OPINION

REPUBLICANS CONTINUING OBSTRUCTION IN D.C.

By Larry Coghill, PCO: Caddis Precinct

February 9, 2010

The Republicans are at it again – or is that still. Senator Shelby, Republican of Alabama, has put a hold on 70 of President Obama’s appointments to try and force the Congress to give him an earmark. He wants the airforces tanker-planes to be built in Alabama.

This would take the contract away from Boeing and give it to Airbus. The Republicans have been screeming bloody murder about earmarks ever since Obama became President. Yet when they were in control of Congress under Bush, they pushed thru more earmarks than any Congress in the history of our great nation. Also, taking the tanker contract away from Boeing and giving it to Airbus is more outsourcing of American jobs and sending our defense business overseas.

President Obama has offered to meet on a bipartisan basis with both the Republicans and Democrats to discuss how to fix our healthcare problems. The Republican leadership in the House (ie: Boehner and Paul Ryan) have stated that they won’t meet with the President unless he and the Democrats drop the present healthcare bills and start over from scratch. In other words they want only their ideas included and nobody else’s.

It appears that Senator Shelby has now released his hold on some of President Obama’s appointees. He stated he was trying to make everybody aware of the need for better control of the our security needs. Really? when he wants to outsource our military contracts to other countries and keep required appointments from going to work at Homeland Security?