From TPM:
The same old story happens again and again. Dems in the House pass reasonable legislation, and Senate Dems dicker with centrists and Republicans over "compromises," weakening the legislation step by step over many weeks, only to find zero Republican support in the end.
The public has no idea what is going on, and just blames Democrats, who appear to be in charge in DC. Now it is happening gain with vital public spending for national economy recovery -- state aid, unemployment relief, and adjustments in taxes and Medicare payments. This legislation is not just important to this or that group. It matters for keeping any semblance of national economic growth going, for creating and saving hundreds of thousands of jobs.
The President, Congressional leaders, and Democrats of all stripes should be yelling day in, day out, that REPUBLICANS ARE SABOTAGING NATIONAL ECONOMIC RECOVERY. AND PREVENTING JOB GROWTH, JUST FOR POLITICAL ADVANTAGE. That should be the message all the time, led by the President. Stop the murky compromises and the whining about "helping the unemployed." Stop pretending this is about the deficit -- nothing will hurt the deficit more than delayed economic growth. Say what it happening in terms of the national interest.
Republicans have figured out that if they undercut economic recovery and increase unemployment rates, they will gain in the 2010 elections -- and probably have a much better shot in 2012. They want to repeat the old cycle: Republicans undercut the economy and run up debt to pay for reckless wars and upper class tax cuts, then hand the mess to Democrats just long enough for them to take a few small steps and get the blame, then Republicans get back in office as the economy recovers. Repeat same recipe after that. It works! So why should they stop doing it?
This is nothing new to those of us who have been paying attention to politics for the last twenty years or so, which makes it all the more frustrating to watch it playing out again right in front of us as we stand by helplessly.
Obviously there is fault on both sides, but at least the Democrats actually DO things to solve the problems of our country. The Republicans do virtually NOTHING constructive, yet know how to use deep seated fear of change, and even deeper prejudices, to energize their base and convince the undecideds to vote against their best interests .The GOP trick is to simply speak of national pride and family values, while fanning the flames of hate toward some easily vilified group, whether it be the pro-choice people, the undocumented workers, the gays, or some other as yet unidentified minority.
You would think that after eight years of Republican leadership leading to the virtual collapse of our economy, two wars, removal of oversights that have resulted in financial collapse and devastating oil spills, and the destruction of our reputation around the world, that people would walk away from the Republican party in droves, but they haven't!
And they won't!
Not as long as there are so many people tuning into Fox News for their information, or listening to right wing talk radio to help form their opinions. Everyday they are bombarded with lies that the Democrats want to take away their freedoms and misinformation about how "common sense" approaches are all we need to solve the complex problems facing our nation today. And they swallow it by the heaping spoonful because it is sweetened with a candy coating of national pride and patriotic chocolate sprinkles.
No wonder our nation is over weight and under educated.
Absolutely, totally agree. I have a running (not-so-nice) conversation with my TV as I watch this unfold day after day. Coming from a long line of devoted R's who don't fit the R mold in any way, shape or form makes it even more frustrating. They just don't want to get it, even when this obvious stuff is brought to their attention and they agree on many points!!
ReplyDeletewow my words ALMOST exactly! I think TPM reads my little blog! LOL
ReplyDeleteThis is so right on and we all are letting it happen again and again. When will we as a nation WISE UP to the rights antics?? When we are in total collapse??
Great post Gryphen!
ReplyDeleteI hope that the Independent voters are paying close attention. I think they very well may be, they're just like most of us, out of work and desperate for a job. Hopefully this time it will backfire on the GOP. I also agree that the Democrats need to be out there screaming at the top of their lungs about this! If this bill does not pass, it won't be recession time, it will be a full blown Depression! At least back during the first Depression, they created the safety nets that don't exist anymore. People were not as hateful when it came to helping each other out. They even had soup kitchens and bread lines. I had tried to get food from a food bank back in November for my family and, while I appreciate all and any help I can get, they made me feel as though I were begging. I think part of it is that I am now stuck in the South. The last time I needed any help of that kind was after the Reagan Recession had kicked in and I was living in the North East where in my experience, people are nicer and more helpful.
Lets hope and pray they get this bill past quickly. My spouse and I both collect unemployment. Neither one of us has gotten a check in 3 weeks now and the rent is due. If something doesn't happen pretty quick, my family and I will have to find a tarp of some kind and move to Tent City.
Not everyone is stupid enough to fall for it. I think Republicans think they're going to glide to victory in November, but they're picking such cuckoo candidates...well, I think Harry Reid for one should thank them...
ReplyDeleteThey are doing what they can to sabotage the economy. But I wouldn't put much stock in the plans. Republicans seem especially apt at failing...
Were the republicans upset with the President, saying he was apologizing for America's sins against other country. Sins the Republicans had created with their Greed. Now the Republicans are apologizing to a foreign company because that company destroyed our gulf, put Americans out of a living, and virually destroy our ecomomy for years to come. I hear Bin Laden is kicking himself in the butt for not buying BP stock. He could claim he destroyed American and got paid for it. Which leads me to ask, "Are the Republicans paling around with terrorist"?
ReplyDeleteThe dims are shouting it is just that 90% of Sarah's blame stream media is the Republican Party's whore.
ReplyDeleteIf I only read the most available two or three of the news papers printed in the NE Virginia areas I would never see a single positive word spoken about Obama or the work Democrats are doing to try to keep our economy afloat.
There is not even a pretension at balanced news coverage.
That is what is so wrong about the internrt off switch that Congress (damn them) just passed. Put a Bushie back in power and do nothing while another 9/11 happens and there would instantly be no actual news it would all be Goebbles/Stalin/Rove propaganda 24/7.
don't worry those folks in the middle east that hate America. the GOP can destroy America for you cant they.
ReplyDeleteI think the whole tea party motivated swing to the right will damage them terribly this year IF the dems use their balls and play the far right extreme views against them. I think or hope that Angle and Paul are generally abhorrent to moderate types, although they will inevitably swing back to the centre, I hope that the campaigns go well enough that people are not convinced by the fake swing back to centre.
ReplyDeleteIt is pleasing to know that the very movement they embraced in order to further humiliate the adminstratiom may well be their undoing. Candidates that think the government is going to far by enforcing regulations like poisons labelling would not surprise me it has gotten so insane! These people think that the 'free market' will sort out the companies that kill their workers to save money or kill consumers because they do not adhere to public safety. I guess the implication being that since it's not their dad or brother or husband or sister dying in the west virginia mine then it is a triumph of the free market that regulations were so lax and not even adhered to!
I hope Harry Reid implements a killer campaign on the bat shit nuts horrible woman that thinks he needs a 'second amendment solution'! How is this woman an actual serious contender for such high office!? Someone that makes decisions that result in repurcussions for the entire world!? As much as I believe most senators are bought by corporations and have criticisms of mr Reid and his deliberate rejection of the public option support, he showed some courage in continuing to pursue HC reform which he knew was deeply unpopular in his home state and very likely to cost him his job.
Democratic voters ought to be kicking the asses of the dickerers every day of their lives.
ReplyDeleteEvery single day. If I had a Begich for Senator he and his staff would never lay their heads on the pillow at night without hearing from me.
You know the dickerers will ALL do what their masters tell them to do.
Make them know they will pay for betraying the voters.
The only way the Party of No will prevail is if the Democrats fail to run nonstop campaigns using the Party of No's nonsensical and destructive positions against them--and Democrats vote in each election. We should also weed out the Blue Dog Democrats who are the enablers of this destructiveness.
ReplyDeleteAfter being burned badly by GW, there is simply no excuse for Americans to continue voting in cretins who care nothing about any of us, and who have a vested interest in making and/or keeping the populace poor and ignorant.