The Summer of Our Disconnect, II

The dueling news briefings from President Barack Obama and Speaker John Boehner Friday night shows just how out of touch we have become in this country. Despite the widespread belief that the government must deal with the deficit, taxes, and the debt ceiling, Washington has again fallen short of what needs to be done. And the reasons have little to do with the economy, and more to do with the political stridency that engulfs our nation.

Indeed, when the Tea Party began its push to oust Democrats and moderate Republicans from Congress its members screamed about a new "revolution" sweeping across our nation. Now, it is time for the people who believe in this country, who want Washington to work toward the betterment of society to stand up and begin that revolution by declaring -- as the President did last week -- "enough is enough."

Since the debt talks began, the White House has offered several plans to cut the deficit. But Republicans, who ran on the promise that they would cut the deficit, have continued to walk away from the negotiating table. One must ask why? When we do, we have to realize that the efforts of the GOP are not to fix America, but to block Obama.

In doing so, they have shown that they are incapable of reaching a compromise, which they have made a dirty word in American politics. The arrogance of the GOP freshmen class has put the nation in danger. Even if one argues against raising the tax rate, it is hard for anyone seeking true deficit reduction to argue against changing a federal tax code that allows such corporations as GE to pay little or no taxes on multi-billion profits.

Indeed, The New York Times recently published an article in which it looked at subsidies contained in the federal budget. Based on government and private studies, $1.8 trillion could be saved by eliminating those subsidies, which about $1.6 million a year for farmers to store peanuts and cotton in Georgia while waiting for price increases. It also includes $200 million for small and rural airports around the country some of which have no more than three flights a day. Another $100 million in tax breaks is given to owners of Nascar race tracks.

When George W. Bush tried to remove the farm storage subsidy he met with opposition from Republicans and Democrats, some of whom also have not been willing to compromise. President Obama has also tried to get rid of the subsidy. He failed both times. What we see is a basic philosophy that says, "We must cut the budget as long as it does not mean cutting a program I pushed."

For instance, in an another recent article The Times noted that several freshmen Republican lawmakers have been pushing government sponsored projects that they campaigned against during the last election. Such hypocrisy is rampant in Washington, as if how we refer to a program changes its meaning. In the new Congress, earmarks are not earmarks because the terminology has been changed.

That is why it is time for moderates and independents to take over the revolution that the Tea Party claims it started. No longer can they sit on the sidelines shaking their heads in disgust. Compromise is not a dirty word, it is the foundation of democracy.

"We've shown ourselves willing to step up on something the Republicans ran on," President Obama said at his news briefing where he scolded Boehner for walking away from the negotiating table yet again.

And of course, Boehner, in his own briefing, placed blame on the President, saying he will no longer negotiate with the White House. As House Speaker he has that right. But failure to negotiate with the President on a national deficit shows a total disconnect on the part of the GOP, and a total disregard for what many Americans want -- a government that works.