The Republicans have basically become the Party of No, desperately clinging to their long-disgraced economic policies and basically refusing to go along with anything, yet offering precious little new ideas in return. In the meantime, they longingly search for a scandal, any scandal, to hang around the new president’s neck.Mass Amnesia?
Most amusing are the complaints coming from these guys. I too worry about the debt of future generations, but where, pray tell, was this great concern about the mounting deficit (at least 1.3 trillion of which President Obama inherited) when they were happily lining up without complaint behind George W. Bush’s wild spending sprees, tax cuts, and other excesses?Now that the spending is actually to be applied to things that can benefit future generations—better education, lower healthcare costs, greater environmental safety, and true energy independence, rather than filling the coffers of the super-rich—these guys suddenly turn fiscal conservative on us. Convenient.
Mitt Romney appeared on Sunday television a few weeks ago and mocked Obama’s plan to half the deficit in 4 years. Where was his scorn when Bush said he’d cut his deficit in half in the next 10? (I’ve personally always found it amusing when a current president states they’ll achieve a fiscal benchmark well after their term expires—talk about passing the buck!)
Not that it matters. As usual, the last departing Republican president has upheld the tradition of leaving a deficit-happy fiscal disaster for his Democratic successor, so it’s truly doubtful that meaningful changes will be forthcoming because now we simply don’t have the capital.
Equally amusing (though it’s really infuriating) are their cries about Wall Street bonuses and their cries for investigations. Oh really? No mention of investigations about secret prisons, wiretapping of Americans, torture of prisoners, secret meetings with energy executives, screwed up invasions, botching of Katrena, bad treatment of veterans (shall I go on?), but some contracted bonuses have them in a huff. They act Populist to gain public sympathy while ignoring their continual cries over the previous 8 years for less Wall Street regulation and “ownership society” policies. It would appear, intentionally or not, they have short memories indeed.
Clinging to the Old
The Republicans, if really they wish to gain public trust, rebuild their party, and milk the current Populism, need to stop their endless policies to benefit only the rich and the corporations. They are painfully transparent, and it’s getting old.As recently as this month, good old Newt Gingrich (whose intelligence I respect, if not admire) pushed in editorials for lower capital-gains taxes (gee, who would that benefit?) and lowering the business tax rate to match Ireland’s (at 12.5% currently). This is just another version of the tired voodoo, trickle-down economics, and it doesn’t work. If you give companies greater profits, they don’t suddenly give all their workers a raise, the company leaders simply take a greater profit. Many is the time I heard companies slash raises and such because of bad economic times, but never in my life have I seen a company say “Hey, we’re making great profits and the economy is surging, so look for a bonus in your next paycheck!” But hey, maybe it’s because I don’t work in lower Manhattan.
Today the Republicans brandished their “new plan” under Obama’s nose, deriding claims that they had no new ideas. I haven’t yet read it, but I’ve heard it’s a trifle light on numbers (as in few if any) and I’m willing to offer excellent odds that it keeps the deficit-burgeoning Bush tax cuts, encourages at-home drilling at the expense of our children’s environment for the enrichment of oil companies, and gives more fiscal benefits to employers than employees. Any takers?
