GOP Telegraphs Econ Strategy: We Told You So

Senate Republicans telegraphed their political strategy surrounding the stimulus Thursday, saying that if the economy continues to tank over the next several months, they'll be in position to say, in effect, 'We told you so.'

Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) and nine other Republicans spoke with reporters Thursday afternoon following their House colleagues' unanimous rejection of President Obama's stimulus package Wednesday evening.

"They can cram down a stimulus package without Republican support," said Kyl, "but if that happens, then when, as we believe, in six months or so, when the American people say, 'Wait a minute, we're not better off. In fact, we're worse off than we were six months ago. Who is responsible for this and what can be done to fix it?' Republicans then are going to be in a position to say, 'We didn't have the input in this and that's why it didn't work.'"

The political telegraph sent by Kyl is the most explicit statement yet of the GOP strategy at play. Even with swift passage of the stimulus package, the rosiest economic forecasts show the economy continuing to deteriorate six months from now.

Democrats, however, intend to continue to blame Republicans for the economic crisis. Even ten years after the stock market crash of 1929, President Roosevelt was still able to pin the Depression on President Hoover and the GOP. Democrats will return to that strategy.

"Here's what I can say to my friend Jon Kyl," said Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) when told of Kyl's remark by the Huffington Post. "The mess we are in we inherited from his president. We are going to do our very best to turn this economy around. We're going to work with Republicans in a constructive way and I hope we can reach a bipartisan accord. But we have been given an unholy mess to deal with and it came from a Republican administration, which he supported."

Majority Leader Harry Reid's spokesman, Jim Manley, predicted that the GOP strategy would backfire. "The House Republicans have made a mistake of epic proportions that they will regret for years to come," he said. "The only question now is whether Senate Republicans are prepared to follow them off a political cliff. There are millions jobs maybe at stake, and all can think of is the failed status quo policies of the past?"

Comments

[jinsei]

Um, I'm sorry but I don't think this is a game. Senators and reps need to be reminded that they are public servants whose job it is to represent the public and seriously brainstorm effective ideas to make our country better, rather than hope our country fails so they can say, "I told you so." Why does the public elect such childish, lazy people?

[isisdawnra]

repugs seem to care more about saying

" I told you so"

Than representing the people who elected them.

I suggest they get a dictonary.

"Represent"

Look it up!

[tallcoolone47]

I still don't understand why all the outrage over the republican boycott of the bailout if we are so sure it will right the economy and put us on the path of recovery then we get to take full credit for its success, are we taht worried that it will fail??

[Totto]

The problem is: no one knows. We have never been here before. Republicans hope it fails.

[jnah]

theyd rather see this country in ruin then admit their mistakes and stand behind a democratic leader

[GeoLee]

Well, I do think what they have done in the past 8 years while they were in control is a pretty good indicator that their ideas are not very good ones, so why would anyone even halfway intelligent want what they are now trying to sell? Do you want more of the same guaranteed or take a chance on a different approach? I will take the latter and hope for the best because more cuts in taxes which seems ot the the republican mantra got us into this mess. Greed seems to beget greed in republican households, now more jobs and more reinvestment in AMERICAN workers.

[stondem]

Its our turn now!!!!

[isisdawnra]

It never fails

repugs are first to say no....then are smug about it

I rarely hear a solution or any Ideas

negetive nimrod's (i call them)

[jtmoney]

so they played politics instead of really trying to do what's best? shocker.

and they did get their input in. cut taxes, cut taxes, cut taxes. it's all they ever say. they are bankrupt of ideas. they have nothing.

[Sylmason]

Republicans are unamerican........................................... stupid, and down right evil. Americans must eliminate this party totally in order to have a decent and civil country with morals and principles.

[greatlardini]

Is it just me or does McConnell look like he just got up from the embalmer's table?

[militarymomforobama]

I just wish he would drop the ruse and come on out.

[Chlowina]

O>M>G> I keep telling hubby he looks like he belongs in a cof.fin.

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

[kristiann]

It amazes me that congress, many on both sides, are worried more about winning the political game and keeping their jobs than taking care of business and getting the work done for the people they are supposed to represent. It's like children are running the school.

[Grunty1]

Republicans care only about their personal power, so they do not have any incentive to take care of business; their voters don't hold them to any sort of standards.

[lunchlady]

These guys couldn't come up with a new idea to save their lives. They're still stuck on Reagan's Trickle Down Economics or whatever else he called his Deregulation strategies. Obama's been in office one week and they're already trying to talk about the Obama Depression.
Their political strategies are pretty hackneyed too. Is this really 2009? They look and sound more like 1989. The world and our country has changed a lot since then, folks. Let's see some brainpower and vision. We need it, not a bunch of ideological ankebiters who just want to keep themselves in office.

[militarymomforobama]

And you just hit the nail on the head when you said that the world has changed a lot since then. We still have ignoramuses wanting to compare things with the 1930's.

Thankfully the President knows that we are living in a very different world. A leader for OUR time.

[Grunty1]

I was thinking 3000 BC

[LDnearthesea]

Trickle down economics: That's when the rich piss on all the rest of us, and the pee trickles down onto our heads!

[jnah]

they call it "supply side economics" which means give all the money to the rich and maybe they'll pay their worker decent wages

[Oldchef]

Reaganomics didn't work in the 80's, we had to raise taxes in 93 to balance the budget and we went from a giant deficit to a $100B surplus in 2001, then Bush brought in even stupider Reaganomics and the stock market took off as the rich got richer, but working people were universally worse off, 100K houses were suddenly 300K, food prices and medical costs went out of sight, speculators drove the price of oil from around $30/bbl to $140/bbl. Wages stayed stagnant or worse, hours were cut, while executives got huge salaries and bonuses. 1980's "junk bonds" became "mortgage backed securities". Millionaire hedge fund directors got a tax drop to 15%, while workers paid 30% or more, with FICA and income tax. Inheritance taxes on estates over $5M should go to 50%, salaries over $1M should be taxed at 50% (less than Eisenhower rates, by the way). FICA taxes should be on the entire amount of wages, not stop at $90K, we could pay for Social Security then and government could pay it's bills again.

[kristiann]

Most thinking people also know you cannot cut taxes and right two wars. The past 8 years have been such a debacle.

[LDnearthesea]

Bush was the first president in US history (and I use the term president loosely, as he and Cheney really thought of themselves as military dictators), and perhaps the first ruler of any nation or empire TO NOT RAISE TAXES to fight a war!

[LDnearthesea]

Wars have required a raise in taxes throughout history. Bush/Cheney didn't read that part of the history book.

[kristiann]

Oops, I meant "fight" two wars.

[johnnynyc]

If the economy tanks over the next several months?

That doesn't seem fair does it?

You can't turn the economy around on a dime.

This is a long term project.

I'm hoping the Republicans stay out of power over the next 3-4 election cycles.

If not, they'll undo any progress that Obama makes just like they gave back all the gains Clinton made.

[militarymomforobama]

They are following their failed strategy of appealing to those who are, well, let's just say--not so smart. And there are plenty of them out there--but not as many as there used to be. That's why education is so important. And that's why so many who call themselves "conservative" are suspicious of it. They are making their living off of those who are intellectually disadvantaged.

[PocketWatch]

In short, never underestimate the power of stupid people in large numbers.

We've seen the reults of that over the last 30 years. We need to continue on this new course and be bold about it.

[Sundialsvc4]

Ahh, politics.

Let's start by cutting their salaries to $50,000 and making them buy their own gas and plane tickets out of that.

[escrow7]

What kind of leadership is that. "We told you so" Pretty sad. We've been saying that for 8 years!!!

http://www.thirdeyechronicles.com

[ebanks84]

The point here is exactly what you have indicated and that is "this is a republican" mess in the first place. Bush got us where we are today and Obama is left with the clean up. So how in the heck are the republicans thinking that the Dems are the cause of this meltdown?

The repubs started it and now they're slipping and sliding out the back door trying to sneak away from it. What a bunch of lame ducks they are and their constituents should be ashamed that they are represented by their particular leader who is literally "jumping ship".

You republicans don't have a clue how to right the wrong your president made in this instance, you don't have a clue as to what another alternative to Obama's plan might be, and you have absolutely no clue as to what your voters want you to do. You CLUELESS repubs SHOULD NOT BE VOTED back into your seats in Congress when your time is up because clueless is what got us here in the first place. BUSH!!!