Source: Column: Washington leadership’s grade is a solid F – USATODAY.com.

Cal: McConnell and Boehner, challenge the wealthy. The “rich” should be the model for reaching out and helping people so that we can have less government and lower taxes. Churches should be called upon, too. Those megachurches with ornate architecture and huge budgets? How about living up to your commission to help the poor?

Bob: You’re right. Boehner and McConnell, when it comes to taxes, you are tone-deaf and cowering before the Tea Party and the bombastic my-way-or-the-highway Grover Norquist. You both know that the tax code needs to be changed to eliminate unnecessary deductions for wealthier Americans as well as to rid us of corporate welfare. Reform would lower rates and broaden the tax base — the very thing your party has wanted for decades — yet you show no backbone or leadership on this. We can’t get serious about tackling our long-term deficits without tax reform.

You know things are getting pretty serious when liberals and conservatives start agreeing on things. That is just what this article is about.  The above article is a weekly thing from two ideological opposites. Here is how they are described in the header :

Cal Thomas is a conservative columnist. Bob Beckel is a liberal Democratic strategist. But as longtime friends, they can often find common ground on issues that lawmakers in Washington cannot.

Right now almost everyone in congress gets an “F” for putting partisan politics above what is good for the country and yes I certainly include the three who represent me personally. When most of the votes fall strictly along party lines something is terribly wrong and that wrong might just result in a total breakdown of our legislative system in the not too distant future.

What do we as citizens do about this? If we go by history we will do nothing about it until it reaches a total crisis state. We have been fortunate in the past to always come back from the edge but those past events in no way guarantee we will to that this time.  What happens if we go over the cliff  this time around? What kind of life will that leave your children and grandchildren?

Cal certainly has a point that the rich should be a model for reaching out and if they fail this duty then they should pay for their government to do it for them . The same goes for churches and the religious establishment. They spend the vast majority of their wealth on themselves. This runs very counter to what most religions say they stand for.

Bob is right about how the Republicans are tone-deaf when it comes to taxes. When Warren Buffet stated that he pays the lowest tax rate of anyone in his office, even the one who empties his trash, something is very wrong with our tax system.  Further into the discussion Bob goes on to how the Democrats have to take their head out of the sand when it comes to needing some reform for social security and welfare systems. But reform doesn’t mean gutting these successful government programs as some in congress are advocating.

Let’s all listen to Bob and Cal and start agreeing that things have to change.  We seniors are known for our strong presence at the polls.  Let’s let them know that we want adults in congress and to put aside all this childish bickering and do what is good for the country. If they can’t do that then we should quickly replace them with someone who will.