By voting en masse last week against the stimulus package in the House of Representatives, House Republicans have put ideology and partisanship ahead of country. The United States, as well as most of the world, is facing a very severe economic crisis that is rapidly becoming worse. The House Republicans not only have no alternative to the stimulus package other than propose more tax cuts for their favored constituents. They act as if the repudiation of the Republican Party’s leadership did not occur in the election of 2008. Yet, the House Republican leadership is wearing the same ideological blinders that were in large part responsible for their shrinkage in numbers over the past two elections. Their response to the economic crisis is to promote gridlock in Washington.Frank Rich summed it up in yesterday’s New York Times:
The crisis is at least as grave as the one that confronted us — and, for a time, united us — after 9/11. Which is why the antics among Republicans on Capitol Hill seem so surreal. These are the same politicians who only yesterday smeared the patriotism of any dissenters from Bush’s “war on terror.” Where is their own patriotism now that economic terror is inflicting far more harm on their constituents than Saddam Hussein’s nonexistent W.M.D.?
The House stimulus bill is an inevitably imperfect hodgepodge-in-progress. Obama’s next move, a new plan to prevent the collapse of America’s banks, may prove more problematic still, especially given the subpar record of the new Treasury secretary, Timothy Geithner, in warding off calamity while at the New York Fed. No one should expect the Republicans to give the new president carte blanche, fall blindly into lock step or be “post-partisan.” (Though that’s exactly what the G.O.P. demanded of Democrats with Bush: You were either with him or with the terrorists.)
But you might think that a loyal opposition would want to pitch in and play a serious role at a time of national peril. Not by singing “Kumbaya” but by collaborating on possible solutions and advancing a policy debate that many Americans’ lives depend on. As Raymond Moley, of F.D.R.’s brain trust, said of the cross-party effort at the harrowing start of that presidency in March 1933, Hoover and Roosevelt acolytes “had forgotten to be Republicans or Democrats” as they urgently tried to rescue their country.
The current G.O.P. acts as if it — and we — have all the time in the world….
1 comment:
It was the Republicans and 11 DEMOCRATS that voted for the country instead of ideology. Remember, this is the same GOP that supported Bush's big bailouts. But Obama is asking for too much and is paying back too many special interests at once. This pork does nothing but buy votes and empower government. Remember, Obama still has to put forth his regular budget in October, ON TOP of this bill. I've read this bill. Its nothing but the New Deal re-enacted. And the New Deal was a factor in keeping the Great Depression going for years by taking away people and money from the private sector.
If Obama was serious about revving this economy, he would use free market principles. Since those haven't been tried YET, including the recent housing bubble and bailouts, lets see how those work. Perhaps the GOP would support it if Obama and the Democrats in Congress would pay more than lip service to bi-partisanship. Their idea of "bi-partisianship"is for the GOP to forgo their principles and do it Obama's way.
We felt that the Democrats were supporting the terrorists because the Democrats talking points and agenda actually DID help the terrorists. They put party in front of country. Just like now.
If this is such a good idea, then the Democrats should go ahead and pass it. They have the majority.
They don't need GOP cover. And if it fails, its their fault. And if it works, then THEY get the credit.
But I think they know that it won't work. This is just payback to special interests.
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