Fake Congress
If you can’t manage, pretend to manage.
Friday’s late night deal to avoid default pits the future against the present, which is why — for now — McCarthy prevailed: the Republican Party owns the present.
‘The Republican Party is the party of the present. The Party creates the chaos, grabs the headlines, and squanders compromise for appearing the “winner.” The Democratic Party is the party of the future. The Democrats extol governing, whereas the Republicans dismiss the business of governing as a leftist plot.’
So summarized a former Republican political strategist recently. (1)
Some argue that Biden by filling the response moment with respect for McCarthy for agreeing to disagree, throws the default heist back onto the American voter, whomever that is. What gets trivialized are social programs, which will expire, require annual renewal, and force more clients to “show up to work,” whatever that entails.
It’s Congress punishing the public sector for Congress neglecting to govern, neglecting to steward resources.
It’s refusing to breathe life — a future enterprise — into the institution whose mission is to govern.
To stretch McCarthy’s metaphor, it’s a signal to ‘force Congress’ to get back to its business, the business of neglect.
To show up for “fake work.”
May 30
Notes
1-Sound clip aired recently on MSNBC, c. May 27
