Staff Reports
As the political circus continues unraveling on Capitol Hill, we find ourselves once again in the spotlight—this time with a particularly captivating act featuring none other than Chuck Schumer and his merry band of contradictors. This is the tale of a political brouhaha with a cast of characters that could have been plucked straight from a comedy sketch. At center stage we have Chuck Schumer, a man who once roared like a lion but now appears to have misplaced his roar in a sea of bureaucratic bungling.
Schumer, once upon a time, stood tall and mighty, shaking his fist with a fiery “No way” to opposition from Republicans. He was the beacon of assertiveness in his party’s battleground against the supposed intentions of the GOP to strip healthcare away from millions. The ominous music of campaign rallies no longer rings as loud as the laughs from those watching his recent conundrum—a government shutdown may have been resolved, but at what cost? Democrats, led by Schumer, caved, and in the world of politics, that’s akin to a knight trading in his sword for a white flag.
Enter retired Senator Joe Manchin, a vocal centrist who found himself fleeing the flock of Democrats to hopefully greener pastures of independent thought. Manchin, once embedded with the Democrats, now surveys the scene like a wise uncle at Thanksgiving dinner, filled with disappointment at the bickering that keeps the political turkey of healthcare reform from ever reaching the table. He is not without suggestions, of course, dreamily proposing ad hoc committees with a mix of Democrats and Republicans—an idea that sounds nice but is as likely to happen as a unicorn galloping through Washington D.C.
The crux of the issue here is healthcare—a perennial hot potato. The debate rages on, and the Affordable Care Act finds itself less affordable and more of a bloated mess as days pass. Senator Manchin suggests the problem is everyone’s fault, as if pointing out the sky is blue. Without bipartisan cooperation, it’s true no plan will ever reach fruition. Yet, one can’t help but chuckle at the notion that simply putting smart minds together will solve the chronic ailment of D.C. gridlock. Apparently, Congressional members prefer their healthcare like they do their lunch orders—stuck in the political fridge, forgotten and cold.
Meanwhile, the quest for the next Democratic wunderkind continues. With mention of the likes of Jasmine Crockett and suggestions by figures like Charlemagne the God, one wonders if the party seeks leaders from political vision or merely those who can string together a good public takedown of Donald Trump. It seems the quest for leadership is not unlike searching for a needle in a haystack, except the haystack is on fire, and everyone’s racing to suggest the best firefighter.
As the curtain falls on this latest performance, the message Manchin delivers is one everyone can agree with: let’s remember it’s the United States, not the divided states. But given the current state of affairs, it’s hard to imagine if anyone on Capitol Hill remembers that the principal job they were voted in to do was not just to fight the opposing party, but to actually get things done. Perhaps the solution lies in a radical idea: quit paying congressional members if they don’t perform. How’s that for a productive New Year’s resolution?
