In an era of Tea Party extremists and Clintonian Liberalism, the political center in the U.S. has moved farther and farther right. Regardless of how far the political center has moved right, it seems non-existent and stripped of any power. For most Tea Party activists and modern mainstream conservatives, compromise has become a bad word and a seemingly unforgivable sin. A similar sentiment rings true for the far left in this country who had hoped they elected a progressive hero, only to find out their “hero” is more practically Clintonian than progressively Roosevelt.
Artist Robbie Douglas created this piece as a backdrop for our current state of affairs in Washington. He goes on to explain why he created this piece, “I’ve wanted to do something for awhile regarding the infighting our polarized political system creates.” This infighting will seemingly come to a head at the end of this week when a government shutdown appears inevitable.
The New York Times reports Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) saying his side was fighting for “the largest spending cuts possible” and would not “allow the Senate and the White House to put us [House GOP] in a box.” Senator Charles E. Schumer (D-New York), the third-ranking Democrat in the Senate, said that if a shutdown was in the cards, the blame will lie at the feet of Republicans. Senator Schumer went on to respond, “A deal with $33 billion in spending cuts is right there for the taking … But the House leadership will need to stand up to the Tea Party.”
The latest partisan battle in Washington is over the GOP’s proposed $61 Billion in budget cuts, the Democrats have compromised stating they will settle for $33 Billion in cuts. Though many in the mainstream may agree this is a fair compromise, some Tea Party activists disagree. The Huffington Post reports, “Mark Meckler, a Tea Party Patriot leader, told the Associated Press that Boehner and others would face primaries if they fail [to follow through with all the cuts].” Some say Washington hasn’t been this divided since the Civil War, and others claim this is just business as usual. For many outside the D.C. Beltway, this is one more reason to become disengaged and disenfranchised with the whole political process. What do you think? Let us know in the comments!
