In 100 Days, an Election About Competence
By Greg Walden

Back in January, Nancy Pelosi had an infamous interview with Jon Stewart of “The Daily Show” that crystalizes what the 2014 election – just 100 days from today – is really all about.

Pressed on the problems with the rollout of ObamaCare, Stewart asked Pelosi whether Democrats needed to make a stronger case for the “competence of government” if they were going to try to pass large, expansive programs.

“Why is it so hard to get a company to execute that competently?” Stewart said of the ObamaCare website.

Stunned, Pelosi responded simply: “I don’t know.”

“What do you mean you don’t know,” Stewart said, jumping out of his chair. “How do you not know?!”

Stewart’s question was basic and simple – but important and revealing. And it’s exactly what American voters are asking as they watch what’s happening in Washington: Big government bureaucracies careening out of control. From the Veterans Administration to the IRS, something’s gone terribly wrong and people are suffering as a result.

No matter where you stand on the list of issues facing our country right now, one thing is abundantly clear: President Obama’s administration has proven itself wholly incompetent at running our government – even at a basic level. So it’s no surprise a plurality of Americans now view President Obama as the worst president since World War II.

Whether it’s the recent scandal in the Veterans Administration that has put our nation’s bravest heroes at risk, the security and humanitarian crisis occurring at our southern border, or the ongoing problems with the rollout and execution of ObamaCare – over the last two years, it’s clear that those who put their faith in big government solutions have a lot to explain to the American people.

That’s pretty relevant for two reasons in particular.

For one, the president and his party have executed an ambitious agenda since he took office to increase the size and scope of the federal government – an agenda they’d like to continue expanding. Yet, at the same time, they have proven themselves utterly incapable of making any of it work.

Secondly, the incompetence of this administration is further proof of why it’s so important there is a proper check and balance on President Obama’s administration and the bureaucrats he appoints.

When American voters elected Republicans to the House majority in 2010, they did so because we promised to be a check on President Obama, rein in the intrusion of government in their lives, and create jobs. That’s an obligation we’ve taken seriously.

I’ve been traveling across the country, and our candidates are running strong campaigns focused on how they will produce results for the American people – on jobs, the economy and health care, to name a few. Democrats, meanwhile, are stuck defending a status quo that simply isn’t working.

- In Arizona, Martha McSally is running another strong race against Democrat Ron Barber. McSally, a retired Air Force colonel and the first female fighter pilot to fly in combat, has a winning message about how she’ll fight for women in Congress – just like she did in uniform.

- Will Hurd in the 23rd District in Texas is a former CIA agent and successful businessman who has put freshman Democrat Pete Gallego on high alert. With the recent crisis at the border, this district is seeing first-hand the devastating consequences of this part-time president, and Gallego’s constant defense of Obama won’t play well in this district Mitt Romney won.

- Up in Minnesota, long-time Democrat Collin Peterson is facing a candidate who the press has called his “worst nightmare.” Republican Torrey Westrom is giving Peterson his toughest race ever, talking to Minnesota families and farmers about how Peterson’s support for Cap and Trade and the Pelosi agenda is making it more difficult for them to survive in the Obama economy.

- The son of Cuban exiles, Miami-Dade County School Board Member Carlos Curbelo is ready to bring change to Washington. He’s running against Democrat Joe Garcia, who in just under two years in office is already dogged by corruption allegations.

These are just a few of our incredible candidates who are offering a fresh voice in Washington versus the Democrats’ record of failed governance and incompetence.

Late Democratic Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan of New York once said, “The single most exciting thing you encounter in government is competence, because it's so rare.”

Today, that line rings true more than ever for Americans headed to the polls in just 100 days. If there ever was a time for a referendum election on an administration, this is that time.

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"Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster

Gas in Edison NJ $3.13 a gallon.

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Just on the point of the ObamaCare website scandal, I´d like to remind you that it has nothing to do with ´government incompetence´. Apparently its just really really difficult to get these things working, no matter who or what does it. There are dozens of examples where for profit large corporations over and over completely fail to properly implement things like websites and online services. The most obvious examples can be found in the games industry where it happens over and over. If Republicans really think that leaving it to for profit corporations to do things that government is supposed to do they are utterly mistaken.

Oh, and as for the Republicans complaint that the government is to intrusive in peoples private lives, you should ask how many women think about Republican initiatives about what people can and cannot do in their own bedrooms or with their own bodies. Democrats want to check on the economy, Republicans want to check on what happens in the bedroom. Which is worse?

Just on the point of the ObamaCare website scandal,

The scandal was the fact that the contract was apparently awarded to a Canadian(no less) Company in which Michele Obama's college roommate had an interest. The further scandal was in that there was apparently no supervision of the project over its several year life span. The fact that they attempted to go live while it wasn't scaled up and working properly is evidence of this.

I don't think that the programming was all that difficult--perhaps the links to outside providers and their files and info would be more messy. I say this because they were actually able to fix up the initial problems without too much delay.

The scandal was the fact that the contract was apparently awarded to a Canadian(no less) Company in which Michele Obama's college roommate had an interest. The further scandal was in that there was apparently no supervision of the project over its several year life span. The fact that they attempted to go live while it wasn't scaled up and working properly is evidence of this.

I don't think that the programming was all that difficult--perhaps the links to outside providers and their files and info would be more messy. I say this because they were actually able to fix up the initial problems without too much delay.

Most of that controversy was artificially created by right wing groups who hated ObamaCare even if the site had worked perfectly from the start with perfect oversight. As far as I've seen that company that had Michelle Obama's roommate was one of the many contractors (I think like 40 or 50 companies worked on it) and it had followed Federal procurement regulations like everyone else.

And you'd think that programming a site like that is easy. But then again, you'd also think that the multi-billion dollar games industry wouldn't be making the same mistake of underestimating server capacity and connection issues every single time they launch an online game. Actually, Ive noticed how often big official organizations with a lot of money in their pockets have sites that run terrible, while enthusiastic amateurs make sites that run perfectly.

The scandal was the fact that the contract was apparently awarded to a Canadian(no less) Company in which Michele Obama's college roommate had an interest. The further scandal was in that there was apparently no supervision of the project over its several year life span. The fact that they attempted to go live while it wasn't scaled up and working properly is evidence of this.
I don't think that the programming was all that difficult--perhaps the links to outside providers and their files and info would be more messy. I say this because they were actually able to fix up the initial problems without too much delay.

Most of that controversy was artificially created by right wing groups who hated ObamaCare even if the site had worked perfectly from the start with perfect oversight. As far as I've seen that company that had Michelle Obama's roommate was one of the many contractors (I think like 40 or 50 companies worked on it) and it had followed Federal procurement regulations like everyone else.
And you'd think that programming a site like that is easy. But then again, you'd also think that the multi-billion dollar games industry wouldn't be making the same mistake of underestimating server capacity and connection issues every single time they launch an online game. Actually, Ive noticed how often big official organizations with a lot of money in their pockets have sites that run terrible, while enthusiastic amateurs make sites that run perfectly.

For heaven's sake.
Programming a site is now nothing but 'copy and paste'.
And there are open source solutions.
Server capacity and connection issues are easily resolved when problems occurs.
Trust me Mike:)

msattler: Election time here as well.

For heaven's sake.
Programming a site is now nothing but 'copy and paste'.
And there are open source solutions.
Server capacity and connection issues are easily resolved when problems occurs.
Trust me Mike:)

That doesn't change the fact that so many large corporations utterly fail at making a decent website or launching some online program.

For heaven's sake.
Programming a site is now nothing but 'copy and paste'.
And there are open source solutions.
Server capacity and connection issues are easily resolved when problems occurs.
Trust me Mike:)

That doesn't change the fact that so many large corporations utterly fail at making a decent website or launching some online program.

It is because there are too many 'experts' from the client involved in the development process.
They usually do not even know what they want.
They also can not say before implementing how they want to use the system.
So it will be much trial and error.
I have been in the business almost 30 years.
Same story everytime.
Thats why small companies have 'better' systems.

It is because there are too many 'experts' from the client involved in the development process.
They usually do not even know what they want.
They also can not say before implementing how they want to use the system.
So it will be much trial and error.
I have been in the business almost 30 years.
Same story everytime.
Thats why small companies have 'better' systems.

Meh, it also happens on the builders side. My sister had to oversee the implementation of a new site for the theater she worked for and she was constantly saying that the company hired to build the site didn't properly communicate with them, missed countless deadlines and screwed up specifically asked for features so that for the longest time their site was only half working.

It is because there are too many 'experts' from the client involved in the development process.
They usually do not even know what they want.
They also can not say before implementing how they want to use the system.
So it will be much trial and error.
I have been in the business almost 30 years.
Same story everytime.
Thats why small companies have 'better' systems.

Meh, it also happens on the builders side. My sister had to oversee the implementation of a new site for the theater she worked for and she was constantly saying that the company hired to build the site didn't properly communicate with them, missed countless deadlines and screwed up specifically asked for features so that for the longest time their site was only half working.

I think it's called communication breakdown.
Even in small Projects:)

Oops! off topic.
Sorry msattler:)

For heaven's sake.
Programming a site is now nothing but 'copy and paste'.
And there are open source solutions.
Server capacity and connection issues are easily resolved when problems occurs.
Trust me Mike:)

That doesn't change the fact that so many large corporations utterly fail at making a decent website or launching some online program.

It is because there are too many 'experts' from the client involved in the development process.
They usually do not even know what they want.
They also can not say before implementing how they want to use the system.
So it will be much trial and error.
I have been in the business almost 30 years.
Same story everytime.
Thats why small companies have 'better' systems.

Excellent reason for SMALL Government.

+1
And a smaller EU adminstration:)

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