There is a historical reference to today’s post title. It once meant that recalcitrant slaves would be sold for heavy or dangerous work. The practice broke up families, divided parents from children, husband from wife, and frequently led to injury and death. Once you get past the connotations, it sounds much like today’s welfare state.

The ‘Pub establishment is about to sell us down the river. How? By a number of methods. First, there is a growing number who are disavowing Grover Norquist‘s Anti-Tax Pledge. Next, they are willing to “accept” some tax increases (that means bye-bye to extending the Bush tax rate) and closing tax “loopholes”. That last means removing some tax deductions like charitable giving and interest paid on mortgages. Nowhere in all this discussion, whether from John Boehner, Mitch McConnell, Lindsey Graham, Saxby Chambliss and other RINOs, is any demand for spending reductions—unless it’s cutting the military.

The ‘Pubs have retained their control of the U.S. House. That’s the good news. The bad news is that it’s controlled by RINOs like John Boehner who never saw a political battle he couldn’t evade.

So what can we expect from our Congressmen? Not a whole lot. Spending legislation is supposed to originate in the House. However, we’ve not had a budget passed in six years. The House has lost its major political function—controlling the government’s purse-strings. Real power is currently in the Senate. And what’s happening there? Harry Reid is attempting to remove the filibuster—the sole weapon remaining to the ‘Pubs, giving him rubber-stamp authority over all functions of the Senate—like approving appointments to the Judiciary, approval of treaties and the like. When that happens, our republican form of government is gone and the Constitution, already damaged, is powerless.

Our only hope remaining is to replace Boehner and McConnell with people who have the guts to fight to the last remaining limit. No, that’s not right. There can be no limits opposing the authoritarian rule of Obama and the democrats. The gloves must come off. It may be too late already. I hope not.