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The Self Immolation of the GOP

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In his latest ploy to get sympathy, John Boehner claims Obama is trying to "annihilate the Republican Party." This came in the wake of the President's inaugural address, which took on an unusually "liberal" tone according to pundits, essentially daring the Republican Party to defy him, and defy him they have done once again.

The Repubicans have pushed this theme in every media outlet.  They even had Woodward sounding their drum by stating that Obama had "moved the goal posts" on budget talks, even though increased revenue had long been part of any budget package.  But, the Republicans yet again refuse to yield, preferring to call Obama's bluff.

As usual, Joe Scarborough tries to play both sides of the issue.  In his latest op-ed piece in the NYTimes, he thinks this move will backfire on Obama, as the country will feel little pinch from the sequestration.  Yet, it is the Republicans who have been scaremongering the public of an economic Armageddon if Congress doesn't reach a deal.

Unfortunately, no deal appears in sight because the Republicans have refused to yield on new revenues, preferring to live in their fantasy world of a "revenue-neutral" government, even when virtually every economist says the only way to cut the deficit is to increase revenue.  Further budget cuts only hurt the economy, as it stifles the renewed recovery we have seen since last Fall.

Krugman commented on Bloomberg television the other night that the Republicans are still preaching the same tired 19th century austerity policies as far as economics goes, just periodically giving it a different name.

It is hard to determine what the long game is for the GOP.  None of their so-called leaders have offered any grand vision.  They prefer to fall back on the same tired bromides that have won them elections in the past, believing that their tax-paying constituents are the real victims here, paying for the other 50% that they carry on their back.
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Cartoon courtesy of The Salt Lake Tribune




Comments

  1. avrdsMarch 3, 2013 at 2:15 AM

    I think it's still the destruction of Obama and the democratic party. Whenever they say that's what the other side is trying to do, you can be pretty sure that's what they have in mind. I don't think they understand that they may go down with the ship, however.

    ReplyDelete
  2. JAbelMarch 3, 2013 at 9:42 AM

    The extremists in control of the Republican party seem to be totally dis-connected from reality.They do indeed seem intent on replacing federal govt with their own warped version of a Rand Paul type world.

    ReplyDelete
  3. avrdsMarch 3, 2013 at 3:56 PM

    It will be interesting to see how people respond when the cuts start to hit in earnest. Government employees get 30 days notice, so they won't be cut back until April, but that will be a huge hardship on local economies. I don't think people realize how much the federal government contributes to the smaller communities in the West, for example. There is a story in the Post about a small Kansas town that will be shutting down its air traffic control tower, while their representative calls for more cuts. You can't have it both ways.

    It reminds me of my favorite story about shutting down the rest stops between Sun City and Phoenix after Brewer came in, and some woman complained that it was "the government's" way to get them to pay more taxes. If you have a tax-cutting governor, then the services paid for by those taxes also have to be cut. I sometimes wonder if the American people really are as dumb as they act.

    ReplyDelete
  4. James FergusonMarch 3, 2013 at 5:20 PM

    I think they are just oblivious to the range of services local, state and federal government provide, until it impacts them directly.

    ReplyDelete
  5. avrdsMarch 3, 2013 at 5:45 PM

    "Keep the government out of my medicare!"

    ReplyDelete
  6. James FergusonMarch 4, 2013 at 12:02 PM

    You see, all it took was a little whining, and Barry is willing to "negotiate,"

    http://news.yahoo.com/spending-cut-showdown-threatens-obamas-second-term-agenda-025029989--business.html

    ReplyDelete
  7. TripplerMarch 4, 2013 at 1:36 PM

    The 1956 Republican platform:

    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BEZFikqCAAAnZwP.png:large


    That's what the party stood for. Today it is the tool of Big Business.

    ReplyDelete

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