Muskie and Kerry

In 1980 Secretary of State Cyrus Vance had resigned due to his opposition to the proposed military mission code named Eagle Claw to rescue the US hostages held in Iran. Operation Eagle Claw ( The first ever use of the US Delta Force) proved to be a complete failure and claimed the lives of six servicemen.  US prestige in the world was at an all time low due to the hostage crisis and the USSR flexing its muscles in Afghanistan.

Whoever assumed the duties of Secretary of state was sure to be grilled in Congressional hearings and was not assured of confirmation by any means.  Grudgingly President Carter proposed the nomination of the late Maine Senator Edmund Muskie to be Secretary of State.  The US Senate is a unique fraternity and they do not eat their own.  Muskies nomination was easily approved saving face for not only for President Carter but also the State Department.

Moving ahead to 2012 four US citizens including the US ambassador to Libya were massacred at Benghazi.  The Obama administration and State department seemingly fumbled through any legitimate explanation as to why the massacre occurred for several weeks. UN Ambassador  Susan Rice as a sacrificial lamb to the Sunday talking head TV shows to explain away the massacre as a reaction to a U-tube video.  Having fallen upon the company sword Ms. Rice was proposed as the next Secretary of State and whether competent or not to hold the office she was damaged goods.

Since the Benghazi incident Secretary of State Clinton has pretty much fallen off the face of the planet and was unavailable for hearings on Benghazi due to a concussion.  The Arab spring has turned into the winter of Islam and democracy has been replaced by a theocracy in Egypt..

What does one do when the credibility of State Department lies in shambles and any potential  nominees to Secretary of State face potential grinding damaging testimony in front of the Senate?

The  answer is simple and tried and true.  You nominate John Kerry to be your Secretary of State.
No nasty questions , no explanations for  past actions because he was not there,  and no problems because he is a US Senator and a member of the club.

One small caveat is that the nomination of Kerry may be held up pending Hillary Clinton  giving testimony concerning Benghazi to the US Senate.  It conj ours up images of the great awakening sermon  Sinners in the hands of an Angry God by Johnathan Edwards.  And yes the image of Hillary dangling as a spider above a candle flame is quite amusing.

A Modern American Whig

Joey Porter

The Compromise of 1850 and 2012

In 1850 a historic compromise was reached which delayed what seemed to be an inevitable war between the states for a period of 10 years.  The burning issue of the time was to determine whether the territories won as a result of the Mexican American war would enter the union as slave or free states.

 The compromise ended up being five separate pieces of legislation with the most controversial part being the Fugitive Slave Act. The Fugitive Slave Act   made any federal official who did not arrest a runaway slave liable to pay a fine  of $1,000 (About $26,600 in USD as of 2011).  In addition any person aiding a runaway slave by providing food or shelter was subject to six months' imprisonment and a $1,000 fine.

The Slave Act was the impetus that split the northern  Whigs from the southern Whigs and led to the formation of the Republican party.

In 2012 we await what to most seems to be a non historic compromise  as to revising or elimination of the Bush era tax cuts. And although there have been petitions of secession issued by
 several states few of us would believe that we are actually heading to a war among ourselves.

However I believe whatever form the compromise of 2012 takes it will accentuate a schism between the tea party and the old line GOP.  Will this schism give birth to a third political party?  The answer is probably no. History has never been kind to third parties no matter how noble their purpose or standard bearer.  One of two things will happen.

• The GOP will fall upon its own weight like a giant redwood whose roots no longer support it and a new party will rise to take its place. 

•  The GOP will be morph like a butterfly from a caterpillar maintaining its name but changing its identity. 

Neither of these two scenarios will occur overnight.  Get ready its going to be a bumpy ride.