Letter to Canada on Republican racism in Congress

Dear Canada,

The Democratic party finally stood up and sat down. “We’re not going to take it anymore,” they said, and blocked the business in the House of Representatives in protest to the disgusting blocking of anti-gun legislation that would allow anyone, including mentally ill and people on terrorist watch lists, to buy assault rifles-or anyone at all to buy assault rifles. It was fabulous while it lasted.

In the midst of this happening, our illustrious Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan spoke joyously about the Supreme Court tie vote ruling against the President’s executive order to help immigrants stay in the country- “(It) makes the President's executive action on immigration null and void. The Constitution is clear: The President is not permitted to write laws -- only Congress is. This is another major victory in our fight to restore the separation of powers.”

What a crock.

A little background.

The Constitution separates the government into three separate branches. The Executive is headed by the President to run the country—negotiate treaties with other countries, head up the armed forces, etc.

The Legislature writes the laws, and passes them or at least they are supposed to.

This particular Congress has spent the entire Obama administration making and passing laws to hurt women, destroy any legislation Obama has proposed, and has only passed legislation which is beneficial to the NRA and billionaires. They have voted against jobs and pensions for veterans, education bills and immigration reform etc. repeated tried unsuccessfully to repeal Obamacare- the first universal healthcare this nation has ever seen.

The Judiciary Branch enforces and interprets the law. It includes the Attorney General and the Supreme Court, which is normally made up of 9 Justices.

Each branch has a set of checks and balances on the other. The forefathers set it up that way. Separation of powers is key.

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died a few months ago, making the highest Court in our land short one member, eight instead of nine so there is no tiebreaker. It is the responsibility of Congress to approve the President’s nomination for a new Justice quickly so the government and country can function.

This is especially true when laws come in front of the court for interpretation as important as one on immigration which affect millions of immigrants who have been in this country for years with their families.

But the racist, obstructionist, corrupt Republican Congress has done nothing, just as it did nothing throughout the President’s administration.

Anything Obama has accomplished has had to be done by executive order.

He’s never wanted to write laws or “overstep the separation of powers.” The Speaker seems to forget our President was a senior lecturer at University of Chicago law school who TAUGHT constitutional law. He’s only wanted to DO something for the country because of a Congress which has continually stated their main goal of existence is to thwart him and whatever he tries to accomplish at every turn. They make no secret of their hate for him.

Now, the Senate leaders should be held in contempt for failing to do their job by confirming Obama’s nomination, Judge Merrick Garland, who, before he was nominated was said widely, to be the choice of the Republicans. But after Obama named him, like petulant children, the Republicans grouped together like the haters they are, and refused to confirm him. Using one sentence out of a speech made by Vice President Joe Biden when he was a senator in 1992, they have made up the “Biden Rule” by taking one sentence out of context.

The context was, Biden made a remark that he didn’t think the then President Bush should actually nominate a Supreme Court Justice until after the election.

But THAT IS NOT ALL HE SAID— he qualified it. Biden said that if Bush were to nominate a moderate candidate, who is acceptable to to both parties, that would be fine.

This is exactly what Obama has done in nominating Merrick Garland. The so-called “Biden Rule,” is not a “rule” at all. It is bullshit puerile vengeful garbage. An excuse, for them to again obstruct the oath they swore on a bible to uphold the Constitution.

Majority Leader of the Senate, Mitch McConnell has not convened a committee to consider Garland and he has blatantly stated he will not do so until after the election. The Constitution requires the Senate to hold hearings on the President’s nominee whether they vote yes or no on the man.

Historically those hearings are held in a “timely” manner, not IGNORED.

Never in the history of the country, has a Senate refused to sit down and consider a Supreme Court nominee. Senator Orrin Hatch stated he believed Garland would make an excellent choice right up until Obama nominated him. He no longer believes that. This is the same party that has nurtured the birth of the monstrous Donald Trump, the person who is going to laughably make America great again by gleaning all his information to do it from television news shows and who the leaders of their own party, Mitt Romney, the two former President George Bushes and former President Jimmy Carter are not endorsing.

President Barack Obama is a great man. He has continually worked around these people with dignity and grace. He has not had the Attorney General arrest them for treason when they wrote the Iranian government a childish letter saying “don’t negotiate this treaty with the President, he’ll be out of office in 2017” which was clearly overstepping their legislative duties and and trespassing into the executive branch of government arena clearly breaking every “separation of powers” rule ever written.

And as of yet he has not gone after anyone for the criminal violation of their oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States for not holding hearings on Garland. I’m not sure why. He has incredible dignity and tolerance. Perhaps he doesn’t want to lower himself to their level. Or perhaps the lower they go, the higher he is raised by just being a good President. His standing in the polls now is at an all time high in the country.

So I would say to Speaker Ryan and Senator McConnell of the United States:

"You want to write laws? Write them like you haven’t in the last eight years because you have been too busy hating a great President, and acting like children because you have no purpose but to defeat the President.

You are not Americans and you are not patriots and you have no right to call yourself elected officials because you haven’t done ANYTHING for this country or the people who elected you except promote your own agenda and that of the NRA. And I hope to hell your entire party loses in the fall, because if you don’t this country is doomed.

You were elected to do a job. Do your job.

Confirm the Supreme Court Justice nominee. We need to find a way to press charges against you if you don’t.

Do your job. History will record what complete failures you really are. I am certainly telling the people of Canada what complete failures you are. Is there really any way to shame people with no conscience?"

That’s what I think of this Republican Congress, Canada. There use to be a two party system in this country.

Now there’s the Democrats and there’s a whole political party of complete and utter cloned corrupt buffoons who could care less about their country or their constituents- all because they hate the black guy. The misnomered GOP, Grand Old Party. Rather the Gang of Preposterous (Idiots). But then their candidate for President is Donald Trump- and the people with who support him, for that matter.

Oh God, Canada, I can’t go there.

- Signing off from the killing fields.

Ann