MONDAY MORNING MELANCHOLY

I have to admit that I am a dork. I am one of the forty-seven individuals in the United States that actually watches C-SPAN on a regular basis. I actually find greater humor in watching our leaders, are self-proclaimed best and brightest stumble all over themselves in Congress, rather than anything made available on network television.

The problem however, is despite all the laughs, the joke is really on us, the American people.

I am usually a fairly good Monday person. To me, it is just another day of the week, plus I love what I do. Several weeks ago, I strangely started getting up Monday mornings in a melancholy mood. It took me a couple of weeks to finally realize what was causing it. I was a huge fan of the HBO miniseries John Adams, and am also a huge fan of the historian and screenplay writer, David McCullough. It was truly must-see television for myself. (If you missed the series I am sure it will be out DVD shortly.)

I was enthralled at watching the founding of our nation come alive before my eyes, and to watch the debates that led to our Declaration of Independence and eventually our Constitution. It was also interesting to watch the vitriolic politics of the day, Alexander Hamilton comes to mind in his thrashing of John Adams. Another item, which I took from this narrative that I am now thoroughly convinced, was the root cause of my newly found dour Monday morning mood; was the brilliance and honor of the men who founded America. Compare and contrast them with the motley-crew which we have leading us and who I observe on C-SPAN, and it is quite depressing.

I have given many examples over the years of the absolutely vapid dialogue that emanates out of the grand cathedral of unintended consequences, otherwise known as the United States capital. When Congress this past month decided once again to hold another dog and pony show parading and berating the heads of all our nation’s energy companies. (This all in an effort to distract Americans from Congress’ incompetence, and create a bogeyman scapegoat.) There were many great examples of brainless rhetoric, but Maxine Waters, I feel took the prize as far as dim-wits is concerned.)

Maxine Waters challenged the president of Shell Oil, John Hofmeister, to guarantee the prices consumers pay will go down if the oil companies are allowed to drill wherever they want off of U.S. shores.

Hofmeister replied: “I can guarantee to the American people, because of inaction of the United States Congress, ever-increasing prices unless the demand comes down.” Hofmeister went on to explain that paying $5 at the pump “will look like a very low price in the years to come if we are prohibited from finding new reserves, new opportunities to increase supplies.”
Waters response was one of the most honest examples of the modern-day left in our country today.

“And guess what this liberal would be all about. This liberal will be about socializing…uh, um…would be about, basically, taking over, and the government running all of your companies…”
The oil executives responded by saying they’ve seen this before, in Hugo Chavez’s Venezuela.

My Monday morning melancholy is more than justified.