POLITICS - Republican Sharks 2011

"Shark Attack Alert II: GOP Takes Over House" by MARK KARLIN, BUZZFLASH Editor for Truthout 1/5/2011

Yesterday, BuzzFlash humbly warned the White House about trying to negotiate with a shark.

Unlike dolphins, sharks are not known for their intelligence. They are basically lethal eating machines with fins. They have no grand strategy. They don't look toward goals in the future. They just live to prey on other living organisms.

That's pretty much what President Obama has to deal with in terms of the GOP. They are now, reportedly, going to try and destroy the modest gains in health care reform, even though their proposed dismantling would increase the federal deficit. Then, when it comes to the destruction of our economy, the Republicans are going to prescribe more of the same toxins.

Congressman Darrell Issa (R-California), incoming chair of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, is a GOP shark, whom BuzzFlash singled out yesterday. He is bragging - to any mainstream media outlet who will listen to him - about launching multiple "investigation" attacks on the White House.

But Politico reports that Issa is not looking to empower average Americans; he will give more power to special interests: "Rep. Darrell Issa wants the oil industry, drug manufacturers and other trade groups and companies to tell him which Obama administration regulations to target this year."

Perhaps Obama should listen to that old Kurt Weill tune, "Mack the Knife":

Oh, the shark, babe, has such teeth, dear
And it shows them pearly white....
Ya know when that shark bites, with his teeth, babe
Scarlet billows start to spread

Maybe Obama thinks it's a victory if the shark just eats your legs and leaves you with a trunk and head bobbing in the water. Maybe that's literally "meeting in the middle."

But sharks don't negotiate. Their only strategy is to devour whatever they can.

They don't stop at the legs.