The word duplicitous may be unknown or novel among
Republicans, but it should not; particularly because it describes their
speech and actions as a matter of course. The word means contradictory
doubleness of speech or actions, often belying one’s true intentions by
deceptive words, counsel, or action. The term came up this week when
Republicans in the Senate, offended that the President singled them out
by name, expressed disappointment that their typical obstructionism,
traitorous backstabbing, and contrary demands drew sharp and fairly
blunt criticism from the President the likes they have not heard in six
years. For many Americans, particularly those supportive of the
President, his blunt talk was long overdue and likely why Republicans
were taken aback that the President had the temerity to attack Senate
Republicans; by name no less.
It was actually White House spokesman Josh Earnest
who used the term ‘duplicitous’ after the President lashed out at the
over five month delay in getting a Senate confirmation vote on his
nominee for Attorney General Loretta Lynch. More on that later. The
President did not mince words in telling Senate Republicans there was no
excuse for not confirming Lynch whom he nominated back in 2014 and said
“This is embarrassing, a process like this.” The only thing
the President failed to say is that Republicans have been an
embarrassment for the past six years, but apparently he was couching his
bluntness with a little diplomacy; a less restrained President would
not have held back.
The President also singled out Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for “trying
to tell the world, oh, don’t have confidence in the U.S. government’s
abilities to fulfill any climate change pledge that we might make.”
Again, the President held back from really raking McConnell over the
proverbial coals, and he failed to berate turtle-boy mercilessly for
telling governors not to implement new carbon emission rules. Rules that
McConnell claimed, like the climate change agreement, were illegal and
that Republicans were working to put an abrupt end to them. Seriously,
the President should have slammed McConnell for issuing a directive to
governors to violate federal law while he was on a roll, but he was
likely making another attempt at being diplomatic with McConnell;
something it is time to bring to an end.
The President criticized John McCain for bitching
and moaning about something in the nuclear negotiations with Iran that
might prohibit expediting the war he has panted over for the past
decades. But that is just typical John McCain who condemns something he
has never seen if he even thinks it might prevent another war. The
President could have let the old warmonger’s typical remarks go instead
of giving him any exposure; most Americans acknowledge that McCain hates
peace and like his running mate Palin, it is best to ignore them both.
However, with the aid of some Democrats loyal to Israeli Netanyahu,
McCain helped successfully pressure the President to relent and give
Congress say over the P5+1 negotiations, so the criticism targeting
McCain was likely face-saving, but not duplicitous.
Now, when White House spokesman Josh Earnest used
the term ‘duplicitous,’ he was referring to the never-ending wait for
Senate Republicans to hold a confirmation vote for Loretta Lynch as
Attorney General. Specifically, Earnest condemned Senator Chuck Grassley
by noting that Grassley counseled President Obama back in October not
to dare attempt to push through Ms. Lynch’s confirmation during the lame
duck Senate in November and December, but now says the delay is the
fault of Democrats who should have acted when they had a Senate
majority. It is that kind of bovine excrement that Earnest called
“duplicitous.” When he was asked if using such a terribly harsh word
like ‘duplicitous’ to describe Republicans was a very smart move or
would accomplish anything positive, Earnest replied, “Being nice has
gotten us a 160-day delay. So maybe after they look up ‘duplicitous’ in
the dictionary we’ll get a different result.”
However, the real duplicity came from Senate
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell after the President criticized him for
both holding up the Lynch confirmation vote and telling foreign nations
America has no intention of meeting its commitment to reduce its carbon
emissions that are driving global climate change. McConnell said that “Rather
than spending so much time criticizing people like Chuck Grassley and
myself, he ought to be out there lining up the Democratic votes for
trade promotion authority. This is a time for presidential leadership.”
Republicans loyal to multinational corporations that
are moving American jobs, and tax free profits, offshore maintain that
President Obama should be working on their legislative effort to give
the President executive authority to negotiate trade deals without
having to bother going through, or face delays, in the United States
Congress. Many Democrats are rightly in opposition to such a bad deal
fearing it will cost even more American jobs and lower environmental
standards. President Obama says he can protect jobs and the environment,
but he is only President for another year-and-a-half and if Republicans
have demonstrated anything over the past six years, repealing things
that do not profit corporations is their raison d’être.
What is duplicitous and very telling about how
Republicans operate, and where their only loyalties and priorities lie,
is that they are pushing the President to seek unilateral authority to
negotiate and sign an international trade deal; something that requires
congressional approval. And yet they have done everything in their power
and all but forbid him from exercising his rightful executive authority
where Congress has no say according to the Constitution; like on
immigration enforcement and negotiating with foreign governments. In
fact, on every occasion President Obama has exercised executive
authority, Republicans have taken extreme measures to thwart his
executive authority including threatening a lawsuit, passing approval
for an international border-crossing construction project, and demanding
a final say over a United Nation’s nuclear agreement with Iran.
However, they are rabid to grant unconstitutional presidential authority
to negotiate an international trade agreement without Congress’
“interference” because it benefits Republicans’ biggest donors.
McConnell and Republicans push and demand that the
President lobby Democrats for authority to skirt Congress for a
corporate-friendly trade deal is without doubt contradictory doubleness
of speech and actions. It is also without a doubt something the
President needs to harshly condemn with the same bluntness he has
displayed recently and he needs to do it in very public forums at every
opportunity; and he needs to inform Americans why Republicans want
Congress out of the way. If nothing else, it will inform the American
people that Republicans cannot support the Constitution when it comes to
Executive authority on any level and just how far they are willing to
go to enrich corporations, kill more Americans’ jobs, continue to
endanger the environment, and keep corporate income tax free. However,
informing Americans of any of those aspects of a bad trade deal is
something one of its biggest proponents is hardly going to do because
that would be duplicitous.
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