TJP

Republicans Mantra: No we can’t

Byron A. Ellis – February 07, 2009

President Obama is absolutely correct; a stimulus is a spending bill. And, when the Republicans say that parts of the bill is not a stimulus, either they do not understand fiscal policy or they are deliberately misleading the public.

But, why would the public listen to the “No we can’t” Republicans? They had eight years of governance and failed miserable at home and abroad.

Their strategy is to create fear and discord among the population. Obama’s strategy is to create unity and hope in a better future.

Clearly, the GOP does not want Obama and the Democrats and hence the American economy to succeed.

They understand that successful governance by the Democrats will render the Republican Party more irrelevant than it is today. Therefore, they attempted to take advantage of President Obama’s good will and bipartisan spirit by artificially parsing the fiscal spending in to non stimulus and stimulus.

However, President Obama is a quick learner and recognized that the Republicans were not acting in good faith or in the best interest of Americans.

The Republicans are acting as if the electorate did not reject their failed policies.

McCain, for instance, argues that $50 million in funding for the National Endowment of the Arts (NEA) would not create significant jobs. Perhaps, he assumes that the NEA would bury the funding and not use it. But, even if they did not use it, if it was in a bank, it would be available for loans and for circulation in the economy. Of course, this is the same guy that argued for a gas tax holiday.

McCain does not want the stimulus bill to be labeled as bipartisan. And, that is good, let the Democrats get all the credit for turning the economy around.

McCain, however, is not alone. Other Republicans, such as Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, chair of the Republican Governors Association, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, Texas Gov. Rick Perry and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin also are against the proposed economic recovery bill.

Clearly, it appears that the Republican strategy is to punish Americans and the rest of the world with high levels of unemployment. And, the ideologically bankrupt Russ Limbaugh has confirmed this. He believes that the best Republican strategy for winning the upcoming elections is to prevent Obama and the democrats from benefiting the American public with increase job opportunities.

On the other side of the Republican fear spectrum is former Vice President Cheney, who is attempting to revive Bush-era scare tactics. Do these guys know that Americans voted for CHANGE?

Post Comment

SAVE DARFUR