Congress is a Bunch of Putzes

Republican members of Congress listen to President
Obama's 2015 State of the Union address. (Reuters)

A majority of Congress thinks the President can't be trusted.

This became clear to me as I watched the State of the Union Address and looked at the scowling faces of Republican members, particularly as President Obama taunted them with a promise to veto unsatisfactory legislation they send his way. (And more - see "Obama message to Republicans comes out in speech ad-libs, body language")

Could anything be more indicative of Congress' desire to be rid of this President than its invitation to the Prime Minister of another country to come counsel them in his stead about Iran? (See "Boehner's Netanyahu Invite Is An 'Unprecedented' Diss Of Obama")

And yet . . . .

The Congress that doesn't trust the President with taxes or health care or immigration or energy policy is perfectly happy to leave him with the sole power to blow up the world.

Look: one of two things must be true.

EITHER 

Barack Obama can't be trusted, particularly with

the power to launch nuclear weapons -- a power that

would inevitably lead to a full exchange of

missiles and unimaginable devastation . . .

OR 

You're okay with Barack Obama having

his finger on the nuclear trigger

(in which case maybe STFU about the other stuff . . . . )

The choice is especially stark since the Constitution makes it very clear that the powers of the Congress and the People preclude placing the power to destroy the world in the hands of the President alone.

The choice matters. There is no question that the fate of the planet hinges on nuclear disarmament, and the fate of nuclear disarmament hinges on the massive U.S. nuclear arsenal.

So choose.

The choices are: (a) take back the power currently held by our thermonuclear monarch; or (b) shut up and pray. Those are the only two choices, and everybody gets to choose where they stand.

As for the people in Congress who won't step up to either of them?

They're nothing but a bunch of putzes.

PS:

We're the putzes who elected them.


TAKE ACTION:

Force this Congress to take back

its Constitutional powers.

AND/OR

Elect a Congress that will.

Related posts

The decision about whether to live with the threat of nuclear annihilation is our decision. And that is why the entire country is mobilizing for mass action for nuclear disarmament in 2015. Are we capable of making sure the messengers -- Obama, Putin, the other agents of government -- hear their instructions from us clearly?

(See NEEDED: Heroes to Bring About Nuclear Disarmament )

Elaine Scarry demonstrates that the power of one leader to obliterate millions of people with a nuclear weapon - a possibility that remains very real even in the wake of the Cold War - deeply violates our constitutional rights, undermines the social contract, and is fundamentally at odds with the deliberative principles of democracy.

(See Reviews of "Thermonuclear Monarchy: Choosing Between Democracy and Doom" by Elaine Scarry )











There are three centers of power that will impact nuclear disarmament: the President, the Congress, and the people. One of them will have to make nuclear disarmament happen.

(See Countdown to U.S. Nuclear Disarmament (With or Without the Politicians) )








"Please work with your colleagues (in Congress) and your constituents (here in the 5th district) to regain the People's control over war and injury, and bring to a conclusion the current crisis of our government."
(See An Open Letter to Congressman Mike Quigley: Can We Reduce (or Eliminate) the Nuclear Threat? )