What Would King Solomon Say?

Is it just me…a “wacko bird“ supporter of the Tea Party (per John McCain, one of the GOP’s  proudest moments in loser history), an admirer of the “shutdown caucus” (just one of the MSM’s favorite pejoratives), a nit wit inspired by a real conservative’s “futile last stand”?

Daniel Henninger one of the Wall Street Journal’s columnists/Cruz critics, describes the GOP in a “vertical dive” in public approval…all the fault, of course, of Ted and Mike and Rand and their colleagues.

Establishment Republicans everywhere are rejoicing, odd as that seems to rational people, over the Obama/Democrats huge win this week. Karl Rove, the Wall Street Journal, “moderate” congressional Republican, the US chamber of Commerce, all are elated that, at long last the scourge of Happy Losers, the Tea Party, has now been eradicated. No longer will John and Lindsey be hectored about their many and various sellouts. Karl can now concentrate entirely on raising mountains of cash to enrich the GOP’s consultant class. No more pesky primary challengers for Kelly and the Flake, Chris Christie can now regain his glories as the left’s favorite Republican poser.

Halleluiah! Let the good times roll.

Everyone on the planet now knows that that vile Ted Cruz executed the dumbest strategy in history by “shutting down this great nation’s government” for his own narrow political interest.

Back to my question: is it just me who has a completely different take on this debacle?

First, it seems to me that there is no strategy in the world which can succeed when the leaders of the party on behalf of which it is conceived, announce, in advance, that it is stupid, will not work, and the people who are willing to give their all in its implementation are ‘ignorant opportunists and are unworthy of even minimal support”.

The central point of this to me, however, is even more elementary: The Cruz and company’s plan was NOT to “shut down the government”! They could not do that if it were.

Their plan was to force the Democrats to negotiate the elimination or modification to a major program wildly unpopular among the American people, which if not changed or eliminated will ultimately destroy the fundamental character of this nation.

In return for a reasonable response to this demand, Democrats could gain  an increase in the debt ceiling and the opportunity to continue their aims to increase government spending.

It’s called “negotiation”.

At the outset, it was Obama, himself, announcing that he would not negotiate. Instead, HE WOULD SHUT DOWN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT!!!

Ted Cruz did not announce he would shut down the government. As noted, he couldn’t. Only one party in this conflict threatened to and was capable of, shutting down the government!

The very bottom line in this debacle recalls the biblical tale of King Solomon.

We all know the story. It is told in 1 Kings 3:16-28  and recounted here in wikipedia:

Two young women who lived in the same house and who both had an infant son came to Solomon for a judgment. One of the women claimed that the other, after accidentally smothering her own son while sleeping, had exchanged the two children to make it appear that the living child was hers. The other woman denied this and so both women claimed to be the mother of the living son and said that the dead boy belonged to the other.

After some deliberation, King Solomon called for a sword to be brought before him. He declared that there was only one fair solution: the live son must be split in two, each woman receiving half of the child. Upon hearing this terrible verdict, the boy’s true mother cried out, “Oh Lord, give the baby to her, just don’t kill him!” The liar, in her bitter jealousy, exclaimed, “It shall be neither mine nor yours—divide it!”

The king declared the first mother as the true mother and gave her the baby. King Solomon’s judgment became known throughout all of Israel and was considered an example of profound wisdom.

What we have here is the updated version of the Solomonic solution:

Who really preferred to shut down the US government…an action Obama now claims was so destructive to America and its people…rather than negotiate over ways to at least modify the damage certain to be caused by a program so unpopular with the citizens of this country?

Who would King Solomon decide was the “person’ who really cared about his country?   DLH

Ed. Note: Patrick Buchanan wrote a great column on the obligation of the Republican Party to do everything politically possible to stop Obamacare.  Titled The ‘We Can’t Win’ Wimps Caucus,   it is highly recommended reading.

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