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

[missette]

Inherent in Kyle's statement is the hope that the stimulus will fail, which means he and his party are hoping for more suffering on the part of the Americans they like to trumpet as the most productive in the world when it's politically convenient. And Democrats and any pundits with integrity, it's time to call them out on this. Since when is it patriotic to wish for more suffering in your country for political gain? The Repubs like to act as if they are Biblical scholars buy they are still playing with the childish things.

[jsarets]

Has America ever been a place where the electorate responds especially well to "I told you so"? Especially when it's not just a few "prescient" dissenters but a coordinated party line?

If that were the case, then moderates and independents would be admiring Jimmy Carter's courageous foresight about finite consumption instead of contemplating where he falls on a list of the worst American presidents.

Americans don't like to be told to suck it up, make do with less, and feel lucky that we have it better than others. We like to be told a story a boundless optimism, that America is a place where anything can happen, that we can rid the world of evil, tame the forces of nature, and represent the loftiest of ideals. Yes we can -- fix everything and make our problems go away.

Of course the stimulus package won't work. Of course America and particularly the rest of the world will be a much more insecure, impoverished, and imperiled place in 2010 than it is today. But this is all there is, and we will always support leaders that at least try to make things better, even if we know they can't.

The only viable solution to widespread unsustainable debt without changing the underlying structure of the financial system is inflation. That's the only way borrowers can get out from under their debts without favoring savers over lenders. Everyone's nominal wealth will shed purchasing power at the same rate as debts are inflated away through

[Glowcy]

.
duh-uh!

the economy is not going to suddenly break its downward spiral because there are so many broken parts

the republicans broke our economy and are petulantly refusing to shoulder the long term hard work towards recovery

positioning to say "we told you so" - told us what??!

PACclowns, double duh-uh
.

[grf67]

What great Americans. What the country needs is solutions not whining. What we do not need are republican zealots who care nothing about the people of this country and only for themselves. We can take care of them in 2010.

[Trittydi]

They're looking through the wrong end of that telescope.
*

[TheNovak]

Hey, Sen. Kyl, here's my prediction: if things get worse over the next six months, the majority of Americans are going to continue generally blaming the Republican party, and specifically blaming you, since you seem to have appointed yourself the GOP's new spokesman. Good luck with that re-election, bucko.

[noradunn]

I agree. The idiots who called us unpatriotic are admitting they are un-American. Can anyone remember so surly a crew a few days into ANY new administration? Let them chose Barabas.

[LeaderofMen]

Loses = losses.

[LeaderofMen]

Exactly. The simplest strategy is to publically pound hard on who those Republicans are that are hoping Obama fails.

Oddly enough, the Republican strategy was let out of the bag by Limbaugh. He announced that he HOPES Obama fails. Then the remaining Rethuglicans in DC are mobilizing policy for just that result.

Looky here. We know who WANTS the US to fail. Can't wait for 2010. The more Americans who lose their jobs the more they'll want to remove the perpetrators of those loses.

I laugh at their hubris. I welcome this Republican strategy. They simply didn't get what 2006 and 2008 was all about. They're going to bite it even more.

[Territc]

People remember the Republicans want Obama to fail, Limbaugh has already made that clear, so they will do anything to try and ensure this. However, since there is only one brain working in the GOP, no enough thought goes into the tactics taken to achieve this goal. This is going to backfire in 2010 for them. All it shows is the GOP getting in the way of Obama doing his best to fix the economy and help out the american people.

IT'S TIME FOR THE GOP TO OWN THIER FAILURE!!!!!

[GingerB]

The GOP better know that they will pay for what they've done and continue to do to U.S.

[SteevK]

I saw/heard it telegraphed this past Sunday on CNN. John King hosted Mike Pence and John Ensign. Pence whined on and on about how this was a "Democrat bill" from the "Democrat party" wish list, etc. Ensign expressed sympathy and said that they, in the senate, could use pressure (filibuster) to change the bill - after which he did some boasting about making it all, or at least mostly, tax cuts (probably, if asked he would have talked about the GOP aim of killing Obama's tax cuts for the bottom 95%)

When King got around to asking Ensign if those changes would make Republicans vote for it, he said "Absolutely not!"

So, they plan to play Lucy with the football (bi-partisanship) to hold over their "changes" (complete rewrite, per McCain), and STILL whip all GOP votes against it. I guess, as you say, so they can attack the Democrats with their "I told you so"s

I think it will backfire. The public can see that Obama was trying to work with Republicans, and they spit in his face - and the American people are just pawns for them to Punish Obama & Democrats for winning in Nov, and they are running scared from Limbaugh & Hannity - who have their crazed fans flood the capitol phones.

I LOVE that footage of that GA Repub GROVELING and licking Rush's boots! We need that for a MoveOn ad...
.

[Territc]

Six months!!! Not only are the Republicans insane but they demonstrate their total lack of understanding of the economic crisis. It will not be solved in six months and not even in a year. However, this shows they did not read Obama's economic stimulus package, he clearly states that the money for the big spends i.e. construction, infrastructure etc will only start being spend in about 18 months time. What people will get is their tax breaks back as soon as possible, small checks coming back to them and getting people back to spending which is one of the ways of getting the economy moving. Clearly saying no for the sake of no. They are so used to the politics and tactics of the past that they will never change. The Republicans have surely shown that they would rather travel the same worn path of the past, then opt for real hope and change for america's future.

[tobytucker99]

A stimulus package that doesn't kick in for 18 MONTHS ain't much of a stimulus.

[cornagainstsorcery]

First of all there are tax breaks and other investments which do kick in right away. The money for state governments not only will SAVE a lot of jobs that otherwise would have been lost due to budget shortfalls, but can be put to quick use on what building projects are ready to go asap. So the notion it does not kick in until 18 months down the road is bogus. It is true that the biggest bang for the buck will come down the road which means the stimulus package is not a "quick fix" which is not possible at this point (and short sighted anyway) but is an investment in LONG TERM growth and stability.

[RubberPimple]

Of course it's a stimulus. You probably mean a QUICK stimulus. That's probably because you're just not comfortable with the utter meltdown of the Republicans and their ideology. Too bad, tobytucker.

[VSamuels]

Now, this is funny!

[Seattlelite]

I think any proposal is a crap shoot at this point. But if the GOP thinks the blame isn't on them -- sorry. They keep arguing this bill dosen't fix things immediately. Well it took decades of republican rule to get us in this mess, there is not immediate bullet. But if the GOP has their way "again" we'd never work on the future. When exactly do they propose we start rebuilding?

[GrainOSand]

Therefore, the plan is to stand amidst the soot and debris that was America, look into the smoldering crater where she stood, and proclaim with ashen faces blackened by rising plumes of smoke and the smothering film of destruction that “we told you it was not going to work”. We are not worthy of such enlightened leadership as this brand that the Republicans offer. They are willing to let the country fail to win political points. No one has a magic bullet or all the answers for correcting the issues with the American and indeed the world economy. I have heard some Republicans say that doing nothing is an option. I give those Republicans credit for consistency; at least they are sticking with the fatalistic, free market, self-correcting, self-healing, trickle-down theory of old; the one that is wreaking havoc right about now. I am curious about the result of doing nothing. First, concerning the fate of the GOP when it is proven wrong, and second, because I am curious what the world will look like, the extent of the damage. I am weary of that choice because I know many will suffer or perish before the final analysis occurs regarding the impact of a “do nothing” approach.

I cannot believe the Republicans do not possess a heart and a mind that can extend in use beyond their own self-interest. I continue to hold out hope that they will wake up from their long snooze on decency.

[Tim303]

I wonder what the telegraph will say? SOS GOP?

[bby328]

dot dash dot dot / dash dash dash / dot dash dot dot :)

[Persson4]

Actually they are hoping that the I told you so strategy works because it is all the have left in order to get re-elected.

[cornagainstsorcery]

Short sighted maroons. Six months? They really think the economy is going to turn around in SIX MONTHS? Gimme a break. You don't recover from this in 6 months. Almost everyone they are interviewing at Davos is saying a year + at least.

[tobytucker99]

What?!? Everything was supposed to be all better as soon as Obama was elected! He was going to give a speech and everything would be fixed!! A Year! I though we were saved on Jan 20th.

[cornagainstsorcery]

That's what the GOP wants people to believe the Obama supporters believe. Silly willys.

[RubberPimple]

Again, the bitterness is on display. You mean you believed all the crap issuing forth from your right-wing talk radio? This says volumes about you.

[VSamuels]

You folks are so unserious and simplistic, no wonder your leader is Limbaugh!