Prayer, Divine Intervention, Repentance, or Shameful Disgrace

Pelosi, McConnell, Reid, Boehner: Our Leaders (Ha ha ha)

They Sacrifice the Most — Easiest to Cut

My money's on shameful disgrace. 

In the aftermath of the recent “Congressional Budget Deal,” which as it happens we are learning the harsh realities of the raw, ugly, awful, and lowdown nasty politics in DC, should have been “no deal.”  This is a good article and rundown from MSNBC. Several key parts got my attention and I hope yours, too. 

From the introduction: 

“Last week, Congressional leaders reached a compromise budget agreement that averts yet another disastrous fiscal fight. On its face, that’s a commendable achievement but not worthy of the political preening that took place after Congress simply did its job. That’s because there is a catch.”

“While the budget agreement may help to avert another government shutdown, it does so in no small part through unprecedented cuts to veterans’ benefits, including a 1% reduction in promised cost-of-living increases for military retirees under 62 years old. That amounts to a $6 billion cut in benefits.” 

“Congress usually waits until after our troops come home before they start gutting benefits. But 47,000 troops are spending Christmas on the ground in Afghanistan. Troops who just watched their elected leaders kneecap their retirement security. Just when you thought Congress couldn’t get any lower, they broke faith with our troops once again.”

Here is what most Americans don't seem to care about, as they watch the GOPers bash President Obama and the DEMS for “tax hikes and higher deficits” which I might is false.

The story adds reality: "A Sergeant First Class (pay grade E-7) with 20 years of service earns roughly $32,000 annually ($2,637/month). Under these cuts, his or her pension will lose some $80,000 over the next 20 years." 

"The Republicans pushing these cuts claimed the agreement wouldn’t affect the benefits of disabled veterans, many whom can’t work and rely disproportionately on their pensions to pay their bills and feed their families."

"But the agreement was rushed through Congress – breaking the 72-hour rule that affords members the time to actually read the bills they’re voting on. Disabled veterans, some 866,000 from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan alone, didn’t escape the cuts." 

"In the richest, most powerful nation on earth, Congress is balancing the budget on the backs of our bravest men and women. That’s simply inexcusable, and Republicans are overwhelmingly to blame. Even some of the staunchest conservatives agree. Of the cuts to veterans’ benefits, Erick Erickson, Editor-in-Chief of RedState.com, wrote: “Republicans are going to have to own this.” 

Here is the kicker: "Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI/House GOP Budget Guru) went on the Hugh Hewitt Show and boasted that while Democrats wanted no cuts, he “got 70% of what [he] wanted.” Ryan further defended these cuts in a USA Today op-ed while writing that we owe our troops “a secure retirement when they come home.”  

Finally: This is terrible policy, but the politics are just as bad. Republicans in vulnerable swing districts are frantically drafting bills to restore the funding they just fought to cut. (* how hypocritically pathetic is that??)  

Story continues at the link.

My last word: Maybe someday congress will get us into a really unnecessary war and not one will show up to do their dirty work. What would Congress do then?