Day 66...Dear Mr. President... The Route's been Ugly, but I get it now.

Day 66

Dear Mr. President,

I’m starting to revise my thinking about what you’re doing with the budget talks, deficit reduction talks and raising the debt ceiling talks. I was thinking about what I would write on Day 66 when it reminded me of Route 66, and how it’s long and winding and very scenic in many places, but in other places it’s rough, barren and not too pretty.

So how do those two things relate? It mostly has to do with you Mr. President, your personality, and how you go about achieving your goals. Like Route 66, you have a complicated history.

1.     You seldom go to the heart of any matter, you prefer to take the circuitous route, moving slowly and methodically toward your ultimate destination.

2.     Every now and then you open the door, step out and see how the weather is. You do that by saying something the Republicans want to hear, like we need to put everything on the table, including Social Security and Medicare. The Right loved it and the Left went absolutely crazy.

3.     Back in the car again you listen to the music coming from the Right about how we need to leave the Millionaires, Billionaires, Big Oil, and Corporations alone so they can create more jobs. Then you switch stations and listen to the Hard Rock coming from the Left about sacrificing our Seniors, the Disabled and the poor. The Left continue to chide you about the lack of jobs coming out of those Corporations. Cries to sign petition after petition crop up all over facebook and through emails, and those on the left start signing like mad… myself included.

4.     Like a good parent you listen to all the brouhaha coming from both camps as you navigate through the twists and turns and down this timeless road, taking your time and checking your navigator to make sure you’re still moving in the right direction. You know where you’re going, you know how you’re going to get there, but you’re not telling anybody exactly what time you’ll arrive. But you know, because you have a plan.

Here’s your plan… lure all the participants into the room and let them point fingers, yell and scream at one another, let them scream at you, and let them remind you of your campaign promises, and how you’re betraying the American people. Let the Republicans thinks they’ve gotten their way again, and let the Democrats continue to have a hissy fit over everything.

I know, because I’m one of those Democrats that’s been having a flippin’ hissy fit almost every day, and you know that’s true because I’ve written 65 other letters pretty much telling you what I think.  It’s taken me a long time, but I get it now. I know where you’re going.

You’ve taken us down the winding route and you let both Parties vent. Then when everyone was in the room and everyone heard where the Republicans wanted cuts, you said fine, but… it has to include ending some tax breaks for Millionaires and Billionaires, we have to close certain loop- holes and make everyone pay their fair share. And then it happens… just like you planned… Eric Cantor storms out of the room, saying he won’t play anymore. You’ve gotten the Republicans to play their hand… they’re the ones that seem unreasonable, they’re the ones who look small and mean, they’re the ones who want to cut S.S. and Medicare, and now the whole world knows it.

Brilliantly played Mr. President… meanwhile you’ve said, nothing is done until it’s signed sealed and delivered… and you haven’t signed a thing, but the Republicans have shown their cards.

Most Respectfully,

Marcia Reimers, 

Your Gadfly Granny