While watching CNN this morning (only news channel on Sling) I saw a journalist (Mr. Cuomo) ask a Congressman about the Paris attacks. 30 seconds really caught my attention. They went something like this:

Journalist: The President asked for a use of force decree from Congress two years ago. Shouldn’t you have given it to him then so this could be taken care of by now?

Congressman: Well, the President said they were contained only hours before the attack, so it’s not our fault.

Journalist: But the President was talking specifically about the ground war in Syria where they have been contained, so be nice.

Paraphrasing for the most part, but that’s the gist. So much to unpack here. Lemme start with Congress.

Losers. I know it isn’t nice, but there it is. Don’t say on the one hand that the President’s plan sucks while on the other hand you refuse to debate the real issues. Democrats, you are so busy pointing fingers at the Republicans and telling them they’re all kinds of mean that you ignore the mirrors in front of you showing your own flaws. Republicans, you’re so busy saying you’ll do something “next time” that you’ve practically grown roots and and started putting out leaves. Your jobs are pretty simple, Constitutionally speaking: put up bills, debate them, vote on them. Republicans in control have failed on the first part (do nothing); Democrats on the second part (deem and pass, anyone); everyone has failed at the third. Losers, one and all.

Mr President, you’ve been so busy arguing against the representatives of the people that your hands are nowhere near clean in this area. Nearly every time the Republicans talk about issues important to them…and the citizens who voted for them…you say it’s a non-starter or something. You’re quick to jump on anything that happens which offends you or your base and are even faster to praise things that polarize your party, but rarely do you extend the opposition an olive branch. You’ve extended these to our traditional enemies such as Cuba, Iran, and Russia more than you do your fellow citizens. Shame on you.

Journalists, you have failed on so many levels it’s hard to know where to begin. When just seven percent of journalists identify as republicans, the bias is clear. More?  Check here, here (cites above material), and here (older for comparison). When you eat, sleep, and breathe a single point of view, you miss and misrepresent the truth as it is to be the truth you want to see. Rush and Sean do it too, and you excoriate them for it. It isn’t your job to defend the President – he’s a big boy with unlimited media access, he’ll be fine. It isn’t your job to defend Democratic candidates – let them speak for themselves. It isn’t your job to make fun of how people look on one side of the political spectrum but let it slide on the other (The View anyone?).  You complain about Republican tax plans non-stop, but where’s the realism on the Democratic side?  Free everything?  Sure, why not. 

Everyone here has abdicated their responsibilities in favor of looking good. Congress won’t vote because then they have to defend those votes. The President won’t work with Republicans because they’re mean and it’s hard. Journalists freeze out anyone who isn’t in on their groupthink sessions, then wonder why people are so stupid as to believe other things.

Shame on you all.

With all that said, I’m personally willing to forgive and forget if you’ll just GET OFF YOUR COLLECTIVE ASSES AND GET TO WORK!  Mr President, put in the time and effort to doing what needs to be done. Get your hands dirty. Drink with your opponents and find/make commonalities. Congress, take a look at the crap storm we’re dealing with here outside of D.C. and put in some thought. Make tough votes. Be willing to lose your job for what you believe in and be proud of that fact. Journalists, put down the water buckets and pick up your thinking caps. The load might actually be heavier than carrying someone else’s water, but you’ll find that spark of satisfaction in your chest far outweighs the lump of depression you’ve been disguising as smugness for so long. Find the truth and tell it. Don’t tell a version of it, tell it like it is.

We can come back from this. We’re better than this. Take the reins, give them a flick, and let’s get moving again!