WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO 16TH DISTRICT CONGRESSMAN JIM RENACCI'S "BIPARTISAN" BREAKFAST CLUB?

Serving who?

By the looks of things from an Associated Press report, second term Congressman Jim Renacci (Republican - Ohio's 16th congressional district [which includes north, northwest Stark County and a spike down into Canton {Democrat Canton Councilman's Kevin Fishers ward} to capture The Timken Company]), is serving partisan interests over and above the interests of his entire constituency be the voters Republicans, Democrats, independents or non-partisans.

Clearly, his "you" has to be a reference to staunchly Republican partisans.

So?

He's a Republican, isn't he?

Indeed, he is and notwithstanding the big ballyhoo he made last October - when the national civic group Jefferson Action made of his race against sitting Democratic congresswoman Betty Sutton (the old 13th congressional district) decided to focus on the race - about his "apparent" involvement in a bipartisan effort on his part to bring "a spirit of seeking common ground" to congressional decision making, the SCPR was skeptical of the authenticity of his claim.

Now that he triumphed over Sutton in what was thought to be at the time "an up for grabs - could go either way" seat, it appears that his feint towards reaching out to the Democrats in Congress is at an end.

For reminders of his dissembling move towards bipartisanship in the interest of the well being of the nation, here is an MSNBC link that served as a forum for Renacci's posturing.



Not only did Renacci make the MSNBC appearance, he also postured bipartisanship at the Jefferson Action forum (confirming:  see Jefferson Action video at the 17:00 minute mark)

As recently as April of this year the Plain Dealer was empowering/enabling Renacci's dessembling with a piece published on April 3, 2013.

But that was then.

It seems that Congressman Renacci has had "a change of heart."

Witness  a Associated Press piece (published locally in the Akron Beacon Journal) covering a Renacci August 15th in Wadsworth.

To underscore his obvious turn away from a supposed bipartisan inclination to out-and-out partisan Republican politics, take a look at these quotes out of the AP article:

It’s not the easiest thing when you only control one-third of the federal government,” said Renacci, R-Wadsworth, faulting the Democrats who control the Senate and the White House for the stalemate as he flipped through a series of PowerPoint slides intended to send a message that Republicans are focused on “Making Washington Work.

And:

This summer at the behest of their [political party] leaders, House Republicans like Renacci are fanning out across the nation to press this anti-Washington, blame-Democrats pitch at town hall-style meetings. They’re trying to counter claims that they are responsible for a “do nothing” House and feed on the public’s antipathy for anyone linked to Washington. (emphasis added)

Do ya think that the congressman is reaching out in a bipartisan fashion?

It is indeed disappointing that Renacci has proved not to be "the real deal" in searching for authentic bipartisanship solutions to pressing national problems in response to voter-desired action that Congress as a whole do just that.

Should the Democrats field a strong candidate against him next year when he is up for reelection, you can expect Renacci to do another feint towards bipartisanship.

For the SCPR, Jim Renacci is no different than folks he has criticized (e.g. Democrats John Boccieri and Betty Sutton) who, as he pointed out, were captives of their political caucus.

It is this sort of thing - triffling with the public's trust in candidate/office holders actually being what they say the are - that jaundices and jades those of us who do not buy into the partisan panaceas as workable solutions.

For most of us could care less about a Republican agenda or a Democratic agenda.

What we want is a reach out to the other in a "come let us reason together" fashion as a workable context to solving the very real problems of our nation, state and local communities.

In playing with our sentiments, hopes and dreams, Congressman Renacci has contributed to the increase in citizen cynicism that seems to abounding these days.

Congratulations Congessman Renacci in furthering his personal and political party agenda at the expense of the interests of the nation.

Hope that makes him feel a sense of achievement.

How he can ever utter the "bipartisan" word ever again is hard to see.

But as most American have come to expect, it would be surprising to see him not to have the effrontery to do exactly that.

That he and many, if not most, other politicians toy with us is "par for the [political] course."

In doing so, they undermine the public's trust that they say they so earnestly desire.

Trust has to be earned.

Renacci et al are no where near earning the trust of anyone but the most ardently partisan voters.

The rest of us vote "the lesser of two evils."

Swell, just swell, no?