Thursday, July 26, 2012

How the Republicans purposefully sabotaged the Recovery.

Click here for more about this book,.
Courtesy of Foreign Policy:  

Imagine, for a moment, how difficult it would have been to land a man on the moon if half of the U.S. Congress had believed that the sun revolved around the earth. Or consider how the War in the Pacific might have progressed if half of Congress had still thought the world was flat. Or whether polio would have been eradicated if half of Congress insisted that the best cure was bleeding using leeches. Unfortunately, this was the situation the United States in January 2009, when Barack Obama assumed the presidency. The nation was trying to climb out of the deepest economic hole since the Great Depression, but the Republican Party had about as scientific an approach to the economy as medieval alchemists did to the periodic table. 

Sometimes, mistaken ideas can be harmless or even humorous. But in a crisis, they can be downright dangerous. By the time Obama took office, Lehman Brothers had failed, and the Treasury was already trying to prop up banks and other financial institutions to prevent a complete collapse of the economy. In addition, the nation had undergone a tremendous fiscal transformation. Back in 2000, the United States had expected to rack up more than $4 trillion in budgetary surpluses over the coming eight years, but the Bush administration enacted tax cuts that brought the tax burden for upper-income Americans down to the lowest levels since the 1940s. These cuts, combined with two expensive wars and a short recession, sent the nation into deep deficits. The new president faced an enormous task to revive the economy -- one that he could not complete without Congress's help. Together, they would have to protect Americans from a prolonged economic slump while attempting to chart a course toward a more fiscally responsible future. 

Not everyone in Congress was in a mood to cooperate. Stung by their electoral defeats and facing Democratic domination of both houses, the Republicans did everything they could to slow the new president's agenda, from filibusters and procedural votes to delayed appointments and partisan bickering. Clearly, the election campaigns of 2010 and 2012 had already begun, and Republicans were determined to stop the new president from keeping his promises. But in the early days of the financial crisis that began in September 2008, the Republicans knew that they had to seem like they were doing something about the economy, too. 

So when Obama cast himself as a compromiser ready to temper the legislative proposals of the Democrats in Congress, the Republicans got whatever they could from him -- often while Obama's supporters cried foul -- and made sure to water down his proposals as well. It started with the first stimulus package. In January 2009, Obama announced his proposal for a combination of tax cuts and new spending worth $825 billion over the coming decade, including more than half a trillion dollars in the first two years. By this point, the value of the economy's annual output of goods and services had already shrunk by about five percent, adjusted for changes in prices, since its peak in the fourth quarter of 2007. This was a big hole to fill, easily worth half a trillion dollars a year. The stimulus wouldn't replace all that had been lost, but it might prevent a bad situation from lasting longer and getting worse. 

There is much more at the link, and I encourage you to read it. 

If you are anything like me, by the end you will be spitting nails and ready to punch the next Republican politician you see right in the face.

The thing that pisses me off (Almost as much as how traitorous these assholes are, and how ready they were to destroy the economy in order to retain political power.), is that they keep using the fact that Obama did not keep his promise to fix the economy against him in both Republican surrogate talking points and Romney political ads..

They have done EVERYTHING in their power to stop him while complaining to the American people that he has not repaired the economic damage, that THEIR last president caused, fast enough!

They also accuse him of being "the most partisan President in years" when in fact Obama did everything but offer to shine their shoes and drive their kids to school in order to strike a compromise in the early negotiations. They played him for a fool because he expected them to actually care about the country. I know, what an idiot!

If President Obama has a major fault it is that he trusted too much.

Not any more. Now he knows better. 

The only question is, do the America people know better?

21 comments:

  1. Anonymous4:08 AM

    The republicans are traitors to our country. They hate President Obama more than they love our country. They want to see America fail. It's treason and I wouldn't mind seeing them all in prison for it. That's where traitors belong. Some might even say they deserve the death penalty, but I'd rather see them rot away behind bars.

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  2. Anonymous4:34 AM

    Given the enormous problems facing this country in January 2009 which were the result of a failed Republican Administration, the behavior of Congressional Republicans has been nothing short of treasonous. And they are still at it.
    Beaglemom

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  3. Anonymous4:51 AM

    Yes we do, and yes we can elect a progressive Congress that will save this country from the GOP! And we must!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous5:13 AM

    Based on a recent conversation with an otherwise intelligent friend, Gryph, I'd have to say no. The President is, was, and always will be [to her] the enemy of the country. Sad.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous5:16 AM

    Yes I think the American people do know better. Just hearing the combative radio shows, the Limbaughs, etc. and Fox News propaganda and bias against this President, it is pretty clear they are using tactics and not sound logic to make their political points.

    The Republican machine in the past 4 years has shown an underbelly of wickedness that has not been seen before. And the conservative media use juvenile arguments to drag down anything to do with this Administration. There is no rationale, no reason in their attacks. And when they speak, they shout with uncontrolled anger/their shaking and their faces are practically red. It's a sight, no doubt, that the African-American community have not seen since the early anti-racial/segregation days.

    I pray that this anger and hateful rhetoric stops and people see that they can't depend on nightly news to inform them or join ranks with the mouths that speak prideful swelling words, yet would bring the whole country down because of hate, and disparage good men who try to do what's right in face of harsh realities.

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  6. London Bridges5:20 AM

    Also, too, if you are a Repugnant businessman, keep all hiring to a minimum until after the 2012 elections.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous5:31 AM

    The author of this post is an anti-American treasonous traitor and Marxist tool for destruction. Anyone who could possible vote for Obama is incontinent beyond belief. Stupid venal, vapid closed minded of Obama better wake up and see how he has been even worse than Bush with spending and deception. No Obama come 2012, end of story. We're independent so don;t even try the GOP bs.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous7:07 AM

      All propaganda. Please inform yourself before your ignorant and brainwashed views ruin our country.

      http://www.tnr.com/blog/jonathan-chait/87388/the-mythical-obama-spending-binge

      http://articles.marketwatch.com/2012-05-22/commentary/31802270_1_spending-federal-budget-drunken-sailor

      Delete
    2. Anonymous7:10 AM

      Do you even KNOW what Marxist is? Get your ass back to middle school and leave the discussion to the grownups.

      Oh and the President will win re-election because as a former Republican I can assure you Romney can't win without us and our ranks grow daily. So take your treasonous political Fascism and shove it up where the sun don't shine.

      Delete
    3. "Anyone who could possible vote for Obama is incontinent beyond belief."
      ----------------------
      What do political viewpoints have to do with bladder control? And that wasn't even the stupidest part of your fact-free ungrammatical drivel.

      Delete
  8. Anonymous5:31 AM

    Argh... I don't even talk to my republican relatives about politics anymore. It's just not worth the aggravation. My kids have had to block my brother-in-law
    on Facebook to stop him from posting his racism.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous5:33 AM

    And, I might add, let's not forget the biggest traitor of them all - John McCain! Right behind him is the press whose failure to expose Sarah Palin is a group treason. TOUGH WORDS? You Betcha

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  10. angela5:37 AM

    Actually, the majority of Americans recognize that the GOP has been trying to destroy the economy to unseat the President. The republicans want Mitt in so he will be there when the economy rights itself after having done nothing to help it. You know 'cause if its something good it is only good for the previous president if he was GOP. If he was a Dem and saved the world the can eat shit. You know how they wanted to say Bush was responsible for getting Bin Laden two years after his presidency ended? Of course, if Romney somehow steals the election the meme will be President Obama did nothing.

    Then Mitt can help them destroy the economy again and use the coffers as their own personal ATM for billionaires.

    Mostly we only hear from the whiners (teabaggers, GOP congresspeople,
    and the media arm of the GOP--FAUX, CNN) about the economy that they are happy to let go in the toilet--for now.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous5:46 AM

    I think that the Republican strategy was to take advantage of President Obama's lifelong reach for consensus and willingness to compromise. Remember that he has always had to straddle two worlds because of his parentage. Imagine how he must have tried to please all people as a young child. Imagine how difficult he found life in Indonesia where he was really seen as an outsider. Moving to Hawaii and growing up there, where so many people are of mixed race, was the best possible place for him at the time. The Republicans had used Bill Clinton's foibles against him (anything in skirts) and they saw President Obama's good quality of being willing to compromise as a weakness and pushed for all they were worth. Despicable on the part of the Republicans. It simply shows how little they care for the country whose flag they drape themselves in every election cycle.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous6:10 AM

    I actually read this book a couple of months ago. The Tea Party Freshmen of 2010 are idealogical slaves to their constituents who actually went to town hall meetings and voted in GOP primaries. They are as ignorant as the yokels they represent. Even John Boehner knows this, and his power has been neutered as a result.

    Unfortunately with redistricting the same morons will continue to elect the same obstructionists.

    The book attempts (and succeeds) in painting these partisan congressmen/women as human idealists, as misguided and uninformed as they are.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:14 AM

      My state of Utah would be an example of this. Tea Partiers Mike Lee and Jason Chaffetz claimed right from the start that their agenda was to fight the government at every turn. They see "the government" as the enemy. They see participation in this gridlock as a fulfillment of their campaigh promises. Oh yeah, they're crazy.

      Delete
  13. Anonymous6:59 AM

    I believe Mitt won't release his returns because the Mormons will find out he has NOT been tithing his fair 10%

    cheap axx that he is

    ReplyDelete
  14. "The only question is, do the America people know better?"

    Some. I harbor little hope that the majority of American people will ever take it upon themselves to endeavor to seek the truth. That takes work and distracts from "Jersey Shore." We live in an era of sound bytes and a 24 hour news cycle. The Dems best get better at fighting fire with fire.

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  15. Anonymous7:25 AM

    The Republicans are a disgrace to this nation. When President Obama assumed office they deliberately and intentionally set out to undermine his presidency. They voted NO to anything and everything President Obama.

    Their sole purpose was to defeat the president at any cost no matter what the consequences. These mindless morons acted in unison and did not care about what was best for this country or its citizens.

    They are a disgusting pack of slobbering idiots who have no integrity, no morals, no decency and are robbing the American people of any fair, honest and just representation.

    Their hatred for President Obama is outrageous.
    Their only goal is to undermine the president no matter what the cost. They will lie, cheat, steal and obstruct justice because they can.

    Unfortunately, there are many citizens of this country who do not see anything wrong with the republicans tactics because they hate the fact that a black man is president. It was increasingly clear that racism and hate was a factor in their opposition.

    Then there are others who are low information mouth breathers whose sole news comes from Fox, Limbaugh and others like them. They are basically indoctrinated and believe what they hear and see.

    It seems as if the increasingly accepted form of degrading, demeaning and disgusting outpouring of HATE against President Obama has become acceptable and the norm.

    The rabid right wing "religious pastors" proudly present their handiwork of hanging the president in effigy, shooting him, degrading him and the First Lady-and much too much more-with no thought of it being unchristian at all. They are fueled with Hate and Racism that is out of control.

    Thanks to the Republicans, Hate has become a legitimate form of expression towards President Obama.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Anonymous8:31 AM

    Get the vote out for President Obama. We must have a large turnout. If you know any Pres Obama supporters who are not registered help them.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Anonymous8:42 PM

    I'm a Republican Congressman.

    Tonight I'm going to set my house on fire. Before the fire trucks arrive, I'm going to barricade my street so they can't reach me. Then, when they finally push enough of the barricades aside to get past them, I'm going to cut their fire hoses, slash their firetruck tires and turn off the water to the fire hydrants.

    Tomorrow I'm going to go on the tv news and complain that they didn't put out the fire fast enough and they haven't already completely rebuilt my house.

    I'm a Republican Congressman.

    ReplyDelete

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