Retiring California Senator Barbara Boxer (D) has had it up to here with Republican hypocricy and whining. On Tuesday, she took time to tell off the GOP for everything they are doing wrong to paralyze Congress, not respecting the president or American people, threatening to shut down Homeland Security, and otherwise say what only an outgoing senator would dare to say.
Here are some excerpts via Daily Kos:
We all know Republicans won in huge numbers in the 2014 election, and they took over the United States Senate and they run it. They run it. Or at least they’re trying to run it. And let’s be clear, less than eight weeks after they took over the Senate, we are facing a shutdown; a shutdown of the very agency that protects the health, the safety, the lives, of the American people – the Department of Homeland Security.
They’re shutting down the program that funds our police officers back home, our firefighters, our first responders. Any way you look at it, this is a national disgrace. And think about what our friends abroad, and those who are not our friends, are thinking about this.
Republicans say, ‘Oh, we’re in danger, we have to go to go to war, put combat troops on the ground!’ But they’re wiling to shut down the department that protects Americans here in the homeland, from a terrorist attack.
How does it make sense, at a time when we’re facing serious threats to our national security, to furlough 30,000, thirty thousand,department of homeland security workers, and to force more than 100,000 frontline homeland security personnel to work without pay?
Why don’t theses senators go without their pay?
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“I thought they were the party of ‘family values.’ Show me where that’s true? Ripping families apart? I thought they were the party of ‘economic prosperity.’ Show me how that’s true, when we know from study after study show that one of the greatest things we can do for our economy and job creation is get people out of the shadows so they can go buy a home and hold a good job. They (Republicans) can’t or won’t pass an immigration bill. They will not do their job. So when the president steps in and does his job, they say, ‘Oh, this is terrible!Let’s shutdown a totally unrelated department. The Department of Homeland Security.
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The Center for American Progress, states it would cost more than $50 Billion to deport the entire population that the president is protecting.
And here’s the deal – I’ve never heard of a Republican (and I will stand corrected if any Republican corrects me) I’ve never heard of a Republican complaining when President Eisenhower used his executive order power to help immigrants, when President Nixon did the same thing to protect immigrants, when President Ronald Reagan, their hero, protected immigrants, when George Bush Sr. protected immigrants, when George W. protected immigrants, they all used their authority.
The Center for American Progress, states it would cost more than $50 Billion to deport the entire population that the president is protecting.
And here’s the deal – I’ve never heard of a Republican (and I will stand corrected if any Republican corrects me) I’ve never heard of a Republican complaining when President Eisenhower used his executive order power to help immigrants, when President Nixon did the same thing to protect immigrants, when President Ronald Reagan, their hero, protected immigrants, when George Bush Sr. protected immigrants, when George W. protected immigrants, they all used their authority.
Show me one Republican that stood up and said, ‘Oh this is outrageous! Let’s impeach the president. But it’s president Obama. And they’re annoyed because he won twice. Sorry. Sorry. Wake up and smell the roses. He IS the President.
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So I say to my Republican friends. There’s s presidential race coming. Forget this last one. Get over it. Okay? Let’s work together. Listen, I served with five presidents. I’m a strong Democrat. Everyone will tell you that. But I respect the office of the presidency. If I didn’t agree with Ronald Reagan, I came down here and said it. But we had the respect back and forth. If we lost, we lost. And we moved on. And that worked both ways. I know what it is not to like the policies of a president. I get it. But don’t overdue it and make it so personal. Get on with it. Grow up. Do your job, you know? Do your job! Have respect for the office of the presidency. Don’t suddenly say executive orders are bad when the president you don’t like does it, but you don’t say one word when a Republican president does the same thing!
Well, there you go. I don’t know if anything will match my happiness with this speech anytime soon.
Reblogged this on Arlin Report and commented:
And the other side, her side has been no different. All of Congress is a lost joke!
I wonder if the Founders ever thought there would be a time when Congress just stopped representing the people. When it just spins itself off as a totally independent entity by, of, and for itself. I wonder if they ever saw that one coming.
I am seceding. This is all theatre.