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Guinta Parties with Tea Party Puppetmaster

by: Dean Barker

Wed Jan 05, 2011 at 22:44:35 PM EST
Tea Party astroturfer-in-chief and "polluter billionaire" David Koch demands fealty from Frank Guinta on the first day he is charged with representing the people of New Hampshire:
After the ceremony, David Koch walked up to Rep. Frank Guinta (R-NH) - a freshman Republican Koch helped to elect using his front group, Americans for Prosperity - and asked him to confirm that he will be attending a party that Koch is hosting for Republicans. Guinta said he would be at the party, which began at 5:00pm today.
There is something deeply symbolic about this anecdote, occurring today of all days, between the plutocrat and his patron.
Dean Barker :: Guinta Parties with Tea Party Puppetmaster
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Guinta Parties with Tea Party Puppetmaster | 2 comments
Incredibly Disheartening (0.00 / 0)
The irony: on the day they take the vow to protect America from threats to our republic.

Imagine our founders seeing a group of new members of congress bowing down to their plutocratic master. Not even hiding it.

Sickening. So contrary to our founders intent.  

No'm Sayn?

OK, not meaning to be contrarian, but it's perhaps more telling (0.00 / 0)
that Guinta either needed to be reminded of his obligation to attend a social event, or Koch feels the need to toadie to this hick from New Hampshire.

If there's one thing our Congresscritters are good at it's pretending they have no power when they do and, at the same time, claiming more authority than they have.  Congresscritters are particularly expert at sloughing off their obligations (to the executive to draft legislation, to lobbyists to provide data, to interest groups to monitor agency function) and then touting their inattention as some sort of boon that justifies their re-election (to hold on to power).

Obstruction is, of course, an instrument of coercion.  Promising to withhold welfare-promoting policies (vide the Food Safety Law) is a sure-fire strategy to extort support, both monetary and votes at the ballot box.  

What did Guinta promise Koch on the federal level?  Not to support "cap and trade" which is actually working well on the regional level?  Promising not to do something is another variant that qualifies for the "Party of No" moniker.

Question: How do we prosecute/punish non-feasance?  How do we prosecute/punish individuals who abuse their discretion in the interest of personally enhancing their social status?  There's a difference between inflicting a wrong and not doing a right.  In one context, it used to be called "benign neglect."  The federal government had to devise affirmative action to counter that.  But, it's still resisted and quite successfully, if we can credit the earnings and employment statistics.

Guinta Parties with Tea Party Puppetmaster | 2 comments

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