White House, Senate Holding Hostages For Ideology

By Semperpapa

It has come to this in 2011 America: political ideology holds American people hostages. And making matter even worst, those being held hostage are the ones who volunteered to serve and protect the very Nation that is now turning its back on them.

We all know about the budget battle going on in Washington between the new Republican House majority and the White House/Senate still held by the radical Left. We are also all aware of the three-weeks-at-a-time budget agreements that have kept the government operating since a deal on a permanent budget is nowhere to be found.

All is defined along political demarcation lines that seem to be growing increasingly deep in Congress, even as some of the old guard RINO still attempt to compromise their principles, and the will of the people that elected them, to insure their share of the power. And some fancy engagement invitation at the Obama mansion.

The budget battle, though, is taking a very ugly and undesirable turn in regard to the Military.

While the politicians in Congress are fine tuning their grandstanding in the eyes of their constituencies, the looming prospect of our men and women in the Armed Forces not receiving their pay is making them, understandably, very nervous.

Anyone with an ounce of common sense left knows that those Americans who volunteer their service in the United States Military are not driven by the prospect of financial fortune. But the possibility of a stoppage of income, as meager as that income it may be, is a devastating possibility for millions of families who are already struggling to make it from one day to the next.

Reality is that these service men and women are witnessing a government reneging on their responsibility toward them and the country. The children that are in charge in Washington are so decisively bent on getting their way against their political foes that they are ready to make the already stressful conditions Military families are in, into a nightmare scenario.

Separate from the budget bickering that is threatening government shutdown, is the House bill HR 1363, a resolution that would ensure funding for the Department of Defense, which means pay for the Military too, until the end of FY2011 on September 30, 2011. Late on Thursday, the House passed the resolution along party lines, 247-181, sending the bill to the Senate.

It appears, though, that the Democrat led Senate will basically ignore the bill and not vote on it. Harry Reid is set on holding the funding of the Military hostage in the attempt to put pressure on the Republicans to compromise, again, on reducing the spending that is killing our Country.

The clincher, though, is the stated intention of the White House to veto the bill if it should make it to the President’s desk. President Obama has described the resolution as a “distraction” from the real issues afflicting the budget negotiations. And I unfortunately, do not expect any better from the Teleprompter-in-Chief when it comes to the Armed Forces.

What is the thought process on the part of the President regarding such “distraction”? Is there any thought at all?

Our Forces are involved in two conflicts in the Middle East and one in North Africa, stretched to their limits of endurance, many members with multiple deployments under their belt.

Each deployment bring hardship on them and their families at home, both from the point of view of financial and emotional stress that is inherent to the nature of the business they are in. For these folks, who already have difficulty making ends meet, the prospect of that meager paycheck stoppage is a very scary proposition, not exactly a “distraction”.

One of the main duties of a President, as defined by that damn old document, the United States Constitution, is that of Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. While such duty has been questionable in the actions of several Presidents in the past, it requires that the President places the utmost importance on the welfare of the member of the Military. Failing to prioritize such duty in the name of some political ideology and to advance a radical ideology is nothing short than dereliction of duty, an impeachable offense in this writer’s humble opinion.

Obama’s war in Libya has already reached the $650 billions price tag, with no resolution in sight. Our troops are still perishing in Afghanistan and Iraq, so the proper thing to do, on the part of the commander-in-Chief, is to foster financial hardship upon those who are doing the heavy lifting, both in theater and at home. All the while, the Obama family is going to go on another vacation, this week in Indiana.

Images of Emperor Nero playing as Rome burns form in my head.

I wish I could tell the President that right now it is the time to wear that Commander-in-Chief hat and place the welfare of the Military in front of his radical ideology, demonstrating a pale shadow of leadership ability. But surely he would dismiss my plea as just another distraction.

Just my thoughts!