Wednesday, November 24, 2010

The Enemy Within


I guess I'm not the only one to have noticed: Congressional Republicans would rather destroy America than see Barack Obama reƫlected for a second term. Looked at with unfogged eyes, it's apparent that deliberate sabotage of the economy is merely a means to an end.

... tangible improvements in the economy are key to Obama’s re-election chances. And Douglas Hibbs knows that it’s key. And senior administration officials know that its key. So is it so unreasonable to think that Mitch McConnell and John Boehner may also know that it’s key? That rank and file Republicans know that it’s key? McConnell has clarified that his key goal in the Senate is to cause Barack Obama to lose in 2012which if McConnell understands the situation correctly means doing everything in his power to reduce economic growth. Boehner has distanced himself from this theory, but many members of his caucus may agree with McConnell.

Which is just to say that specifically the White House needs to be prepared not just for rough political tactics from the opposition (what else is new?) but for a true worst case scenario of deliberate economic sabotage.


Is it crazy hyperbole to think so? Is it really far-fetched? What would it look like?

You might start with rejecting the advice of economists and oppose any kind of stimulus investments. You'd also want to cut spending and take money out of the economy, while blocking funds to states and municipalities, forcing them to lay off more workers. You'd no doubt want to cut off stimulative unemployment benefits, and identify the single most effective jobs program of the last two years (the TANF Emergency Fund) so you could kill it.

You might then take steps to stop the Federal Reserve from trying to lower the unemployment rate. You'd also no doubt want to create massive economic uncertainty by vowing to gut the national health care system, promising to re-write the rules overseeing the financial industry, vowing re-write business regulations in general, considering a government shutdown, and even weighing the possibly of sending the United States into default.

You might want to cover your tracks a bit, and say you have an economic plan that would help -- a tax policy that's already been tried -- but you'd do so knowing that such a plan has already proven not to work.

It applies across the board. Judges, for example.

It's gotten so bad that, Ian Millhiser writes, a number of Republican judges are now begging the GOP to stop obstructing Obama's nominees....

... Even the most benign, Republican-friendly elements of Obama's agenda, like the new START treaty, are subject to total opposition from the GOP. They use what power they have to prevent government from performing basic duties at any level of efficiency, and then turn around and argue that this reflects a failure of leadership on the part of the president. The pursuit of political power is more important to the party than civic responsibility. It's a testament to the power of low expectations that this hasn't produced more of an outrage, especially since they aren't even pretendingotherwise.


Having made it clear their prime directive is to destroy Obama, not even trying to hide their agenda which might well include a government shut-down, it's not really in question that these guys place their own political goals above the country's best interest. The only question remaining is whether voters will recognize it and, if they do, whether they'll find it abhorrent. And whether the damage done will be too great to reverse.

My guess: no, no, and yes.

8 comments:

  1. Jeezo-Beezo Sid...
    and "Jeezo-Beezo"s a tribute to you Surgeons, y'see there was this Surgeon at my Med School who would say "Jeezo-Beezo" for almost anything, impressive X-ray, good surgical maneuver, stupid answer on rounds...
    and yeah, he said "Jeezo Beezo" alot when I rounded with him.
    So your against the 2 party system that's served this country well since George Washington beat whoever the Democrat was???
    Did the Democrats not run against that Scoundrel Abe Lincoln in 1860?? THEY EVEN RAN AGAINST HIM IN 1864 DURING THE CIVIL, I MEAN "WAR OF SOUTHERN INDEPENDENCE"!!!!!! and probably would have won if there base hadn't suceded and formed there own country...
    And I know, the Republicans returned the favor in 1944..
    And oh, maybe I'm getting Alzheimer's too, but whatever happened to Justice Borg??? And Clarence Thompson didnt have the lowest key confirmation hearings either...
    And if y'all love Barak Hussein so much, why don't y'all just marry him!?!?!?!?!?!?!
    Oh yeah, cause its illegal, thanks to the DOMA, thats still the Law o' the Land BTW.
    Seriously, Barak should be kissing Boeners Loafers, he's gonna get a Tax Cut, a Speaker he can have a smoke with instead of that annoying Yenta Pelosi, and who'll support him when he decides to invade North Korea next year...
    I'm thinking an April invasion, maybe June, North Korean Winters are pretty severe...

    Frank

    ReplyDelete
  2. I wonder if Mr. Obama will be able to recognize the need to point this out at every opportunity, or if he will take the "valid concerns of my opponents" approach towards dealing with this.

    I was hoping for some hardball from this guy, but despite all of his trumpeted accomplishments, I don't see the willingness in him to be the "damn the torpedoes" type of leader that we thought we were getting.

    For all of his faults, LBJ knew when and how to twist the knife to get things done.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I just ran across a quotation from LBJ: "I spent all my time pulling every power string I could find to pull, trying to pass bills that helped people, that made their lives better and the country stronger. That's what Democrats stand for. Republicans. Republicans just stand for two things: protectin' the rich and investigatin' Democrats."

    Is that not contemporary?

    ReplyDelete
  4. DrekMan...(TheWormDrekAnus)...

    Once again, words fail you!

    PALIN: But obviously, we’ve got to stand with our North Korean allies. We’re bound to by treaty –

    You got it wrong, 'Mama Sasquatch' (LuvIt)says it's south Korea we will be invading.

    CIt@:

    http://wonkette.com/430995/sarah-palin-basically-declares-war-on-south-korea#more-430995

    EugeneInSanDiego

    ReplyDelete
  5. Sam

    What about the rich Democrats? do they get protected and investigated?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Of course, LBJ couldn't twist the dems' arms enough to get Civil Rights passed--he only did it with the help of the Republicans.

    And LBJ entered "public service" worth not much. By the time he became president, he was worth 30 million dollars. And where did all that come from???

    Happy Thanksgiving!
    Brujita

    ReplyDelete
  7. Tom: Ask Charlie Rangel, Maxine Waters, and that William Jefferson. (Not William Jefferson Clinton, but you could ask him, too.)

    ReplyDelete

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