Is Rush Really the Republicans' Ventriloquist? Sure Looks As If Most of Them are His Dummies
By Jessica Hobby Catto
The economic sky is falling and most of the Republicans have been huddled together playing keep away with the stimulus package. Senator McCain gloated that the President cannot call the vote bi-partisan if it gets 4 or 5 Republican votes. What kind of statement is that? That is "nanny, nanny boo, boo" if we ever heard it. McCain might as well have said straight out:
"Yes, you won, but now it's my turn to have a little fun. I am loving watching you flounder in the deep end of the economy. Do I have a constructive idea? Not a bit of it. I will just point out that we oppose whatever you propose. The American people? Oh, bother."
Senator Lindsay Graham, Republican from South Carolina fulminated uncharacteristically that "this bill is stinking up the place." This is the attitude that turned out the vote for Barak Obama.
Careful, Republicans, you are shooting yourself in the foot again. You got us into this unprecedented mess. Now put a sock in it and start bailing. You sound like a mouthpiece for Rush Limbaugh, and that makes you seem, well, childish. Leadership is for adults.
We know we need a bill. And, yes, the legislation will cost money. Stimulus depends on a lot of things and a basic component is spending money in order to put unemployed Americans to work again. Our infrastructure has the rickets and needs immediate attention. What a good fit: people who need work and works that needs fixing.
Our energy sources need revising and are hungry for new workers and new investment credits. What an opportunity: a new booming business product for an energy and industry starved nation.
Senator Susan Collins from Maine, a Republican, is one of the adults and should take a bow. She has been working hard on a compromise. She has kept her voice down, has offered constructive revisions and has hunkered down to work out an agreement. That is the way the two party system should function when there are grown-ups as the functionaries.
Of course, there are items that could and should have been expunged from the $8-plus billion dollar package. Of course, careful tax cuts should be a part of the mix. This is not an either/or situation and Senator Collins is sophisticated enough to know it. Moderates come up front to the footlights. Ideologues and professional blowhards to the back, please. Senator Arlen Specter does not like the time table, but is willing to help the President. Good timing.
Congratulations to the Democrats who gave up programs they wanted in order to reach agreement. Applause. The American people won this one.
Republicans profess to be horrified by the further deficit the stimulus plan will probably cause. Deficits cause inflation and loss of faith in a currency. The truth is that Democrats, too, are horrified by the deficits. But the big numbers were rolled up during the Bush administration. The banking crisis exploded on the Bush watch. And now we have to hold our collective noses and take on more debt to climb out of our hole. None of us is doing a jig, but the banks, or at least, some of them, have to be stabilized. That takes money. When people need jobs and the private sector is firing, not hiring, government has a rescue role to play.
Is the stimulus bill a risk in terms of running up the national tab? Yes. Is there a greater risk to a stricken America if we don't pass it? Yes. The road ahead is not crystal clear. We cannot, however, just stand on the edge of the abyss and continue staring into it; we have to take a leap across it or watch the ground erode under our feet as we slide down. Hardly a perfect choice for our imperfect world. Remember the old annoying expression: "Got a lemon, make lemonade?" That about sums up our situation.
Rush, the classic bully brat, said that he hoped President Obama fails. The majority of Republicans, stamping their feet and bleating like frightened sheep, seem to be echoing that sentiment. Senator Collins and Senator Specter are the leaders their colleagues should get behind. The rest of you should leave Limbaugh's lap and think and speak with your own brains in gear before your mouth runs away.
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The republican party, since the 1980 ("Together, a new beginning") convention, has developed more and more into a cult like organization, GOP, Inc. I
It is a tightly run ship on which dissenters (like Ron Paul, or Chuck Hagel) are marginalized and ostracized. It's driving ideology is based on myths (the myth of Ronald Reagan, the myth of the free market and free trade, the myth of American invincibility, and the myth that American military might is uniquely virtuous) as well as in the opposition to the forces of evil (Soviet expansionism, terrorism, "socialism", etc.) The neo-cons, most of whom are former democrats, found a comfortable niche in GOP, Inc. as their manichean view of the world fits right into the cult. Of course, like any other such organization, it has it's prophets (Reagan, Gingrich, "W") and Limbaugh, the most superficial and shallow ranter imaginable, may now bear the mantle of Chief Prophet to the masses, those duped rank and file members who think that the GOP is about getting government off their backs, or their right to own firearms, or pro-life. In reality, it is a profit generating machine directing the transfer of America's wealth from the middle and working classes to the mega-rich-it's GOP, Inc.
"IS RUSH REALLY THE REPUBLICAN'S VENTRILOQUIST? SURE LOOKS AS IF MOST OF THEM ARE HIS DUMMIES." ---- The answer to your title is a simple...Y
Why, when we talk about the last 8 years and debts accrued by the previous administration, do we so rarely mention the cost of Iraq? And Afghanistan? Wars cost lives, AND MONEY. With our military spending over the past 8 years, we could have paid a sizable chunk of the stimulus package.
Taxes were cut consistently (as were social programs to pay for the tax cuts and the interest on the war spending). I don't remember the administration ever talking about the toll the war would cost in our pocketbook
Everything is upside down.
I would not be surprised to learn that Mitt Romney, owner of Clear Channel Communications since December 2007, who is very popular with House Republicans and Republican Senators, is the brains behind the paralysis of Congress; and that Rush Limbaugh, who has a $400 million eight year contract with Clear Channel Communications, and 20 million listeners a week, is working with Romney to decide what propaganda would paralyze Congress and completely destroy the policies of the Obama administration. Romney appears to be setting his sites on the 2012 presidential election, and Limbaugh would probably be only too happy to provide the propaganda to help get Romney there.
Political paralysis, exceedingly high rates of unemployment, a desolate economy, and skilled, far-right propaganda which would bring people's anger to a boil would be likely to bring about election of a far-right extremist president not unlike Hitler who came to power in a similar way.
President Obama has been naive to believe that people who are as committed to winner-take-all and brutality as those who thrived in the Bush Administration would allow a Democratic president to take their power away.
The new motto of the Republican party:
"If life gives you a salmon, make salmonella
It is time the American people demand that the Democratic Congress stop giving the Republican party a pass for supporting the often hateful, racist, and bigoted political commentary spoken by Rush Limbaugh. We all know that if President Obama aligned himself with Rev. Wright or Louis Farrakan, the Republican Party would be front and center criticizing the President. Were is the outrage for the tolerance of the racial divide promoted by Limbaugh. When will the media dare make this an issue. What about the great Sunday Morning Talk Heads with their ultra conservative guests? Why aren't we hearing them talk about this. This is another example of Racial Tolerance in this country.
what a pathetic situation of GOP that there is none of the leadership have a good plan that better for Americans, but running to hate mongering Rush LImbagh for advise. Good tools to make deeper hole.
As the President said, it's a shame there are so many people out of work at a time when there is so much work to be done.
The republicans' behavior is shameful. The world is watching and this is how they behave. Like spoiled children who will throw tantrums when they don't get their way.
What was the country thinking putting them in charge for 28 of the last 40 years? It's self destructive.
call your senators and representatives and tell them what you think!!!!!
I do not know if a stimulus bill is the right approach. what if we just put more into relief for the humans who are suffering and at risk? a much more modest expenditure that lets the cycle heal itself but insures people will not suffer irreparable harm in the mean time. according to the COB report such spending also has the greatest stimulus effect as well. While I think this is truer to the free market model, it would be most opposed by conservatives as socialism or welfare. So what. It addresses the greatest harm while doing the least damage.
Uh....
I'm MUCH more concerned about the DINO DLC and the BLUE DOGS.
Biggest elephant in Obama's living room.
"come here,come here, come here...go away,go away..go away..."
They flirt while the economy burns.
"Business as Usual" - this country cannot afford any longer.
What were you expecting? There hasn't been a Republican with anything resembling an idea since Richard Nixon (who would be considered far too liberal for today's clowns!)
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