An Overshadowing of Something Good

An Overshadowing of Something Good

Earlier this week, Barbara Boxer advertised her disapproval of conservative Tea Party advocate Representative Michele Bachmann of Minnesota over Bachmann’s expressed joy of the closing of the government during the 2-week shutdown that commenced in a last-minute resolution.  The comments Boxer referenced, Bachmann gave during an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News.[1]  Boxer has been critical of the Republican Party, as I referenced in my previous post, during the shut-down because of her post as chairman on the committee that oversees the EPA, an agency that has not fared well with the GOP.  Conservatives, angry about the amount of press Boxer’s own criticism of the GOP have been gaining, returned fire, targeting metaphorical comments Boxer made on the house floor comparing Congress’s actions about prolonging the shut-down to domestic abuse.  The comments read,

“I never questioned, never questioned the fact that Republicans, Democrats and independents love this country. Love this country. I never questioned it. But I have to say, when you start acting like you’re committing domestic abuse, you’ve got a problem. ‘I love you dear, but you know, I’m shutting down your entire government. I love you dear, but I’m going to default and you’re going to be weak.’ Something is dreadfully wrong…” [2]

Boxer was struck on two sides, from Texas Republican Governor Rick Perry, and from Elisabeth Hasselbeck, host of the Fox News program “Fox and Friends”.  Both conservative figures condemned Boxer for insulting victims of domestic abuse, with Hasselbeck asserting, “Millions of women out there who now have their situation trivialized over politics?” [3]  The emphasis of Hasselbeck was in the under-coverage of comments by a liberal media that failed to bring attention to the comments because Boxer is a democrat.[4]  The entire unraveling of events is simply political name-calling, stemming from the political games that resulted from the deadlock ensuing from the government-shut-down.  On the greater scale, this negative press coverage is mere distraction from proposed legislation Boxer is rallying support for in the Senate to change the process through which the debt-ceiling is raised.  The new procedure would have the proposal to increase the limit originate in the White House as opposed to Congress.[5]  Boxer’s aim is to prevent the political games that resulted when the GOP attempted to use the debt-ceiling as leverage to defund Obamacare.  The storm of name calling has overshadowed Boxer’s proposed legislation, which has gained scant support in Congress, most likely over the hesitancy to hand over certain powers of the purse.  More to come on Boxer’s preventative legislation!

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[1] http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2013/10/boxer-skewers-bachmann-for-being-happy-over-shutdown/

[2] http://www.politico.com/story/2013/10/rick-perry-barbara-boxer-98318.html

[3] http://www.mediaite.com/tv/foxs-hasselbeck-calls-out-media-silence-after-barbara-boxer-trivialized-domestic-violence/

[4] Ibid.

[5] http://www.fresnobee.com/2013/10/18/3560031/boxers-bill-aims-to-take-debt.html