Saturday, August 7, 2010

Smell Test For The Party of No

The Republicans claim themselves to be the party of smaller government, fiscal responsibility, and fewer regulations.  But what exactly do they mean by that?

By smaller government do they mean less Senators and representatives in Congress or less intrusion in the daily lives of the citizenry of America?
If by smaller they wish to have less personnel in Congress I am on their side.  Toward that end I would like to offer a few names to be removed from the role call, the first being John Boehner.  I would continue with Mitch McConnell and Eric Cantor and Paul Ryan and let’s not forget that staunch supporter and would-be poster child for the “brain is a terrible thing to waste” campaign, Michelle Bachmann.  (For the sake of time I stop here but so many others are deserving of the honor.)
Alas the self-serving Party of No does not mean fewer individuals mucking up government and handing over our futures to their friends in big business.  They infer rather to want less day to day intrusion into the lives of the average Jane and Joe.
On the face of it it sounds okay, right?  So let's examine what they mean.
Less intrusion such as:
Forcing pregnant women to bring their babies to full term and give birth even if the pregnancy was a result of rape or incest;
Allowing large corporations control of the airways so that advertisements inundate us with their choices to lead the country;
Changing the Constitution of the United States of America so that amendments only allow their kind of people the rights of citizenship;
Not allowing loving couples the right to marry and achieve the American dream based solely on teachings from the Bible.

But at least they will be fiscally responsible with our tax dollars, right?  I mean they have always said they are so it must be true!
We know that if they get back in control of Congress our country will face a bright future and the budget will be balanced and all will be well in the World.
Elect Republicans and Kumbaya will become a nationwide reality.
Fiscally responsible as in:
Keep the Bush tax cuts going for the wealthiest of America and thereby increasing the national deficit by around one trillion dollars;
Stop helping the poor and middle class with handouts such as unemployment insurance payments even though they may have worked for years paying taxes to fill the coffers;
Do not allocate funds for victims of rape and incest who carried to full term but instead offer family counseling;
Privatize, or whatever name is currently being used to describe the turning over of Social Security to the businessmen on Wall Street as a way to kill two birds with one stone;
Dump all other so-called entitlements such as Medicare since they cost so much and the wealthy really don’t need that kind of help;
Repeal the health care reform bill quickly since it will cost way too much money even though it appears to be ‘budget neutral’ in the long run.

The Republican Party actually deserves the moniker of “NO.”
They act as if they are the parents and we the children.  They don’t wish to spoil us by allowing us to have too many nice things that cost them money.  But they have no problem going out with the other parents and spending like there's no tomorrow. And while they do they blame the children for costing too much!

But still the economy is in the dumps so perhaps they deserve another chance.  Maybe they will finally get their act together and do the right thing.
It could happen, right?
Well let's take a look at the past to see how wonderfully responsible the Republicans have been while in control of the Government to get a glimpse of what to expect when they are in control of the National debt. 

Here is a full report analyzing the Bush tax cuts and their affect on America.
I pulled these two paragraphs out in case you find yourself too ill to read the entire piece:

"Yet conservatives continue to argue for another round of permanent tax cuts similar to those of the Bush administration. Even if all of the Bush tax cuts are allowed to expire as scheduled, the projected cost of the Bush tax cuts to the federal budget over the next ten years is $3.9 trillion, an average of 1.4 percent of the country’s total economic activity (GDP) per year. Those asking for more permanent tax cuts continue to justify the cost, claiming tax cuts create jobs.
SOURCE: AP/Ron EdmondsPres. Bush signs $1.35 trillion tax cuton June 7, 2001, at the White Housein front of his fellow greedy gigglingRepublican 'puppets of the wealthy.'
But their analysis ignores what actually happened during the economic cycle that began in March 2001 and ended in December of 2007—which almost exactly coincides with the Bush presidency and the implementation of the Bush tax cuts. This period registered the weakest jobs and income growth in the post-war period. Overall monthly job growth was the worst of any cycle since at least February 1945,
and household income growth was negative for the first
cycle since tracking began in 1967. Women reversed employment gains of previous cycles. And for African Americans, the worst job growth on record was matched by an unprecedented increase in poverty."
And the final piece of the Republican mantra to examine is their promise to impose fewer regulations.
Most Americans hear the word regulations and sense a form of claustrophobia.  They feel there will be more rules they must follow that will restrict their daily lives.  But the main objective of rules or laws is to protect the lawful from the unlawful and devious or criminal types of the world.
There are laws against all sorts of things and yet crime still occurs.  Criminals use loopholes in the law all the time in an attempt to literally get away with murder.
So too do the unscrupulous among us who gain at our expense.  Whenever a new crime is found and committed regulations are proposed to stop its propagation.  Vigilance is needed.
The recent economic tsunami was caused by just such a bunch of unregulated criminals who got away with murder in the form of billions and billions of our dollars and millions and millions of our jobs.
These are the people to whom the Republicans are speaking when they promise to stop any new stricter regulations or taxes.
Elect them and, read my lips – no new regulations! 

If the Republicans run Congress the economy will be run into the ground and the wealthy will continue to run amok.
I guess in order to pass the smell test standard for “truth in advertising” the Republican Party needs to infuse three little words into their talking points of Fiscal Responsibility – Fewer Regulations – Smaller Government.
“For the wealthy!”

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