There are two stories which
captured my attention during the past week:
- The continuing saga of Obama care
- The continuing dance about making a deal with the Iranians.
Obama Care
Reid’s use of the Atomic option (removing the ability to
filibuster from all presidential appointments other than to the Supreme Court)
shows one of the main differences between Republicans and Democrats.
The first threat to use this option was in 1841 by Senator
Henry Clay. In 1990 Senator Ted Kennedy
tried to eliminate it, and in 2005, the Republican senators threatened the
same. In each of these cases, it was
abandoned because bipartisanship was the basis for Senate work. If the majority
party (50+the VP or 51) could not even get 9 or 10 of the minority party on an
action, then the action was not taken.
Actions need to be palatable to both sides.
Reid’s removal of that safety will make Obama’s job of
dictating the future of Obama Care easier.
He will be able to appoint judges to all levels of Federal courts except
the Supreme Court. He will be able to
appoint anyone to any position requiring Senate Confirmation with a minimum of
fuss.
In particular, the panel that will control Obama Care costs
can now be appointed without any interference of the Republicans in the
Senate. This is probably one of the main
reasons to use the Atomic Option, to eliminate arguments on specific appointees
by just rolling over the opposition.
Of course, no party rules the roost forever, and what goes
around, comes around.
Iranian Negotiations
The past 2 weeks saw the West engaged in another round of
bazar negotiations with the Iranians.
They seem bent to achieve “Peace in our Time” while driving the world
closer and closer to a Nuclear Holocaust.
Some Israel supporters talk about bunker buster bombs they
got from the US, as if these would be able to penetrate deep under mountain
bunkers created by the Iranians. Such
bombs exist in the range of 30,000 lbs., but what kind of airplane could carry
them?
The US has the B2 a bomber built for carrying such enormous
bombs. As far as I know, the Israelis lack such bombers. The F15 has a max
takeoff weight of 68,000 lbs. given its own weight and that of the fuel
necessary to take it to Iran, it seems unreasonable as a platform. Cruise missiles from submarines are similarly
not usable. It leaves only the option of
tactical nukes as a means of eliminating the full nuclear capability threat of
Iran.
I hope my analysis is wrong, but given the Wests relentless
drive for some face saving accord, a nuclear confrontation is brewing, and no
one can know its ultimate results.
