ON TARGET

5/10/15       by Dave Gunn

Same Old, Same Old

     Conservative Republicans, and all those who voted for Donald Trump are getting restless.  The federal budget deal sounds like the same song sung over and over again.

     The Republicans promised a different direction if the people would give them a majority in the House.  Then they promised a different direction if the people would give them a majority in the Senate.  Finally, it was the presidency that was needed to really make a difference.  Now we have Republican control of both houses of the legislature and the White House, but it seems as though nothing has changed.  We still have Democrat governance.

     In fact, slip and fall lawyer and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is taking a victory lap.  Said Schumer, “Early on in this debate, Democrats clearly laid out our principles.  At the end of the day, this is an agreement that reflects those principles.”

     So how did the Democrats once again roll the Republicans, including President Trump?  They threatened a shut-down of the government.  Knowing that, no matter who was at fault, the liberal lap-dog media would blame a shut-down on the Republicans, Democrats held their line and won the day.  The Republicans caved on the budget in as they always do

     Congressional Republicans and Trump Administration officials were spinning like tops to put some lipstick on this pig of a deal.  They pointed to increased military spending, which is needed and which Democrats sometimes go along with anyway.  They also crowed about money in the budget for fencing – not a wall – at the southern border.  However, that is not all the story.

     Fully funded is Obamacare.  Even the RINOS in the Republican Party promised to repeal Obamacare in the last election.  Yet no money for this tragedy has been removed from the budget.  Yes, the Republicans are working on a replacement for Obamacare that could best be called Obamacare-lite.  But the people didn’t vote for a modification of Obamacare, they wanted it removed, repealed, ended, gone, obliterated, and otherwise destroyed.  This bait and switch is not acceptable.

     Fully funded are sanctuary cities, where criminals are allowed to roam free to prey on American citizens.  People who shouldn’t be here in the first place are sheltered by city officials from the consequences of breaking our laws.  This too, is unacceptable.

     Fully funded is Planned Parenthood, so that the abortuaries can continue to chop up babies and suck them into sinks, supported by your tax dollars and mine.  This is more than unacceptable.  This is evil.

     Now Washington Republicans are telling us that this budget pig had to be passed this way it was because it is a continuation of the last Obama budget.  We are told that in September, when President Trump submits his first budget, we will receive the all that we were promised.  Then the Republicans will pass a truly Republican budget.

     We who are the Republican grass roots have a message for the Republican establishment in Washington.  September is the last opportunity.  We don’t care whether you do it with reconciliation, the Harry Reid nuclear option, or a government shut-down.  If you don’t deliver what you have promised, you will face strong opposition in the next primary election.  You will keep your sword, or we will find someone who will.

[Dave Gunn is the nom de plume of Dr. David E. Gonnella, Pastor of the Magnolia Springs Baptist Church in Theodore, Alabama.  The opinions expressed are his own, and do not necessarily reflect those of the church or its membership.]