Regular readers of the Shark Tank know that we have been and continue to remain completely opposed to every last bullet point of the Obama agenda.  In light of the damage that Obama and his rubberstamp Congress have already perpetrated against our country, we are especially opposed to the enactment of any further legislation in what remains of the 111th Congress.

By now, Republicans in Congress should be under no illusions as to the serious threat Obama poses– this administration’s uncheceked spending, powergrabs, bailouts, apppointments, corruption, and disregard for the rule of law have literally placed our national security, sovereignty, prosperity, and our rights in serious jeopardy, and Republicans should be using all available means at their disposal to thwart any further legislative victories by this administration.

But in spite of all this, Senator George LeMieux still appears to be ignorant of the corrupt nature of this administration.  As Senator LeMieux rightly criticized the Obama administration’s inept, incompetent, and what many people believe was his intentionally negligent reponse to the BP Oil rig explosion, you might think that Sen. LeMieux would have far more reservations about supporting any further legislative proposals emanating from this White House, since it seems disinterested in doing everything that it should properly be doing, and much more concerned about cramming through its highly partisan agenda in the limited window of opportunity that it has- roughly 5 months.

Last Thursday, Senator LeMieux broke a Republican fillibuster as the Senate voted 60-37 to end debate on an amendment that, as it was slickly packaged by most media outlets, “would create a $30 billion fund for community banks to lend to small businesses.”

Senator Richard Shelby, ranking Republican on the Banking Committee, got it right. “I believe this is the same old song and dance, expand the reach of the heavy hand of government,” he said. “Like TARP, this program does not lend money directly to small businesses; it would have the government take ownership interest in hundreds of banks. This is TARP-2.”

That’s what makes Senator LeMieux’s vote to break this filibuster completely inexcusable.  This IS yet another bailout bill, this IS more crony capitalism, regardless of how Senator LeMieux spins it.  The same reasons why the first TARP was wrong are the same reasons why this bill is wrong.  The size of the giant banks who were the recipients of the first TARP funds as compared to these community banks is a moot point.  The fact that these community banks weren’t responsible for the last financial crisis or weren’t selling mortgage-backed securities are also moot points.  What’s causing a lack of lending by these community banks is the weak business demand for credit, a terrible existing business climate, and a dismal economic outlook that forsees additional taxes, regulations, and the anticipated costs of Obamacare- enough worries to throttle any economic recovery.

Memo to Senator LeMieux- this administration is not interested in the well being of our nation’s small businesses.  Whatever rhetoric it employs to express “concern” about our present unemployment situation or our lack of an economic recovery is completely betrayed by every one of the laws that it has already passed or its pending legislative proposals. This administration is solely interested in expanding the power of the federal government and enabling its toxic brew of special interests and constituency groups at the expense of everyone else.  If you are unable to come to that realization, you should probably go home in 2012.