SPECIAL EDITION: A Hero Passes, A Legacy Left

Everyone has heroes.  Some people look up to athletes and others celebrities.  I admired Margaret Thatcher.  Now with her passing, I’m left to use her example as one of the guiding principles of my life.

I never met Lady Thatcher, and in fact am really too young to remember her tenure as Prime Minister.  What I know of her has been learned through various books, documentaries and watching clips of her parliament debates on YouTube, all of which confirm that her legacy was the consistency with which she held to her conservative vision.

This is a lesson I have to remind myself of daily as a young conservative living in the Obama era.  Too often I’m left to believe that the core values I was raised on, personal responsibility, hard work and professional success no longer seemed to be championed in our country.  Like many of my “conservative” political friends, I could sway and adopt today’s populist beliefs or be consumed by cynicism only to become disenchanted with our democracy.  But then again, I’m reminded of Lady Thatcher.

The England she inherited as Prime Minister in 1979 was in even worse shape then the post-recession United States of today.  Garbage piles filled the streets, rolling blackouts consumed the country and an attitude of self-doubt filed the British psyche.  Similar to today’s political conservatives, Thatcher could have championed impractical populism to solidify political support.  Instead her course was one of consistency, consistency for the beliefs she had held long before ever becoming Prime Minister:

“My policies are based not on some economics theory, but on things I and millions like me were brought up with: an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay; live within your means; put by a nest egg for a rainy day; pay your bills on time; support the police.”

Lady Thatcher’s beliefs were controversial and her legacy will forever be debated. But I ask, what is life without a few bumps?  The fact remains that when she left office, England had been transformed to enter the new century in a much stronger position and the world was at peace.  Could any leader ask for much more?

My task remains clear, that to honor her legacy, I need to remain true to my beliefs: that government should be small and efficient, fiscal management is necessary for our democracy’s survival, and personal responsibility is core to the character of our country. As someone who currently opposes most of the Obama Administration’s policies, my tone must be civil while my criticisms must always contain constructive suggestions, a lesson I try to practice with every entry on this blog.

And now with Lady Thatcher’s passing, a legacy is left is to guide our country, and indeed the world, to hopefully a better place.

Some Enchanted Recording

It was some enchanted evening on April 7, 1949 when South Pacific opened at Broadway’s Majestic Theatre.  So culturally significant was this event that last week the Library of Congress added it to the National Recording Registry.  While this blogger, and millions others, have always recognized the Rodgers & Hammerstein show for its cultural significance, the Library of Congress has now also taken note.  Now future generations of American’s will know what it is like when ‘you see a stranger across a crowded room.’

To be selected for the National Recording Registry is an immense honor.  It not only signifies a recording’s popular appeal, but more importantly it’s cultural significance to the heritage of the United States.  The recordings aren’t based on trivial matters such as: “weeks spent at #1” or “total # of albums sold.”  Rather, selections are because the albums “are culturally, historically, or aesthetically important, and/or inform or reflect life in the United States.”

Each year the National Recording Registry Board accepts nominations in 23 different categories for an album’s inclusion into the Registry.  Those categories include: Documentary/Broadcast/Spoken Word, Heavy Metal, Rap/Hip-Hop and Broadway/Musical Theatre/Soundtrack.  From the nominations, the Board then chooses roughly 25-50 recordings to be preserved by the Library of Congress.  In addition to original cast album of South Pacific this year’s list also includes: Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, the soundtrack to Saturday Night Fever, Van Cliburn’s 1958 rendition of Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No.1 and a D-Day radio broadcast by journalist George Hicks.

The Registry is a who’s who of American political, entertainment and religious culture.  While Congress usually gets jeered, I feel that this is one occasion where they should be cheered.  For none of this would be possible had it not been mandated by the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000.

Going back to South Pacific, I don’t think it was picked solely because of its success on both stage and screen.  Yes, the show won 10 Tony awards, the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and has been produced around the world, but it also represents something more.  On the eve of the American Civil Rights movement, South Pacific unapologetically proclaimed, “You’ve got to be taught to hate and fear.”  This statement is still as bold now as was when it was first sung in 1949.  That declaration alone is reason enough why South Pacific should be preserved, and listened too for generations to come.

The Republican Producers

Sometimes people fail for a reason.  In the musical The Producers, the main characters purposely fail to con others out of money.  Why the Republican Party consistently fails, and seems to enjoy doing so, is beyond me.

If you think I’m being partisan let’s take a look at the Republican’s blunders over the past two years and see why these events are so harmful.

2012 Republican Primary

Action: The primary race turned into a proverbial debate over which candidate was the most socially conservative.

Result: The primary race alienated female/gay/immigrant voters and positioned the Party as out-of-touch and out-dated.

Rape Comments by Reps. Richard Mourdock and Todd Akin

Action: In their respective 2012 races, Representatives Richard Mourdock and Todd Akin essentially associated rape to an act of God.

Result: Failure to condone these statements by Party leaders (including nominee Mitt Romney) further alienated female voters.

2011 Grand Bargain and 2012 Fiscal Cliff Failures

Action: Republicans were unable to reach a debt limit and fiscal cliff deal with President Obama on two separate occasions.  Furthermore, they could not articulate what their actual positions were in these negotiations.

Result: Not only did taxes go up, but public opinion shifted against the Republican Party.  The public now approves of the tax increases that were enacted.

2013 CPAC Convention

Action: While not an official Party action, it spoke volumes when the Conservative Political Action Convention (CPAC) invited Donald Trump and Sarah Palin to speak, however Governors Chris Christie (NJ) and Bob McDonnell (VA) were not invited.

Result: I’m not sure that the public took note of this, but for those who did, these actions created the image of an out-of-touch conservative wing of the Party.

The first step is admitting you have a problem…

Fortunately the Republicans have at least another year until the 2014 midterm elections, three years until the next presidential election and several leaders are aware of their perception problem.  Majority Leader Eric Cantor, Governors Bobby Jindal (LA) and Chris Christie have all begun publicly discussing the need to broaden the Republican Party’s appeal.   As one leader recently said, the Republican Party needs to stop being the party of stupid.   But it will take more than speeches to do this including: public condemnation of members when they take to saying unintelligent comments, an ability to publicly communicate their message and to position themselves beyond the Party of tax cuts and abortion.

The Producers may have set out to fail, but if you’ve seen either movie version or the stage show, you know their fate takes a wildly hilarious turn.  In a black humor sort of way, the Republican’s fate may be similar, however nobody in the Party will be laughing when their failures culminate in electoral defeat.

 

Just the Facts

Growing up, we used to watch a lot of retro-television in my family.  One such show was Dragnet, a police drama from the early sixties featuring two sobering cops who used to always tell suspects and witnesses that all they wanted was, “just the facts.”

Watching the coverage leading up to today’s sequestration cuts, I feel a “just the facts” attitude is needed to set the record straight.

FACT:  Today, March 1^st, $85 billion in federal cuts will take effect.

FACT: The White House proposed, and the Republican Congress agreed to, the sequester thus making both parties responsible for the situation.

FACT: The sequester does not touch the two biggest drivers of America’s national debt and deficit: entitlement spending and healthcare.  This effectively proves, what a stupid idea the sequester was to begin with (okay this last sentence was more of an opinion than fact).

FACT: Despite numerous threats from the Obama Administration, it really remains to be seen what the real effects of the sequester will be in each state.

These are the facts of the sequester as they currently stand.  If there is one word to describe the sequester, events surrounding the sequester and the behavior of our political leaders it is this: Cowardice.

Never has a solution so stupid, been proposed for a problem so serious.  And never has our political leadership failed to adequately respond to a preemptive crisis.

This blog has written numerous times about the need to tackle our debt, and will remain focused on the issue.  The facts remain that unless serious reform of our tax, entitlement and healthcare systems are enacted, the monetary and economic fate of the United States will not be pleasant.

May I recommend that for all our citizens and political leaders, we skip the theatrics, and proceed with just the facts.

Go See Lincoln

Washington is abuzz this week with pre-inaugural festivities.  By next Monday, the Capitol will be aglow with the majesty of the inaugural ceremony, the pomp and circumstance of the inaugural balls and celebrations of America’s 44^th president, Barack Obama.  In preparing for the start of his second term, I hope the President will go see the movie Lincoln, hopefully learning that acting like a politician is not shameful behavior.  For if President Obama is to survive the second term battles that lie ahead, he will need to act like politician of the highest caliber.

Lincoln is principally set in January 1865 and centers on the passage of the 13^th amendment.  Having just been re-elected, President Lincoln is trying to pressure Congress to pass the amendment during their lame duck session (remember prior to the 20^th amendment, Congress didn’t start their session till March).   What may surprise moviegoers were the tools Lincoln used to get the amendment passed, many of which are still employed.

Lobbyists, federal appointments, political maneuvering and dodgy answers, were all used by Lincoln to get Congress to pass the amendment.  The film makes no secret of this, and neither does Lincoln.  At one point in the film Lincoln turns to his cabinet, raises his hand and declares, “I am the president of the United States of America, clothed in immense power! You will procure me those votes!”

In the next sixth months President Obama will have battles with the Republicans on: cabinet appointments, the budget, the debt ceiling, federal spending, gun reform and possibly immigration.  Furthermore, President Obama will also have to compete with the fact that presidents tend to get weaker as their second term progresses, remember they are lame duck leaders as well.  If President Obama is to cement his legacy on the debt and federal spending, he’ll need to wield a Lincoln-ian style deal that includes the Republican.

President Obama has long made it known of his admiration for our 16^th president.  In fact, at next Monday’s inauguration ceremony the President will be sworn in on the Lincoln bible, and his 2013 State of the Union Address is currently scheduled for Lincoln’s birthday, February 12^th.  The lesson thought that President Obama must take from his predecessor is that politics matters.  He can’t keep a pious attitude towards the professional, when he is the profession’s most notable leader.  Politics doesn’t always have to be nasty, it does however need to achieve results.

President Obama, congratulations on your second term.  The American people, of both political parties, are counting on you!

Notes from the Stage Door – Fiscal Cliff Edition

Call the Fiscal Cliff the Grinch that stole Christmas in 2012 or the first Festivus grievance of 2013, but I can’t remember a time when politics left such a dark shadow over the holidays.  In politics, process maters, especially when it involves a policy that will affect every American’s taxes.   This week’s Notes from the Stage Door is dedicated to helping you understand the political process which saved the nation from once again avoiding economic uncertainty.  The underlining in all these stories is this: personal relationships matter…enter Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Mitch McConnell.

Politico: The fiscal cliff deal that almost wasn’t

Politico (a must read for anyone interested in politics) provides a great overview of everything that went down during the fiscal cliff negotiations.  This includes Speaker John Boehner telling Senator Harry Reid to f*ck off, and how Biden and McConnell were able to save the day.

The New York Times: Lines of Resistance on Fiscal Deal

The biggest conundrum of the entire deal is the Republican’s response.  A decade ago, the thought of  making 85% of the Bush tax cuts permanent was a pipe dream.   Now it’s a reality, and even more ironic is that this all happened under President Barack Obama.  Still, Republicans remains unsettled about the deal and unresolved about where they go to next.

Les Fiscal Miserables

Finally, a friend from across the isle, sent this to me last week.  I thought, with this being a blog about the arts and politics, a Les Miserable-Fiscal Cliff theme tumblr could not have been more appropriate!

Where’s the Outrage?

I was watching the Monday Night Football game when the replacement referees blew the infamous ‘failed Mary’ play which cost the Green Bay Packers a win.  Normally I go to bed after the game, but that night I wanted to see how the post-game commentators would handle the call.  In retrospect I didn’t need to stay up, because the game would become a national outrage and media sensation for the following week.

Over the last three months there has been a news story that has received similar media coverage; consistently making the A-section above-the-fold and always the lead story on all the evening news broadcasts.  The story is the fiscal cliff – a series of financial taxes and regulations set to expire on January 1, 2013.  Unlike the Monday Night Football game though, the fiscal cliff has failed to really capture the public’s imagination, leading me to ask: where’s the outrage?

I know that after the longest Republican Primary in history (or so it seemed) and the election, the last thing Americans want to focus on this holiday season is another political drama.  But pause for a moment, and ponder what happens if Congress fails to act.  If all the tax cuts expire and sequestration procedures go into full effect, they will essentially slow American economic growth to roughly .5%, essentially throwing the country back into a recession.

Now I am not naïve, and will acknowledge that football is a much easier game to understand than Congressional politics and the debt.  However, it’s shocking how apathetic Americans are about this subject.  Americans frequently like to think of their nation as a world superpower, the victor of the Cold War and so on, but our political inability and public apathy on this subject could doom the country to second-class status.

Ironically enough the Monday Football Game ultimately has had little to any effect on the Green Bay Packers this season.  They will make the playoffs.  However, the public’s lack of motivation on Congress to pursue solid public policy answers will cause the United States to suffer in its overall performance.  All of this leads me to ask the question: where’s the outrage?

For complete coverage and analysis of the fiscal cliff please visit: http://www.politico.com/p/pages/fiscal-cliff

The Most Powerful Man in Washington

Shortly after President Barack Obama won re-election on Tuesday night, Speaker of the House John Boehner was elevated to the post of most-powerful-person-in-Washington.  For as Congress returns for a marathon Lame Duck session, it is Boehner who holds the fate to: Obama’s political legacy, the future of the Republican Party, any potential economic recovery and the debt deal needed to continue that recovery.

Next week Congress returns to address the looming fiscal cliff and series of sequestration cuts set to go into effect in 2013. If the cuts go into effect, they have been predicted to lower the American GDP rate to .5%, essentially halting the economy. The only way to avoid that is to financially reform the tax code, entitlement system and government spending. That means, both Obama and Boehner have to agree to a comprehensive deal, almost similar to the one which fell apart last summer.

Boehner’s position could not be more Machiavellian, even if it had been written by Shakespeare himself. For while the Lame Duck session contains the same characters from last year’s failed debt negotiations, Boehner is politically in a different place. He has proven that he can defend the House majority electorally, and unlike the president, he is not term limited.  That being said, a few things bear mentioning.

It’s worth remembering that in 2011, it was Obama who walked away from the grand bargain.  This action burned Boehner, and did significant damage to their relationship, emboldening House Republicans to block all Obama-favored legislation in Congress.  Second, Obama is a now a lame duck president and the economnic recovery is a major part of his legacy.  In an unusual way Boehner’s ability to work with Obama, gives him access to shaping what exactly that legacy will be.  Remember, a deal is need to prevent the sequestration cuts and Boehner is key to the negoiations.

Finally, Boehner’s ability to deal, and the type of deal he may/may not enact, will also cast a shadow on the looming Republican civil war. Make no mistake, after Romney’s loss Republicans are fighting for the soul of the party and Boehner is at the center of that fight. As the Party leader, any deal he constructs will shape the GOP’s economic messaging for the next two years, and possibly the 2016 presidential election.  Boehner can move the party’s economnic image beyond tax cuts and smaller government, to something that is more tangible.

Boehner is an old-school politico, whose only ambition was to be speaker. He is the type of speaker, like Tipp O’Neil and Sam Rayburn, willing to cut a deal. Regardless though, President Obama, the Republican Party, and the financial health of the country are all relying on John Boehner.  Hence why he is the most powerful man in Washington, DC.

For more information on Speaker John Boehner, please visit: http://www.speaker.gov/

For more information on the Lame Duck Session please check out:

The Economist – July 14, 2012 edition – “The American Economy: Comeback Kid”

National Journal – July 2, 2012 edition – “Field Guide to the Lame Duck Session”

The Price of Politics by Bob Woodward, Available for purchase on amazon.com

The Most Important Question Not Being Asked

You wouldn’t spend $100 on a Broadway theater ticket unless you had some familiarly with the show.  We do this as consumers because when making important financial decisions it is necessary to be informed.  So why then are theatergoers/consumers, who are also voters, failing to ask incumbent candidates the most important question of this election: What policies will you pursue during Congress’s Lame Duck session?

In case you missed it, Congress adjourned over the weekend and will not return until after the election.  The post-election Congressional session is called the ‘Lame Duck’ session.  This is when, regardless of the election outcome, incumbents return to Congress for 36 days and vote on legislation which they failed to address during the regular congressional session.  How important is this session?

The spending and tax bills which will be discussed account for roughly 4% of America’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).  Below is a quick outline of just some of the items being discussed:

Bush Tax Cuts – To Renew vs. To Expire

The Bush Tax Cuts are set to expire after several extensions.  It’s unclear what position President Obama and the Democrats plan to take, while the Republicans will most likely vote against any tax increase/expiration.  The tax cuts effect roughly 72% of the population.  In FY2013 they are worth $221 billion dollars, providing tax payers with average savings of $1,765.  Just think for a moment, how you would be affected with $1,765 less in your pocket?

Sequestration – A Tough Reality

Last summer, when Congress and President Obama failed to achieve a grand bargain on the debt ceiling, they left the American public with sequestration.  This is a Congressional procedure where, if Congress failed to cut spending, a series of automatic spending cuts totaling more than $110 billion would be enacted.  The Congress Budget Office estimates that this would slow American GDP growth down to .5% and throw us back into a recession.

The Debt Ceiling – America’s Cancer

Even though the debt ceiling does not need to be raised until spring, another debacle like the one last summer could do lasting damage to the America economy.  Our debt is a cancer, and further inaction to get it under control could do lasting harm.  Both the Bush Tax Cuts and Sequestration influence our debt situation, but it remains to be seen whether Congressional action will be a positive or a negative.

The 36 days that will make-up the 112^th Congress’s Lame Duck Session is what Washington is gearing up for.  Without the shadow of incumbency, or an election, legislators will need to address America’s pending fiscal problems.  It’s a question worth asking every candidate on the campaign trail, and one often being ignored: What policies will you pursue during Congress’s Lame Duck session?

For more information on the Lame Duck Session please check out:

The Economist – July 14, 2012 edition – “The American Economy: Comeback Kid”

 National Journal – July 2, 2012 edition – “Field Guide to the Lame Duck Session”

The Price of Politics by Bob Woodward, Available for purchase on amazon.com