The Light Finally Comes on for Congress

The best news to come out of Washington this week was not Pres. Obama canceling his Hawaiian vacation so he could stay in Washington and pretend to do his job. It was not the comic relief provided by John Corzine testifying that Joe Biden’s idea of a financial genius had no idea where 1.2  billion investor dollars had gone. It was not even the indictment by the SEC of six Fanny and Freddy freeloaders. No, the big, big, BIG news that should inspire Americans everywhere, especially entrepreneurs and companies relying on a truly free, free market to fire the economy, came in the end of the year spending bill which authorizes an extension of the payroll tax holiday. One little section of the 1,200 page behemoth prevents the President from enforcing efficiency standards for light bulbs that would have gone into effect next year. And you know what that means, right?

The bulb is back. Edison’s baby, the round-domed, screw in-and-out with ease when the wire filament burns up, toss away without fear of toxic poisoning, incandescent light bulb is back! Now rational consumers, stubborn traditionalists, and pig-headed obstructionists of liberal utopian progressive engineering have a choice. And we choose Edison!

Like most, if not all, “Progressive” measures to advance equality, sustainability and, uh, progress, the curly cue, fluorescent bulb was a disaster from the beginning. The notion that it is somehow an advancement that American citizens, by government dictate, must purchase light bulbs which, if broken, present a risk of mercury poisoning so severe that a subsequent government dictate requires abandoning one’s apartment, is ludicrous on its face. Denying consumers a choice of a less expensive and safer alternative flies in the face of personal liberty and free market principles. The piggly-wiggly was the poster child for pointless government meddling, and now that meddling has been blocked.

But light bulbs aside, this apparently slight Republican victory may be indicative of a turning of the worm. Also in the bill is the “poison pill” which prompted the President to vow a veto. What dastardly scheme is the GOP hatching to subvert the progressive agenda now? Oh, the bill effectively forces the President to make a decision on the Keystone XL pipeline within 60 days. What? Forcing President Present to go on the record on an issue vital to his constituents? How’s that fair? But, “Ha!” you say. The jokes on them; President Obama doesn’t decide anything! True enough, but the language of the provision anticipates the Great Vascillator attempting to “vote present.” Therefore, if the Spineless Wonder does nothing, the pipeline is approved. How diabolical!

So in essence, the President who’s been running around the country telling his sycophants that “I can’t wait for Congress to act,” will himself be forced to act by an act of Congress.  Ah, sweet irony. He will have to decide whether to greenlight a project that could launch 20,000 of those shovel ready jobs he’s been searching for like Bush for WMDs. In doing so he will have to choose which constituency to please (union workers whom James Hoffa, jr called his “army”) or wacko environmentalists, both of whom he requires for re-election. As I’ve said so often, I love it when liberal, utopians agendas collide.

As I write, the bill has passed in the Senate. My prediction is that the bill with Keystone provision intact will pass the House, landing with a thud on the President’s desk. Then The President Who Can’t Wait will make the country wait, while he plays the most self-indulgent Hamlet since Denmark started to stink.

Veto? Of course not. Not that there aren’t solid reasons to veto. The bill’s got 32 billion dollars worth of pork in it. But Obama’s not going to attack federal spending. And he can’t go on the record opposing union jobs. At the point President Obama signs the bill, he will become thoroughly irrelevant in Washington. Congress can then move forward with legislation that might improve economic conditions, and Obama can start making his retirement plans. Oh, and the country will finally be allowed to recover. There will be opportunity, rather than handouts. Which is a good thing, because the people can’t wait.

Tags: incandescent, Keystone XL pipeline, light bulbs, President Obama, Senate

This entry was posted on December 17, 2011 at 7:08 am and is filed under Economy, GOP, Kevin Rush, Republican. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.