June 20, 2010
By Herman Cain
I know you are not going to believe this commentary, but try.
I am not going to read, watch or listen to any news stories about what is going on in this country for the next seven days. The only exception would be if I overhear someone mention that there has been another national or natural disaster. Otherwise, nada! Nor am I doing any of my radio shows.
I am taking a vacation from the problems of America.
For one week:
I will not hear another toothless Obama speech.
I will not hear another liberal try and defend the president’s mishandling of the crisis in the Gulf, mishandling of the economy and national security.
I will not hear or read another analysis of President Obama’s leadership deficiencies, and there are many such analyses including mine.
I will not hear about another spending proposal by the Democrats to stimulate the economy, even though the first spending binge did not work.
I will not hear another warning about the unsustainable spending by the president and Congress, which they continue to ignore.
I will not hear about another tax proposal introduced in Congress to prevent further damage to a stalled economy, only to be rejected by the Democrats.
I will not hear about yet another grenade discovered in the Health Care Deform legislation, which raises taxes and impedes our choices and our liberties.
I will not have to endure more congressional bashing of British Petroleum for pure political theater, which has produced absolutely no benefit to solving the problem.
I will not have to endure more deceptive stories about an economic recovery, the ups and downs of the stock market, or the economic pain of the 15 million unemployed people who are suffering because of presidential, administration and congressional incompetence.
The last time I did a national news detoxification was in 2004, and when I came back I had decided to run for the U.S. Senate in Georgia, because I could no longer sit on the sidelines and watch what was happening to this country even then without trying to do what I could do. We owe it to our grandchildren.
Although I finished an impressive second place in that Republican primary race in 2004, I have been defending the pursuit of happiness ever since through commentaries, speeches, radio and TV. Who knows what moment of insanity about public office I might have this time after my news detoxification. I’m just saying!
This country would be better off if the president, his administration and Congress would take an extended vacation for the next four months and nine days until after the November 2010 elections. We could breathe a little easier about cap and trade legislation until we elected a new Congress. Businesses and the stock market might react positively without the uncertainty of that job-killing bill hanging over our heads.
As for the federal operating budgets, just authorize federal agencies to operate at last year’s levels until further notice. That would be an automatic freeze in federal spending. What a novel idea!
There is one thing Congress should do before they take an extended vacation, and that is to make the current tax rates permanent. It would provide some much needed certainty about taxes, which would cause businesses to start growing their businesses again. Yes, we would then see some real job growth instead of imaginary and saved jobs.
If voters could persuade Congress to kill the cap and trade bill and make the tax rates permanent while I am on vacation from America’s problems, my return would be like waking up to a wonderful dream.
If not, I will be returning to the same national nightmare we are in right now.
