Republicans, thy name is mud

OPINION:

Republicans, as a party, are reeling at their most recent failure — a catastrophic one — regarding repeal-replace Obamacare.

Stumbling seems to be Republicans’ new mode of transportation of late. What’s insanely angering about it is they’re stumbling over their own roadblocks.

Once more, for those in the back of the room — why is it Obamacare repeal can’t get to the finish line?

Voters aren’t stupid. They know Republicans hold majorities in the House and in the Senate.

They know these Republicans in the House and Senate either campaigned on Obamacare repeal all the way to their political seats, or physically voted on Obamacare repeal over the course of the last seven years — when, coincidentally, the then-seated president, Barack Obama, made it quite clear repeal was not an option.

They know, also, the president in today’s White House, Donald Trump, will sign in quick-time any repeal bill that makes it out of the House and Senate and to his desk.

So again — why the faltering on Obamacare?

There’s only one answer: Republicans don’t want to repeal it.

They’re scared, beholden or self-interested, or a combination of all three.

It’s the same answer that can be given for a range of issues and matters that are supposed to be speeding through the Republican-dominated Congress, but like Obamacare, are not. Issues like tax reform — specifically, tax cuts. Issues like transportation infrastructure improvements.

But instead of speedy action, we get press conferences and headlines like this, from The Hill: “GOP chairman: Trump’s infrastructure plan may slip to next year.”

Or this one, from The Week: “Why the GOP Congress will be the most unproductive in 164 years.”

Or this, from the Drudge Report — from Matt Drudge himself: “DC Hot Mess: Will They Botch Taxes Next?”

My goodness, Congress worked faster under Barack Obama — even when Republicans were in charge. Remember all the debt level increases Obama pushed through? Those didn’t come absent the OK of Sen. Mitch McConnell, minus the approval of then-House Speaker John Boehner.

But now that Trump’s the chief and Republicans seem to have free and easy access to legislative approvals? It’s the threat of filibuster that’s the oft-repeated problem.

Time to go legislatively slow once again, it seems.

The risk Republicans are taking, of course, is that they’re wearying voters’ patience. In a few short months, Republicans will have to decide: Do I want to re-elect this do-nothing RINO, or do I want to just stay home and watch reruns of “All in the Family?”

But perhaps that’s what many in the the Republican Party hope will happen — an election upset leading to a majority loss. That way, they can go back to loudly clamoring for all the things the voters want, but without having to actually take action. They can act like good old friend-of-the-people Republicans once again, fighting the patriotic limited government fight, while all the while pointing fingers of blame at the Democrats for their legislative failures. What a cop-out; what an epic fail during a political season that should be noted for massive conservative wins. Republicans — take note: Thy party’s name is beginning to seem like mud.