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 There Was No GOP ‘Victory’Posted on Feb 18, 2009By Joe Conason With President Obama’s signature affixed to the economic stimulus bill, his landmark victory can be put in proper political context. Regardless of that bill’s manifest imperfections and the messy legislative process, the new administration achieved a difficult objective on the tightest possible schedule. His Republican opponents congratulate themselves for remaining unified in defeat and whine about the president’s refusal to capitulate to them—but in fact it is they who have failed in the initial episode of a confrontation that will certainly continue for the coming four years. It is impossible to understand what happened in Washington and the nation over the past few weeks without recognizing that the stimulus is historic in size and scope. Even if the spending plans ought to have been even larger, as many economists advocated, this $787 billion package represents an enormous departure from the conservative ideology (if not the actual fiscal practice) that has ruled American politics over the past three decades. Overcoming the strong institutional bias against deficit spending on this scale is an accomplishment, even in the current climate of fear. The false notion that government should never spend more than it collects in revenue still exerts a powerful influence on the minds of voters—and was reinforced by misinformed media commentary throughout the debate over the stimulus. Entering the Oval Office, Obama established a daunting and somewhat contradictory set of priorities for himself. He promised to remake the American economy even as he tried to revive it, with green jobs, better health care and improved schools. Economic conditions grew increasingly dire as he and his newly assembled team tried to create a plan to reverse the deflating spiral of dread and despair. At the same time, he also vowed to break the partisan deadlock in Washington by reaching out to the Republican opposition with respect and friendship. Many members of his own party doubted the wisdom of that course, knowing that the embittered minority was unlikely to respond in kind—and of course it didn’t. But had the president rolled over the Republicans from the beginning, he would rightly have been blamed for violating the trust he had earned during the campaign among independents and at least some Republicans. Advertisement Nearly every poll now says that Obama’s popularity and approval ratings remain at extraordinary levels. Just as important, he has displayed the capacity to persuade the public that his policies deserve support, as he did when he finally began to campaign on behalf of the stimulus last week. The latest Gallup survey shows that support for the stimulus rose markedly among Democrats and stabilized among both independents and Republicans as soon as he started speaking out forcefully. Not only did the president win the debate over his bill, but he also rebutted the Republican argument for mostly tax cuts instead of spending, according to Gallup’s Feb. 9 poll. By 50 percent to 42 percent, most Americans believe that government spending will do more to spur economic growth than tax cuts—a stunning repudiation of conservative ideology. Although Republicans tend to prefer tax cuts by wide margins, Democrats remain convinced that spending works better and, ominously for the right, so do independents, by a margin of 50 percent to 36 percent. The Republicans slapped themselves on the back for denying the president a single vote in the House of Representatives, but the basic fact is that they could not come close to sustaining a Senate filibuster against this bill. Underlying that reality is the emptiness of their fiscal rhetoric and the paucity of their ideas. In major states such as Florida and California, their own GOP governors have spoken out in favor of the stimulus because the party has no program beyond tax cuts for the wealthy. So the approval ratings of the Republican Party and the congressional minority declined during this struggle, while the ratings of the Democrats and the congressional leadership improved, despite their uneven performance. Those numbers should bolster the determination of the president and his party to push ahead—and to push back when they meet obstruction, as they inevitably will. Joe Conason writes for The New York Observer. © 2009 Creators Syndicate Inc. CommentsAre you a Truthdig member yet? Login now, or register with Truthdig. Add Your Comment |
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By purplewolf, February 24, 2009 at 5:00 pm #
Ariel:Toyota already pays it’s auto factory workers in the south more per hour that the UAW workers in the auto factories in the north-fact. So go ahead and pay us at the same level Toyota does.
Sam: the Republicans(republicant’s) have given us:
1.the largest debt since Ronald Reagan
2.dumbed down our population
3.taken scientific fact and buried it
4.are taking this country to the dark ages
5.merging church and state
6.they take from the poor and give it to the overly rich-the haves and the have mores
7.hastened the ruination of the environment by letting more pollutants from big business
8.started the export of good paying jobs to countries with cheaper labor
9.lied us into illegal wars
10.underminded the Constitution, Bill of Rights and abused power
11.funded corporate welfare
12. squandered over 4 billion dollars a week just in Iraq
13.brought back torture of people they deem guilty without the right to know the charges against them
14.put America into debt by borrowing money from other counties to fund illegal wars
15. hired sub-standard contractors(Haliburton-KBR) in no bid contracts to steal billions of dollars for unsafe construction in Iraq and other places
16.encouraged religious fairytales and erased proven actual knowledge from school lessons
17. rewarded the greedy on the backs of the needy
18. allowed medical care cost to sky-rocket to the point people cannot afford health care coverage and they state that health care is not a right of all American, only for those who can pay the unrealistic cost of insurance today.
19. keep pushing for more tax cuts for the super rich in the lie that it creates jobs, when they know it does not
20. all politicians lie, but the Republican party has honed it to a fine art, even when they finally admit they have lied, they continue on with the same lies anyway
This is just a start. Everybody feel free to continue to add to the list.
Report thisBy SamSnedegar, February 23, 2009 at 10:47 am #
What IS a Republican? well, he’s against abortion, against stem cell research, against government intervention in corporate matters, against entitlements, against democrat pork, against stimulus, against bailouts of auto companies, against universal health care, against social security reform (they want to destroy it along with any and all entitlements, even including a GI bill for recent vets), i.e. against all things that a government can do for its people.
What then are they FOR?
If you find out, let me know. They may want to do something about immigration and off shore drilling, but they have yet to say exactly what they would do if they could do something.
By the way, you ought to revisit the “contract on America” that Gingrinch read from the steps of the Capitol: it had everything to do with Congress and NOTHING to do with the people, i.e. it was contrived to eliminate Democrats and their excesses while in control of the Congress for 40 years.
Report thisBy Ariel, February 23, 2009 at 3:24 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
message for Bud;
No, we would NOT be better off if the south had won the civil war. The real reason we are in the helluva mess we’re in is that THEY ARE STILL FIGHTING IT!
It is terribly unseemly for the slave state senators to DEMAND that UAW auto workers lower their wages to southern state wage rates. And it is doubly so to observe their behavior vis a vis President Obama.
Out of the goodness of his heart, Obama welcomed them with respect and with the open hand of friendship, they not only met him with clenched fists, but with the big middle finger.
The Republican motto is now: COUNTRY FIRST, MY ASS!
I thank God every day that the North won the civil war, that the Liberals won the Revollutionary War, that the Allies won WWII, and that Obama won the 2008 Election. There are times in our history when God has truly blessed America.
Report thisBy Bud, February 22, 2009 at 4:10 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
By observing what has transpired the past couple of weeks,I have serious concerns about the mental stability,and the psychological deficienty being displayed by southern republican politicians.The United States of America probably would have been better off if the south had won the civil war!!!
Report thisBy Paul_GA, February 22, 2009 at 9:11 am #
That’s a good comment by Ariel, all right, but I think it should go for either party in power, not just the far-right Repubs. The two American major parties are part of the problem, and neither is part of the solution.
Report thisBy BigIslandDave, February 22, 2009 at 4:49 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
Radio host Mike Malloy put it well:
The Republican Party is a terrorist group, and it must be destroyed.
Period.
Report thisBy cyrena, February 22, 2009 at 4:30 am #
OK ocjim,
I see that now. Thanks Ariel. You definitely have a way with words.
Report thisBy purplewolf, February 22, 2009 at 4:23 am #
Mike U: Don’t forget the gold that is no longer in Fort Knox. Bushco squandered that long ago too. Why else would they refuse to allow the public, or anyone in authority outside their inner circle of criminals, see the vaults. They are empty, that’s why, then they raided social security to help the rich get richer.
Time to reinstate all those tax cuts the rich have had. They have had 8 years plus to create jobs and the non-existent trickle down b.s. the repugs have spouted since the days of R.R. It never worked, so take that money back, with interest at least, and put that money to use for things we need in this country, like starting to fix the infrastructure by hiring U.S. citizens who need a job, who know how to do the work.
As the comment says, “America, love it or leave it”. It has been more than obvious by the lack of action and commitment to America and its citizens, that the Republican party has never really liked, let alone loved America, as they have been doing their damnedest to destroy it. Now it is time for them all to go somewhere else where they can bring a different country to it’s knees with their expertise of nation building and financial irresponsibility.
Report thisNow begone all you repugs and your little GOPers followers too!
By ocjim, February 21, 2009 at 9:53 pm #
Actually Ariel’s last comments reminds me one of Burt Lancaster’s rants to the “big-tent” audience in “Elmer Gantry”
Report thisBy ocjim, February 21, 2009 at 9:49 pm #
Cyrena,
I wish I had said it.
I love it too but it was Ariel who said it.
Report thisBy cyrena, February 21, 2009 at 8:52 pm #
We have to pester them—plague and annoy them—trouble and vex them—irritate and displease them—disdain their authority—scorn and contempt them—shame the shameless hucskters—agitate and shock them—mock and mimic them—ridicule and jeer them—refuse to revere them—question and repudiate their ‘authority’—reject their presumption and arrogance—stymie and hinder them—impede, thwart, frustrate and baffle them. Te he he.
~~~~
I love this ocjim….
Report thisBy ocjim, February 21, 2009 at 5:59 pm #
“The false notion that government should never spend more than it collects in revenue still exerts a powerful influence on the minds of voters—and was reinforced by misinformed media commentary throughout the debate over the stimulus.”
Do we forget the obscene spending, idiotic war and inane tax cuts for the rich that begat massive deficits after the Clinton surplus. If we had to overcome deficit spending as Joe mentioned, didn’t we already do it with the profligacy of Bush.
I have to believe that Joe is talking about Keysian fiscal policy which arises from reason and planning rather than the bungled mess propagated by the neocons and Bush.
Report thisBy godistwaddle, February 21, 2009 at 1:49 pm #
If there’d been a GOP victory, wouldn’t we be bombing innocents somewhere?
Report thisBy Ariel, February 21, 2009 at 2:38 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
EARTH to FAR RIGHT OUT OF TOUCH WITH REALITY GALAXY
I called john the boner’s (Boehner) congressional office last week—after his tantrum on the floor of the House—I said: “What PLANET does he live on?” Obviously, I couldn’t get a rational answer, so I had to figure it out for myself—He and the entire Republican Crime Syndicate live in lala land—I located it on a sky map—the FAR RIGHT OUT OF TOUCH WITH REALITY GALAXY! groovy.
Then I went to see my (R) congressional representative at what I thought was to be a public meeting—but no, these cowards can’t stand up there and face the people—it was for ‘private conferences’—I said to someone who was waiting there:” If he can’t vote for the people in the Congress, what the hell can he do for you here?”
We have to pester them—plague and annoy them—trouble and vex them—irritate and displease them—disdain their authority—scorn and contempt them—shame the shameless hucskters—agitate and shock them—mock and mimic them—ridicule and jeer them—refuse to revere them—question and repudiate their ‘authority’—reject their presumption and arrogance—stymie and hinder them—impede, thwart, frustrate and baffle them. Te he he.
Report thisBy Mike U., February 21, 2009 at 1:35 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
Let’s set the record straight: In 8 years Bush pissed away nearly $5 trillion on tax breaks for the rich and his war in Iraq. Most was ‘off budget’ so it didn’t show up as part of the annual deficit. If it was part of the budget, which I believe it should have been, the deficit would have been close to 1 trillion dollars per year of Bush’s presidency. He hid some of that by raiding the Social Security Trust Fund of $2.366 trillion. Truth time folks: THERE IS NO MONEY IN THE SOCIAL SECURITY TRUST FUND! It has all been siphoned off to the General Fund and was used to pay for the Bush tax breaks of 2001 through 2006 and to hide the true deficit!
As a writer “mike kohr, February 20 at 6:53 am” pointed out, Bush ran up the National Debt to $10.8 trillion while putting us in the worst recession in better than a half century. Where were the Republican to cry for ‘fiscal responsibility’ during the 8 years Bush was spending worse than any drunken sailor? The Republicans, in control of both Houses and the Presidency ran this country into the worst fiscal hole this nation have ever been in. Now they want us to believe they are the watchdogs of our economy? Suddenly, with Democrats in control of both Houses and the White House, they try to weave a new coat of fiscal responsibility. How dumb do they think the people are?
Obama is trying to undo that mess with a stimulus package of less than a trillion dollars over two years. Just think what he could do if he had $1 trillion PER YEAR to stimulate the economy.
Report thisBy Rodger Lemonde, February 20, 2009 at 6:49 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
The Republicans seem to be suffering some sort of dementia. They even think they can tap hip hop for some fresh enthusiasm.
Report thisI can hardly wait to hear ” Run RNC”.
By AmiBlue, February 20, 2009 at 1:03 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
“Many members of his own party doubted the wisdom of that course”
It wasn’t his reaching out to the republicans that bothered us. His attention to the republicans simply overwhelmed his attention to the American people, where he should have been concentrating his energies and demonstrating his leadership. All he has to do is explain things to the people and provide the leadership. The repubs will follow as they are doing now by claiming credit for something they voted against.
Report thisBy mike kohr, February 20, 2009 at 11:53 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
When Reagan took office in 1981 the National debt was $930 Billion. When Bush II left office it had exploded to $10.8 TRILLION!
Clinton balanced the yearly budget after 3 years and paid DOWN the debt by approx. $587 billion. That means $10.4 Trillion of today’s debt has been racked up by the last three Republican presidents.
Reagan, Bush and Bush accomplished the impossible, they ran up unimaginable debt, destroyed our economy and killed our jobs, all at once.
Report thisBy Paul_GA, February 20, 2009 at 11:40 am #
If those dimwits really think they’ve “won” in some way, let them keep their illusions until the day their party dies of swallowing its own lies (per John Arbuthnot).
Report thisBy purplewolf, February 20, 2009 at 7:37 am #
Purple girl:That 0 tax on capital gains-Newt put that through in around 1997-or 98 there about and he doesn’t even remember that. Thank you Keith Olbermann for pointing it out Wednesday night on Countdown.
The repugs have shown everyone-no surprise here- they are the rabid dog that bites the hand that feeds them(just like Barney) and should be put down permanently.
Did we hear that many complaints when Bush rushed through that last bailout, without safeguards? The one where there was no accountability for that John McCain claims he shut down his campaign for to go to D.C. to help rush through, which he didn’t?
Report thisBy cyrena, February 20, 2009 at 6:30 am #
By Jason!!, February 19 at 7:41 pm #
cyrena,
that is a giant load of crap. Paul Allen will earn an additional 1 billion dollars from this bill. He is getting a whole lot of stimulus. How about you?
http://www.businessinsider.com/obama-stimulus-saves -microsoft-billionaire-hundreds-of-millions-phew-2009-2
i would call you a fraud, but the facts do that for me.
~~~
Hey Jason!!!!!!!!!
You’re new here. I’m not. I also haven’t written a single thing to warrant this attack from you, (you would call me a fraud”...)
So…
Back your ass off!!! YOU appear to be a load of crap yourself. Dump it somewhere else.
I don’t know Paul Allen. How or why do you?
Report thisBy Outraged, February 20, 2009 at 4:29 am #
I just wanted to say…. did you “get” the memo? The title was: “There Was No GOP ‘Victory’
I’d like to translate. They LOST…LOST…LOST and made themselves look like categorical IMBECILES in the process.
I could say that another way…. LOSE… LOSE….LOSE.
Or this way…., for the more tempestuous among us.., LOSERS… LOSERS… LOSERS.
Report thisBy squalidsquid, February 20, 2009 at 12:44 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
I always hated having such a high deficit under Raygun and both Bushes. The repubs threw a war party and never raised taxes to pay for it and then wall street blew it all BIG TIME! Now, the only way back is to borrow even more $$ to get us back in the game. I say, the rich repubs lost all our money, the ignorant repubs squandered all of americas good will so it’s time to PAY UP and give some back to the middle and lower classes. It’s payback time to all of the liberal thinkers who will have to bring us out of this royal mess. I hope the country remembers how much the repubs screwed-up and never gives them a chance again.
Report thisBy Jason!!, February 20, 2009 at 12:41 am #
cyrena,
that is a giant load of crap. Paul Allen will earn an additional 1 billion dollars from this bill. He is getting a whole lot of stimulus. How about you?
http://www.businessinsider.com/obama-stimulus-saves-microsoft-billionaire-hundreds-of-millions-phew-2009-2
i would call you a fraud, but the facts do that for me.
Report thisBy cyrena, February 20, 2009 at 12:00 am #
This is another great piece for Joe, though I’m not entirely sure that the majority of us are likely to note the most significant point of it, which has been the amazing amount of political bureaucracy that has been so well maneuvered by President Obama and his staff in producing something as historic as this stimulus bill.
I think there’s still a considerable percentage of the population who don’t have a clue to how bad things are - or when and specifically how we got to this point, or that we still don’t know the full dollar value of the financial industry collapse, as major frauds continue to be uncovered.
Nor do they have any clue as to the work required for this rescue operation that has needed to take place behind the scenes, and at what I’m sure has been a frantic and desperate pace, just to constantly adjust to the dynamics of the crises as it continues to unfold. I can only imagine that it’s been like trying to fly through a horrific storm in completely uncharted territory.
Better them then me trying to organize such a rescue project.
Report thisBy Jason!!, February 19, 2009 at 8:18 pm #
Lol. PurpleGirl.
You don’t understand it either
In fact, very few do. If you did, you would be very, very upset.
Monetary theory 101. In a fractional commerce, money is created from debt. Do you know what this means? In this bogus stim plan – we get the debt; others get filthy rich off the money created by the debt. You have just been robbed and you’re too blind to even realize it yet.
Confused? That’s how they like it.
Here is the best vid I could find that shows how money really works.
Report thishttp://www.truthinequity.com/Video/Banking.htm
By MaryT63, February 19, 2009 at 4:10 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
The gop continues to underestimate Obama and the people’s desire for change for the better at their own peril. Many times I thought Obama should have been a ‘fighter’ candidate against Hillary, then McCain. I wanted him to throw punch for punch, but he didn’t. He stayed focused on the ball, the prize while his opponents fizzled out. Currently, his eye is on getting USA back on its feet. The gop & the MSM, all are noise in the background for him. He is coming out as a winner.
Report thisObama and many writers, blogs are well aware of how the MSM is carrying the water for the repubs. The gop and DC pundits seem out of touch with how the majority of the people are feeling and thinking about their slice of the American pie. They have only crumbs left and they are pissed off. The people know intuitively that the gop did this to them. So no amount lying, mis/disinformation is going to change that feeling.
By Purple Girl, February 19, 2009 at 10:41 am #
Repugs couldn’t understand the Stim bill because it was over 2 1/2 pages and not written in crayon!
Report thisIt is infuriating that when it comes to ANY money to US or the states these SOB’s can’t squeak a dime out of OUR own pockets!
The Repugs Screwed the Bill by demanding Tax cuts, we don’t need, nor benefit the country. Their circular Illogic never ceases to amaze me. My income has been cut in half- so my tax bracket is lower. I could loss my home- so property tax wouldn’t be a problem.Between those depletions to the tax revenue, along with more people on Unemployement and needing public service assistance, the deficit is only compounded!
Are they retarded or just putting the last stake in our heart to assure we are in the last throes of economic Demise! Now the Newt has the audacity to talk about 0 tax on Capital Gains- what damn Gains? Our annuities and pensions are caught in the Boo Woo-O- meter of Wall street. Honestly they need to shut down Wall street on days the Admin is talking to the Adults of this country- Damn Fiancial sectors Temper tantrums are pissing me off! close them down- that’ll give them something to really cry about- along with sparing our Hostage held accounts.
Frankly the Repugs have proven they still don the RED COAT of Royal Loyals.That utter embarrassment Rep from MN Dared cry we are losing Rich people!She’s lucky their only losing numbers from Economic disaster, and not the other ways those of US who’ve been screwed by them would prefer!I’d like to see many of them Srung up for Economic Treason, along with their co conspirators in Congress!
By coloradokarl, February 19, 2009 at 6:19 am #
As I gladly give my 50 cent (or what ever it is) per cigarette pack tax increase to the children for some needed medical benefits. I would gladly give up my $12.00 per week paycheck increase to loan 2-3 hundred thousand bright, new and “Green” business plans seed money. Many, many people are $50,000 away from living their own version of the American dream. I am going to save my tax cut money in five dollar bills and dole them out at Christmas to the homeless with stickers covering Lincoln,s head that say: “EAT ME !”
Report this