When is humor no longer funny?

[Vandiablo]

the House went Republican in 1994 (apparently because the all Democrat government was doing such a bang up job) and blocked off virtually the entire Clinton agenda for the rest of his 2 terms.

I remember 1994.

The GOP won in 1994 because of fearmongering about Hillary and homosexuals. Not much has changed I guess, except the voting percentage this strategy garners.

With Hillary, it was: Big Government was going to come between you and your doctor.

(BTW much of the GOP supports government coming between you and your doctor. For example, if you are raped and you want to get a drug to prevent any fertilized eggs from lodging in your body.)

Now, as in 1994, I already do have someone coming between me and my doctor. It's the insurance companies. Why should my health depend on an organization that is trying to maximize its profits? This is what I was hoping would change in 1993 (it didn't) or change now (not holding my breath -- not good for the heart.)

With homosexuals, it was the "gay agenda" taking over our schools etc etc and "gays in the military". Nowadays it's "gay marriage". You know, if you let that gay couple down the road get married, next they'll be marrying pigs in your church on Christmas morning.

In some ways, that combination was far more conservative than any portion of the Bush presidency. You can't get much more conservative than refusing to pass a budget for months and operating at the previous year's apportionment.

I'd say "obstructionist" not "conservative". After all, the only "accomplishment" Democrats could muster early this decade was to use the filibuster ability in the Senate to slow the pace of the GOP damage, er, legislation. You wouldn't call them "conservative" would you?

Back to 1994, I remember the GOP coming in with a wrecking ball. I was working as an EPA contractor at the time. (Fortunately for me, the loss of a couple weeks' pay was not a big issue.) They were not interested in understanding what was being done and figuring out what was most important, they were interested in complete destruction, like a mob burning a library.

It was a worse time than the Reagan/Watt years, you know, when trees caused pollution...

I'm a little optimistic now regarding environmental issues. Maybe, just maybe, the "profound irresponsibility" (to use an Obama term) of 26 of the last 28 years will finally be over! ... even though its damage will continue for many years.

Obama is also challenging the Reagan ideals of "Government is the problem" and "trickle-down". The "trickle-down theory," as it was called, is where the government reduction of tax collection is given to the rich, with the idea that the rich people will spend money and so the money will eventually get to the not-so-rich. (Add deficit spending and you have what Bush Elder called "Voodoo Economics".) Now for the Vanadoo Economics: I think the rich are the people who are most likely to send the money overseas one way or another, and the money leaves our economy pretty much permanently. Instead, give the money to the not-so-rich, and, guess what?!?!? They spend the money and then the rich people get it again anyway! ... ok, I'm no economist...

-V