions for healthcare and tax reform. The fact that he had no solution as the Senate majority leader is a reflection on him, and his failure as a leader.
The expectation was simple: lead, nothing more, and he has proven incapable — along with his so-called Senate leadership team — to be effective…and so what do they do? They make an excuse, and amazingly so, Senator McConnell is making an excuse about expectations while he is on a doggone 30-day vacation, a recess — all we know is they’re not in Washington DC.
Again, it was Senator McConnell who said he’d keep the Senate in session if they didn’t complete their work, so their not being in DC is also an “excessive expectation” of President Trump? No, it’s just another betrayal, just another example of those whom telling the truth and honoring promises and commitments mean nothing. For Mitch McConnell, it was, and seems to still be about one thing: maintaining his position of power as Senate majority leader. No sir, the president didn’t have “excessive expectations.” You did in fact lie and failed to fulfill your stated promise. Bottom line, you failed.Secondly, I for one have grown tired of the other excuse which Senator McConnell expresses, that we’re all just dumb schmucks who cannot understand the legislative process, or how democracy works. That sir, is bovine excrement. What a condescending statement, “our new president has of course not been in this line of work before.”
What a crock, and the sad reality is what you’re doing isn’t a “line of work”, especially since it’s not working…and neither are you! This elitist attitude is exactly why you and your ilk regardless of party, must be replaced. You tend to believe that no one else can comprehend what’s supposed to happen by way of legislating and governing our constitutional Republic.
This is the arrogance of “The Swamp” and what’s so very despicable and disgusting about Washington DC, and it’s truly a bipartisan sickness. You do not lord over us as ignorant serfs incapable of understanding how our government and legislative process is supposed to work. You sir, are supposed to be a servant leader, a citizen legislator, not some self-elevated gatekeeper of stupidity, which is what your comments indicate — a clear level of a special kind of stupid.It’s time we, the people — and this isn’t a Republican or Democrat issue — finally rid ourselves of this, as Roman statesman Cicero stated circa 55 BC, “The arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled.” We the people must come together and do as Cicero recommended.
Irrespective of political party, these individuals have displayed a complete disregard for the American people — actually they exhibit a certain abhorrent disdain for our citizens. This attitude that they know better and you’re too ignorant to understand what they do has to end. And it can only end if they’re gone, sent back home where they can have a permanent recess. Anyway, it only takes them five years to qualify for a full taxpayer-funded retirement — something else that needs to be changed.
We were under a delusion that the Republican Party would actually do what’s right…we know the progressive socialists of the Democrat Party will not. We’re left with no other recourse: remove those who lie, deceive, and betray the will of the people. And if you recall, I recently wrote a piece about the emergence of a third political movement.
Senator Mitch McConnell does not deserve to be the majority leader. The arrogance of his officialdom must be controlled; he needs to be removed. His statement is indicative of exactly what is hurting our country.
[Learn more about Allen West’s vision for this nation in his book Guardian of the Republic: An American Ronin’s Journey to Faith, Family and Freedom]