Just a few years ago, WWJD buttons were everywhere, encouraging people to ask themselves what Jesus would do in a particular situation. It's been some time since I saw a button or bumper sticker urging us to take Christ's teaching into consideration.
At the moment, the US is steeped in the deepest recession in generations. The government reports unemployment at about 10% with figures that are misleading unless you know the facts behind the statistics. That 10 percent figure doesn't include people who aren't actively looking for work. That alone eliminated hundreds of thousands of workers who have given up hope of finding a job. It doesn't include students who are unable to find part-time work to help pay for tuition and it also doesn't include people who have accepted part-time work becuase they are unable to land a full-time job. The true unemployment rate is likely closer to 20 percent than 10.
I recently accepted a seasonal jon working at Macys' after months of searching for full-time work. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, I am not among the millions of unemployed Americans. There's little comfort in that fact.
As I write this, our elected officials in Washington are considering two pieces of legislation. One would extend unemployment benefits to millions who are without work, providing them with payments of up to $300 to feed their families, pay the rent, keep the lights burning and clothes on their backs. The second measure would extend tax cuts approved under George W. Bush for the wealthiest one percent of Americans.
It seems certain that extended unemployment benefits for the long-term unemployed will be rejected. The fate of the Bush tax cuts is uncertain, but it appears that it will pass. It certainly has a better chance of passage than extended unemployment.
The president is meeting with Republican leaders today in hopes of coming up with a compromise solution to both these issues.
I wish the president would ask all those Republicans if they've considered WWJD. Given the choice between helping the poor or further enriching the wealthy, what course do you suppose the Son of God would choose? Do you suppose he would approve borrowing millions in order to fund a tax break for billionaires? Or would He advise Congress to provide payments to allow millions of out-of-work Americans to live in dignity?
The Jesus I have known since childhood would do what Republicans find themselves unable to do. Remembering his warning about the difficulties the rich will face in reaching the kingdom of heaven, I don't believe he'd endorse a plan designed to create more rich men.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
The Cubs of War
At one time, Americans were the Yankees of war. We always won. We whipped the mighty English Empire twice in our infancy. We then went on to defeat the Indians, the Confederacy, Spain and Mexico in short order. In our prime, we were the 27 Yankees and our red, white and blue Murderers' Row whipped the Kaiser, the Nazis and the land of the Rising Sun. But American has fallen on hard times since MacArthur accepted Japan's unconditional surrender.
The first sign of America's decline came in Korea, where the tiny North Koreans and Chinese Reds fought us to a draw. A generation later, Ho Chi Minh and the Viet Cong beat a disspirited American team, tired after a long series of wars.
Following a costly and humiliating defeat in Vietnam, the US government tried to wage war against poverty and later, against drugs. Under Republicans Nixon, Ford and Reagan, the war on poverty was abandoned. The war on drugs continues but it is clear that law enforcement is waging a futile battle.
George Bush's quick victory in the first Gulf War raised hope that America was back, but defeating an Iraqi Army worn down by years of war against Iran, gave the Americans a false sense of confidence.
George W. was going to do the old man one better by fighting not one, but two warss simultaneously, a performance unmatched since Franklin Roosevelt. Days after forcing a brutal dictator into hiding, a proud president declared "Mission Accomplished" but thosands of Americans would die in both Iraq and Afghanistan while the villain of 9/11 remains free. Nothing like the convincing victories of WWI and WWII seem possible in either Iraq or Iran.
Although undefeated until 1945, the US is just 1-3-2 in its various wars since then. That's not the kind of record you'd expect from a superower.
The first sign of America's decline came in Korea, where the tiny North Koreans and Chinese Reds fought us to a draw. A generation later, Ho Chi Minh and the Viet Cong beat a disspirited American team, tired after a long series of wars.
Following a costly and humiliating defeat in Vietnam, the US government tried to wage war against poverty and later, against drugs. Under Republicans Nixon, Ford and Reagan, the war on poverty was abandoned. The war on drugs continues but it is clear that law enforcement is waging a futile battle.
George Bush's quick victory in the first Gulf War raised hope that America was back, but defeating an Iraqi Army worn down by years of war against Iran, gave the Americans a false sense of confidence.
George W. was going to do the old man one better by fighting not one, but two warss simultaneously, a performance unmatched since Franklin Roosevelt. Days after forcing a brutal dictator into hiding, a proud president declared "Mission Accomplished" but thosands of Americans would die in both Iraq and Afghanistan while the villain of 9/11 remains free. Nothing like the convincing victories of WWI and WWII seem possible in either Iraq or Iran.
Although undefeated until 1945, the US is just 1-3-2 in its various wars since then. That's not the kind of record you'd expect from a superower.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
America at the Crossroads
One hundred years from now, I think historians will look back at America and struggle to understand the choices our leaders made. If America is not a great nation in 2110, I believe that historians will decide that the Great Recession was the beginning of the end of America as the world's superpower.
They will look back and wonder why America would conduct two costly wars simultaneously without raising taxes to pay for them. They will look at Afghanistan and wonder what America was fighting for. The Taliban will be but a footnote and the mountains of that landlocked country will look much the same as they have for centuries.
Historians will look back in puzzlement at the optimism that greeted the election of America's first black president and wonder how that optimism so quickly faded, laid to rest by war, recession and resolute opposition from the Republican Party.
They will look back at December, 2010 and struggle to understand the current debate in Washington over unemployment benefits and tax cuts. With millions of Americans without jobs or hope, the Congress refused to provide assistance to the poorest Americans while doling out tax cuts to the very wealthiest Americans. They will see that Wall Street bankers provided themselves millions in bonuses only months after taking government bailout funds and wonder how it could happen.
Future historians will marvel that America erected a wall along its southern border to prevent Mexicans from illegally entering the country. In a nation starving for jobs, this wave of "illegals" were vilified for taking American jobs while the corporate titans were rewarded for outsourcing millions of jobs to places like India, China and Brazil, the new powers in the period of American decline.
They will look back and wonder why America would conduct two costly wars simultaneously without raising taxes to pay for them. They will look at Afghanistan and wonder what America was fighting for. The Taliban will be but a footnote and the mountains of that landlocked country will look much the same as they have for centuries.
Historians will look back in puzzlement at the optimism that greeted the election of America's first black president and wonder how that optimism so quickly faded, laid to rest by war, recession and resolute opposition from the Republican Party.
They will look back at December, 2010 and struggle to understand the current debate in Washington over unemployment benefits and tax cuts. With millions of Americans without jobs or hope, the Congress refused to provide assistance to the poorest Americans while doling out tax cuts to the very wealthiest Americans. They will see that Wall Street bankers provided themselves millions in bonuses only months after taking government bailout funds and wonder how it could happen.
Future historians will marvel that America erected a wall along its southern border to prevent Mexicans from illegally entering the country. In a nation starving for jobs, this wave of "illegals" were vilified for taking American jobs while the corporate titans were rewarded for outsourcing millions of jobs to places like India, China and Brazil, the new powers in the period of American decline.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Remington College
I was more than a little dismayed to find an ad for Remington College when I opened my blog this morning. I immediately regretted my decision to allow them to post ads alongside my ramblings. Fortunately, few if any people read my blog and so I don't think anyone will be harmed by exposure to this private college's ads encouraging students to challenge themselves.
I tried to teach English and speech at Remington's Memphis campus for four years. Although I was originally excited to be teaching in a college classroom after 20 years as a journalist, I quickly came to realize that I was taking part in a criminal enterprise that preys upon the poor and plunders a program designed to help qualified students fund their education.
I've heard that they've been forced to scale back both their tuition and programs, but in the years I worked for Remington (2004-08) tuition for students was more than $15000 a year, funded nearly entirely by grants and student loans. For $30000, graduates of Remington received an associate's degree than was hardly worth the paper it was printed on. A graduate of Remington would discover how worthless than paper was whenever they attempted to transfer to a four-year college such as the University of Memphis. That's when they'd find out that virtually none of their 60-plus credits would be accepted. After two full years at Remington, these poor kids were still freshman, if they were accepted at all.
Remington's strategy in Memphis was to attract low-income students (mostly women) who could qualify for large grants and loans. As an incentive, Remington students were provided with a cheap laptop computer which they could keep after graduation.
The entrance exam was a complete joke created by the folks at Wonderlich. Composed of 100 questions on a variety of subjects, prospective students needed to answer just 30 questions correctly in order to qualify for admission. Incredibly, many students needed 2-3 chances in order to pass the "test."
While many of my students were uninterested in education, my heart went out to the few real students who were genuinely interested in obtaining an education. I would often privately counsel them to get out of Remington and into an accredited college such as Southwest Tenn CC or the University of Memphis.
I realized I was part of a criminal enterprise when I found my supervisors were routinely falsifying attendance records and changing grades in order to bulk up the school's standing.
I would have resigned years earlier, but my wife needed a liver transplant and I needed to keep the health insurance Remington provided to full-time faculty.
Congress is currently considering legislation to limit the way these private colleges qualify for the student loan program, I have written to ny adopted congressman, Steve Cohen, in support of this legislation.
I am posting this warning in hopes that prospective Remington students find my blog and stay away from the thieves that operate Remington Colleges.
I tried to teach English and speech at Remington's Memphis campus for four years. Although I was originally excited to be teaching in a college classroom after 20 years as a journalist, I quickly came to realize that I was taking part in a criminal enterprise that preys upon the poor and plunders a program designed to help qualified students fund their education.
I've heard that they've been forced to scale back both their tuition and programs, but in the years I worked for Remington (2004-08) tuition for students was more than $15000 a year, funded nearly entirely by grants and student loans. For $30000, graduates of Remington received an associate's degree than was hardly worth the paper it was printed on. A graduate of Remington would discover how worthless than paper was whenever they attempted to transfer to a four-year college such as the University of Memphis. That's when they'd find out that virtually none of their 60-plus credits would be accepted. After two full years at Remington, these poor kids were still freshman, if they were accepted at all.
Remington's strategy in Memphis was to attract low-income students (mostly women) who could qualify for large grants and loans. As an incentive, Remington students were provided with a cheap laptop computer which they could keep after graduation.
The entrance exam was a complete joke created by the folks at Wonderlich. Composed of 100 questions on a variety of subjects, prospective students needed to answer just 30 questions correctly in order to qualify for admission. Incredibly, many students needed 2-3 chances in order to pass the "test."
While many of my students were uninterested in education, my heart went out to the few real students who were genuinely interested in obtaining an education. I would often privately counsel them to get out of Remington and into an accredited college such as Southwest Tenn CC or the University of Memphis.
I realized I was part of a criminal enterprise when I found my supervisors were routinely falsifying attendance records and changing grades in order to bulk up the school's standing.
I would have resigned years earlier, but my wife needed a liver transplant and I needed to keep the health insurance Remington provided to full-time faculty.
Congress is currently considering legislation to limit the way these private colleges qualify for the student loan program, I have written to ny adopted congressman, Steve Cohen, in support of this legislation.
I am posting this warning in hopes that prospective Remington students find my blog and stay away from the thieves that operate Remington Colleges.
Monday, November 22, 2010
The Fire Next Time
In a recent column in The New York Times, Paul Krugman referred to comments made by former Sen. Alan Simpson (R-Wyo). Simpson co-chaired a presidential committee created to recommend ways to reduce the federal budget. The committee report suggested that draconian cuts in programs like Social Security and Medicare will be necessary in order to balance the budget.
Krugman noted that Simpson expects a "bloodbath" when extending the government's debt limit comes around in April 2011. Recently-elected Republicans, Simpson said, would demand deep cuts in spending in order to approve an increase in the debt limit. Without an expansion of the debt limit, the federal government will be shut down.
Krugman correctly assesses the problem when he suggests that Republicans don't want government to work, unless they are the party in power. When they take control of the House in January, they will be able to more effectively block any action by Obama and the Democrats.
The Republican strategy, it appears, is to allow millions of Americans to suffer through 2012. Millions of unemployed Americans no longer receiving unemployment benefits, the Republicans believe, will turn control of the government over to a Republican administration. The Republicans would tear down the government in order to prevent any Democratic successes under Obama. I won't be the first to suggest that this political strategy is nothing less than treason. The Republican Party has demonstrated very clearly that they put the success of their party ahead of the needs of this country in a very dark time.
It is a very dangerous strategy that could well backfire. Republicans following this strategy are counting on a passive electorate who will sit on their hands while waiting for things to get better. But the GOP strategy supposes that middle class Americans will hunker down quietly while the institutions they rely on fail them repeatedly. Just between now and January, 2011, millions of long-term unemployed will see their benefits come to an end with little hope for a rescue from Washington.
Perhaps the GOP strategy will work and Republicans will sweep Obama and the Democrats in 2012.
But what if slashing government programs has a different result? What if middle class Americans rise up the way the Tea Baggers did over health care? What if millions of former middle class workers take to the streets to vent their frustration and anger? In the 60's, we saw that sort of anger and frustration fuel riots in places like Detroit, Newark and Watts. Half a century later, the same sort of civil unrest could turn places like Las Vegas, Seattle and Atlanta into smoldering ruins.
How far can the Republicans push the squeezed middle class before it erupts in violence? I don't know and neither do the Republicans who are pursuing this cause with such zeal. Without continued assistance, it will be a long cold winter in millions of American homes. By springtime, the despair of winter will have formented into something that could explode come summertime.
The Republican Party has been conducting class warfare for some time now without consequences. What will they do when the middle class rises up and fights back?
Krugman noted that Simpson expects a "bloodbath" when extending the government's debt limit comes around in April 2011. Recently-elected Republicans, Simpson said, would demand deep cuts in spending in order to approve an increase in the debt limit. Without an expansion of the debt limit, the federal government will be shut down.
Krugman correctly assesses the problem when he suggests that Republicans don't want government to work, unless they are the party in power. When they take control of the House in January, they will be able to more effectively block any action by Obama and the Democrats.
The Republican strategy, it appears, is to allow millions of Americans to suffer through 2012. Millions of unemployed Americans no longer receiving unemployment benefits, the Republicans believe, will turn control of the government over to a Republican administration. The Republicans would tear down the government in order to prevent any Democratic successes under Obama. I won't be the first to suggest that this political strategy is nothing less than treason. The Republican Party has demonstrated very clearly that they put the success of their party ahead of the needs of this country in a very dark time.
It is a very dangerous strategy that could well backfire. Republicans following this strategy are counting on a passive electorate who will sit on their hands while waiting for things to get better. But the GOP strategy supposes that middle class Americans will hunker down quietly while the institutions they rely on fail them repeatedly. Just between now and January, 2011, millions of long-term unemployed will see their benefits come to an end with little hope for a rescue from Washington.
Perhaps the GOP strategy will work and Republicans will sweep Obama and the Democrats in 2012.
But what if slashing government programs has a different result? What if middle class Americans rise up the way the Tea Baggers did over health care? What if millions of former middle class workers take to the streets to vent their frustration and anger? In the 60's, we saw that sort of anger and frustration fuel riots in places like Detroit, Newark and Watts. Half a century later, the same sort of civil unrest could turn places like Las Vegas, Seattle and Atlanta into smoldering ruins.
How far can the Republicans push the squeezed middle class before it erupts in violence? I don't know and neither do the Republicans who are pursuing this cause with such zeal. Without continued assistance, it will be a long cold winter in millions of American homes. By springtime, the despair of winter will have formented into something that could explode come summertime.
The Republican Party has been conducting class warfare for some time now without consequences. What will they do when the middle class rises up and fights back?
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Memphis Street News
I came across an ad on Craigslist the other day. It seems a local media outlet was looking to "hire" reporters to provide copy for their internet news service. The ad said they were willing to pay $1 per article. I thought it was a typo. No one would expect someone to write articles for one dollar, would they? I mean, if you want people to work for nothing, just say so. Offering $1 is really more insulting than paying nothing, in my opinion.
Well, I'm looking for work, so I went ahead and sent in my resume. With 20 years experience in newspapers, I think I know a thing or two about newswriting. In my cover letter, I mentioned the $1 per article and said I wouldn't be interested if it wasn't a typo. The publisher responded, saying it was no typo. He really did hope to find someone willing to work for $1.
I should have let it go at that, but the idea of working for $1 just rubbed me the wrong way. I wrote back suggesting that they might as well pay nothing and let the writer at least have the satisfaction of doing volunteer work. The publisher, a greasy looking hood named Tony, went positively ape-shit. Within a couple of e-mails, he was threatening to come to my house and "whip my ass."
I decided to ignore Tony and wrote to his editor, a woman named Love oddly enough. I told her about my exchange with Tony and warned her that her boss has obvious anger issues. Within a few minutes, I had a message from Ms. Love warning that she's contact the law if I persisted in sending any further messages. Well, Ms. Love has heard the last of me. She's been warned.
Just out of curiosity, I decided to look up Tony's internet news, called MemphisStreetNews.com. On the surface, it looks like any local news outlet, with stories about crime, politics, business and Memphis sports. Upon closer examination, however, I realized that Tony is taking articles straight from the local newspaper, The Commercial Appeal, and posting them on his web site as original material. What Tony does is rearrange the paragraphs written by the paid porfessional reporters at the CA and Viola! makes them his own.
So as I see it, Tony's business plan is to recruit reporters who are willing to write for free and supplement their work with the rearranged work of professionals.
Now The Commercial Appeal is no one's idea of a great newspaper, but it does pay its reporters somewhat more than $1 per article. Just like Tony's web site, the CA relies on advertising revenues to stay in business. Unlike the CA, no one is paying to read Tony's web site.
Today I wrote to the CA publisher to point out that his paid reporters work is being appropriated by a competitor without compensation. I hope the CA's corporate attorneys pay old Tony a visit and let him know about copyright infringement. It will be interesting to see if Tony goes ape-shit with them.
Well, I'm looking for work, so I went ahead and sent in my resume. With 20 years experience in newspapers, I think I know a thing or two about newswriting. In my cover letter, I mentioned the $1 per article and said I wouldn't be interested if it wasn't a typo. The publisher responded, saying it was no typo. He really did hope to find someone willing to work for $1.
I should have let it go at that, but the idea of working for $1 just rubbed me the wrong way. I wrote back suggesting that they might as well pay nothing and let the writer at least have the satisfaction of doing volunteer work. The publisher, a greasy looking hood named Tony, went positively ape-shit. Within a couple of e-mails, he was threatening to come to my house and "whip my ass."
I decided to ignore Tony and wrote to his editor, a woman named Love oddly enough. I told her about my exchange with Tony and warned her that her boss has obvious anger issues. Within a few minutes, I had a message from Ms. Love warning that she's contact the law if I persisted in sending any further messages. Well, Ms. Love has heard the last of me. She's been warned.
Just out of curiosity, I decided to look up Tony's internet news, called MemphisStreetNews.com. On the surface, it looks like any local news outlet, with stories about crime, politics, business and Memphis sports. Upon closer examination, however, I realized that Tony is taking articles straight from the local newspaper, The Commercial Appeal, and posting them on his web site as original material. What Tony does is rearrange the paragraphs written by the paid porfessional reporters at the CA and Viola! makes them his own.
So as I see it, Tony's business plan is to recruit reporters who are willing to write for free and supplement their work with the rearranged work of professionals.
Now The Commercial Appeal is no one's idea of a great newspaper, but it does pay its reporters somewhat more than $1 per article. Just like Tony's web site, the CA relies on advertising revenues to stay in business. Unlike the CA, no one is paying to read Tony's web site.
Today I wrote to the CA publisher to point out that his paid reporters work is being appropriated by a competitor without compensation. I hope the CA's corporate attorneys pay old Tony a visit and let him know about copyright infringement. It will be interesting to see if Tony goes ape-shit with them.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Memphis: Fat, Ugly and Dangerous
Memphis, the so-called birthplace of the blues, is singing the blues these days. It seems a survey by Travel & Leisure magazine found Memphis to have the fattest and ugliest people in America. An earlier survey determined that Memphis is the most dangerous city in America. Forbes magazine proclaimed Memphis "the most miserable city" in America.
The same survey that rated Memphis as most ugly also found that the Bluff City has the best barbeque in the country.
Many Memphians are angry at being labeled as fat and ugly, but I think the Memphis Convention and Vistors Bureau should use the surveys to help lure tourists to the city.
I've suggested a few slogans for the new advertising campaign.
"Visit Memphis...Adventure Awaits You in America's most dangerous city."
"Memphis... where even your fat, ugly ass will look good."
"Memphis barbeque...so good it killed Elvis."
"Visit Memphis... because miserable loves company."
"Memphis, Gateway to Arkansas."
The same survey that rated Memphis as most ugly also found that the Bluff City has the best barbeque in the country.
Many Memphians are angry at being labeled as fat and ugly, but I think the Memphis Convention and Vistors Bureau should use the surveys to help lure tourists to the city.
I've suggested a few slogans for the new advertising campaign.
"Visit Memphis...Adventure Awaits You in America's most dangerous city."
"Memphis... where even your fat, ugly ass will look good."
"Memphis barbeque...so good it killed Elvis."
"Visit Memphis... because miserable loves company."
"Memphis, Gateway to Arkansas."
Friday, November 5, 2010
Why Republicans Are Evil
I'm not absolutely certain that all Republicans are evil, but I'm convinced that most of them are. They are mean-spirited, angry, bigoted and selfish people who are only interested in perpetuating the status quo. While they're not all mean-spirited or bigoted, they are all selfish and don't really give a damn about this country. If they did, they wouldn't behave the way they do.
Last week's elections were a painful if not surprising setback for those who reject the Republican philosophy. Democrats all across the country suffered defeat at the polls for supporting the president's agenda. With control of the House going over to the Republicans, Americans can count on two years of political gridlock at a time in our history when we need government to perform extraordinarily.
After two years of doing their best to block nearly every proposal from Obama and the Democrats, voters punished the majority party for failing to act more boldly. I warned Obama that the financial collapse of 2008 would have to be labeled the Bush Recesssion or it would quickly become Obama's recession. It scarcely matters that the housing meltdown and the collapse of AIG, Lehman Bros., GM, et al were the result of eight years of government neglect. Bush and the Republicans let Wall Street moguls gamble with our financial future and left it to Obama to pick up the pieces.
Obama didn't run for president in order to bail out Goldman Sachs, GM and Chrysler. He ran on promises to reform health care and end the war in Iraq but before he could get to work on his campaign promises, Obama had to take dramatic action to prevent a total collapse of the economy.
Now the Republicans will try to force Obama to extend the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy. No matter that we'll have to borrow more money from the Chinese in order to fund a tax break for millionaires. The Republicans will take car of their own, even as hundreds of thousands of displaced workers will lose their unemployment benefits.
When they return in January, the newly emboldened Republicans, aided and abetted by their partners in the Tea Party, will try to push their right wing agenda down our throats. The Democrats in the Senate will be able to block the worst of the GOP excesses and we'll have two years of gridlock, two years of terrible unemployment, two years of inefficient government.
Republicans will protect their Wall Street friends, their tax loopholes and the lobbyists that fund their attacks on the poor and middle class.
Republicans will welcome the resulting gridlock in the mistaken belief that inaction will further erode Obama's base and enrage more middle class voters. They want angry voters prepared to make a dramatic change in 2012.
Last week's elections were a painful if not surprising setback for those who reject the Republican philosophy. Democrats all across the country suffered defeat at the polls for supporting the president's agenda. With control of the House going over to the Republicans, Americans can count on two years of political gridlock at a time in our history when we need government to perform extraordinarily.
After two years of doing their best to block nearly every proposal from Obama and the Democrats, voters punished the majority party for failing to act more boldly. I warned Obama that the financial collapse of 2008 would have to be labeled the Bush Recesssion or it would quickly become Obama's recession. It scarcely matters that the housing meltdown and the collapse of AIG, Lehman Bros., GM, et al were the result of eight years of government neglect. Bush and the Republicans let Wall Street moguls gamble with our financial future and left it to Obama to pick up the pieces.
Obama didn't run for president in order to bail out Goldman Sachs, GM and Chrysler. He ran on promises to reform health care and end the war in Iraq but before he could get to work on his campaign promises, Obama had to take dramatic action to prevent a total collapse of the economy.
Now the Republicans will try to force Obama to extend the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy. No matter that we'll have to borrow more money from the Chinese in order to fund a tax break for millionaires. The Republicans will take car of their own, even as hundreds of thousands of displaced workers will lose their unemployment benefits.
When they return in January, the newly emboldened Republicans, aided and abetted by their partners in the Tea Party, will try to push their right wing agenda down our throats. The Democrats in the Senate will be able to block the worst of the GOP excesses and we'll have two years of gridlock, two years of terrible unemployment, two years of inefficient government.
Republicans will protect their Wall Street friends, their tax loopholes and the lobbyists that fund their attacks on the poor and middle class.
Republicans will welcome the resulting gridlock in the mistaken belief that inaction will further erode Obama's base and enrage more middle class voters. They want angry voters prepared to make a dramatic change in 2012.
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