The Train Wreck in Chief

I don't typically write much about national politics here. I just don't think I can say much that hasn't already been said by much better writers than me. 

I can't stop myself today. I read dozens of headlines each morning, and there are typically one or two that make me slap my forehead. But is it just me or are the headlines getting worse and worse each day? It's to the point that I wear a red mark on my forehead from slapping myself. 

There are many head slappers from which to chose: 

1. Obama plans to tightly control strikes on Syria  (WSJ, subscription required.)
In a nutshell, the article says that President Obama will require the military to obtain presidential signoff on every air strike in Syria. I don't like to constantly disparage our President, but Obama deserves it. I wrack my brain almost daily to come up with one policy decision -- one moment of insight -- from our President. It's been six years, and truly, I can't come up with a single one. He's that bad. 
So far, in this ISIS fight, I have yet to hear one military advisor or expert suggest that Obama's plan of limited airstrikes is going to work. The President is ignoring them.
And now Obama is going to somehow take personal command of the airstrike campaign? 
He's an idiot. More frightening: He's an idiot that always believes he's the smartest man in the room. It's dangerous and it borders on insanity. (Actually, "borders" may be too kind of a word.)

2. Panel Urges Overhauling Health Care at End of Life
Or: Just Off Yourself Already, Old People

So the National Academy of Sciences is firing up the ovens, err, the death panels. It seems to be an innocuous story about a 21-member panel who just want to end the suffering of the sick.
Smart people will recognize it for what it really is: greasing the wheels of death panels. 
I can barely read through the entire story. In my heart of hearts, I know where this line of thinking leads. The end game is a dark and godless place that I hope I can somehow never visit. Unfortunately, I think that awful landscape is rushing towards me and I am not quick enough to outrun it. 
This story frightens me.

3. Koskinen: 'Hard Drive Crashes Continue As We Speak'
So the IRS, which will follow you like a hound released from the depths of hell if you don't return the correct forms and information, continues to conveniently lose emails and communications that may prove the tax collecting agency illegally targeted conservative groups. 
I understand why the IRS destroyed emails and continues to lie about it. The baffling part is that there are tons of people who believe them (or, I guess, don't care. Or believe conservatives had it coming).
Either way, what happened to my countrymen? 

4. US to Send 3,000 Troops to Ebola Danger Zone 
That's more troops than we're sending to Syria and/or Iraq to fight ISIS -- actually, that's 200 percent more. ISIS is building an actual army with weapons and soldiers, and we're sending 1,000 troops, or boots on the ground,  in a "forward deployment." (I personally believe we are already formulating plans to send more than 1,000 troops, but our leaders lie to us at every turn.)
We're sending 3,000 to fight Ebola. This shouldn't need to be said, but apparently, it must: YOU CAN'T KILL EBOLA WITH BULLETS.  

Unlike Obama, I'm not an expert on the military, but I'm pretty sure that vast majority of basic training had little or nothing to do with fighting infectous diseases. It's stunningly irresponsible to send troops trained to build bridges to a hot zone, where they may contract Ebola and/or bring it home with them. 

I could keep going all.day.long. Here's why this matters to Kansas: In order to slow -- not stop -- the Train Wreck in Chief, we must do everything possible to turn the Senate Red. 

I'm talking to you, Milton supporters. I know how you're feeling. Heck, that race is the reason I left the Republican Party. That said, in my lifetime, this country has never been at such a precipice. We have to do what we can to throw the country a lifeline. That lifeline is a Republican-controlled U.S. Senate and a conservative, Republican-controlled U.S. House.

Do I think Sen. Pat Roberts will save the day? Of course not. He's had approximately 40 years to do it, and look at where we are. But he won't actually put his foot on the gas to drive us off the cliff as Greg Orman so obviously will. Roberts is cold comfort and undeserving, but he's what we've got.

It's time for conservatives to put their grievances aside and do the right thing. I know it's been asked of us over and over and over again. It reminds me truly, of the military. They are asked to do some crazy things, and they do it because they're called.  For conservatives, I know it gets more difficult each and every time. One day, we aren't going to be around to get kicked by the Establishment. I am hopeful that day is not Nov. 4.