Your Opinion: Response on control of presidency, Congress

Dear Editor:

Bert Dirschell's op-ed published Feb. 10 again castigated Bernie Sanders. Dirschell obviously is very worried about the two main Democratic candidates for president: Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.

He has fired scuds at both in several recent op-eds. Hey Bert, we "get it." You don't like the Democratic candidates. You are sounding like a broken record.

Dirschell hasn't said so explicitly, but it is a pretty good bet that he wants to have a Republican president. I wish to explain why I believe that is an extraordinarily bad idea.

Dirschell often says something to the effect of "liberals want to spend my money;" Ok, I won't argue that point. However, Bert, do you really believe the Republicans don't want to spend your money just as much as the Democrats? Should we discuss what Reagan or Bush-two did with the deficit? (You probably won't want to.) The difference between Republicans and Democrats is that Democrats want to provide for the people and help the planet, while Republicans just want to "blow stuff up."

Not that I'm a particular fan per se of either Bernie or Hillary, but let's face it; Hillary is the candidate with the best resume for president since Bush-One. Yeah, yeah, I know, I'm going to be castigated for saying that. Those of you who hate Hillary with such visceral animosity have succumbed to 25 years of GOP propaganda.

First, spending. Anyone reading this who thinks Obama is a spendthrift and is killing our country by overspending, I suggest that you refer to our Constitution. The president does not have the power of the purse, Congress does. Those massive deficits need to be laid at the feet of the proper owner, Congress. The Constitution has sufficient checks and balances in it to prevent a president from going too far, providing Congress does its job.

Second, let us look at Congress for just a minute. The Republicans control both chambers, the Senate may or may not switch sides this next election, but the House will remain firmly in Republican hands until at least 2020, unless the courts step in a eviscerate the Republican practice of gerrymandering (doubtful).

Personally, I'm much more terrified of the same party controlling both the legislative and the executive branch than I am of one Democratic candidate.