This post was co-written by myself and Brett DiResta, co-founder with me of the ironically named AmericansForAmericaPAC.com ("If you're not with us... You must Hate America
Republicans are, if nothing else, excellent at repeating themselves. Hell, if you could teach a parrot to say "tax cuts", "it's the fault of liberals", "Obama's a Muslim" and wear a flag pin, it could probably win a GOP primary.
The Party of Repetition -- err, Party of Reagan -- added a new phrase last cycle. Republican candidates constantly talked about jobs and the economy. John Boehner made his question "Where are the jobs?" a constant refrain in 2010. Other Republican candidates for office echoed this call.
But a funny thing happened once the voting booths closed -- the economy and jobs no longer seem to be the main focus of most Republicans. In fact, the new GOP priorities look a lot like the old ones -- protect the wealthy, attack unions, and undermine the constitutional rights of women and others.
Yes, it's shocking that Republicans said one thing during the campaign and another while in office (so deficits do matter, Dick Cheney). The funny thing is how quickly Republicans dropped their masks, to reveal their true selves. After getting elected, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker put out a press release, stating that "Wisconsin is open for business."
"Throughout this campaign, we have told the people of Wisconsin that 'help is on the way,' but tonight I'd like to tell the world that Wisconsin is open for business!" said Walker. "Tonette and I are so thankful for the love and support of our family and friends, and most especially the trust and confidence of the voters of Wisconsin who are ready to bring 250,000 jobs to our state ...
"I want every worker, every family, and every business, big or small, to know that they have an ally in the governor's office."
It didn't take very long for some workers to realize they didn't really have a friend in the Governor's office. Busting public employee unions and taking away collective bargaining rights has nothing to do with creating jobs. But it certainly makes it easier for Scott Walker and other Republicans to win elections, which is why it became a top priority.
For Congress, and Mr. Boehner, the transformation has been just as quick, and even more hypocritical. The man who wanted to know "Where are the jobs?" suddenly has no problem if jobs are lost.
"Over the last two years since President Obama has taken office, the federal government has added 200,000 new federal jobs," Boehner said. "And if some of those jobs are lost in this, so be it. We're broke. It's time for us to get serious about how we're spending the nation's money."
And that's just the most egregious example of the GOP flip-flop. When Boehner isn't advocating for job cuts, he's leading the House in trying to get rid of health care reform, or trying to defund abortion rights.
With 9% unemployment, you would hope that at some point, these guys might eventually get around to working on job creation. But one thing you can count on -- that Republican parrot will have a talking point to repeat about the lack of jobs come November 2012.