Frustration

Plenty of it to go around, that’s for sure.

Do you find yourself shaking your head in wonder at some of the policy decisions and opinions of non-Washington American life issues by some of those who Americans pay handsomely to craft laws to run the government? Have you ever asked this: “How in the world could she/he say such a stupid thing?” Honestly, it happens far too often to just be happenstance.

These are supposed to be the best of the best who make themselves available to serve Americans, committing in an oath of office: “ I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.”

Does it seem to you that sometimes — far TOO often — they seem to forget a portion of their oath of office: “I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter, so help me God.”

Political Frustrations

• President Obama: “My Administration Is Committed To Creating An Unprecedented Level Of Openness In Government.”
• The Associated Press Headline: “Government Secrecy Up Under Obama Administration” (“Government Secrecy Up Under Obama Administration,” The Associated Press, 3/17/14
• In An Interview Airing The Day After The Attack In San Bernardino, Obama Said A Paris-Style Attack Could Not Happen In The U.S.
• In An Interview Airing The Day Of The Paris Attacks, Obama Downplayed The ISIS Threat, Saying He Doesn’t Believe They Are Getting Stronger And That They Are “Contained .”
• “I would build a great wall, and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me, and I’ll build them very inexpensively. I will build a great great wall on our southern border and I’ll have Mexico pay for that wall.” (Donald Trump)
• Bill Clinton in 1996: “The era of big government is over.”
• Barack Obama in 2008: “If you choose change you will have a nominee that does not take a dime from Washington lobbyists and PACs.”
• Former Secretary of Defense William Perry (under Clinton): “Statements from the Trump Administration suggest that the U.S. goal is for North Korea to dismantle its nuclear arsenal and become a non-nuclear power. There is every reason to doubt that North Korea would be willing to go that far; but even if they are, there remains a fundamental question: How could we possibly verify such an agreement?”
• “We’ve got to pass the bill so that we can know what’s in the bill.” Nancy Pelosi about House passage of the ACA
• Barack Obama: “If you like your insurance you can keep your insurance. If you like your doctor you can keep your doctor.”

Unfortunately, it doesn’t come from just elected officials. Political appointees, hires, those running for national office during campaigns, are all guilty of saying and doing may things that run counter to not only that oath, but all political reason regarding running the American government. Nowhere else is it more prevalent than in the political news.

The Media

Here are some examples:

• In the final months of the presidential campaign, numerous media outlets decried “violent Trump supporters” at political rallies. Today those same outlets apologize for or ignore violence committed by anti-Trump demonstrators.
• When President Obama halted acceptance of refugees from Iraq (albeit in a more limited fashion), hardly anyone noticed. Now with President Trump doing it, we see massive backlash and outrage.
• For many years Obama and the Left, with the approval of the mainstream media, have harshly criticized American foreign policy since the end of World War II. Trump off the cuff says, “You think our country is so innocent?” and he is pilloried by the same talking heads that complimented Obama for his “thoughtfulness.”
• Not everyone is convinced that Trump is sincere in his desire to resolve things with North Korea. MSNBC host Joe Scarborough described Trump’s decision as a “deflection” from controversies like his tough new tariff proposals and his alleged past affair with former adult film actress Stormy Daniels.
• From Axios: “If the U.S. does come to the negotiating table, it might show North Korea the U.S. sees it as an equal, even if that’s not the intent,” writes Shannon Vavra of Axios. “That’s one big, tacit concession to the Kim regime — North Korea has long-wanted to be seen as a major player on the world stage.”