Wednesday, 12/3/14, Public Square

Sunday, 6/15/14, Public Square

Thursday,12/12/13, Public Square

Obama to GOP: ‘Drop the Blockade’

President Obama returned to the White House ready to get back to work, giving a brief speech on Monday about the U.S. economy. Obama said that his administration is planning to kick-start the economy with several quick measures: extending tax cuts for the middle-class, redoubling the government’s investment in clean energy, adding further tax cuts, and “making it easier for our small business to grow and hire.” A bill that’s been “languishing in Senate for four months,” as Obama put it, would help put these plans into motion. But the biggest obstacle, of course, remains garnering Republican party support. “I ask the Senate Republicans to drop the blockade,” he said.

GOP No-mentum

On Wall Street Reform

“Look, there’s no rush right now. We need to get it right.”
– Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK), 4/21/10

“Start over please, Mr. President.”
– Fox News’ Steve Doocy, Karl Rove, 4/19/10

Rather than engage in substantive debate over reform, Republicans decided early on that they would lie about the legislation and slow down its progress. Instead of trying to fix the mess created by their own Party, Republicans are using a rhetorical ploy to confuse the public and kill reform. Over and over again.

Ultimately, Republican efforts to stall, slow, and stop progress on the stimulus and health care reform failed. Hopefully, history repeats itself in the course of Wall Street reform debate.

GOP protects banks from regulations

It’s an interesting stance.  Will using the word ‘bailout’ fool and scare some people into backing the Republicans in doing nothing?  Will the Republicans be able to make regulations the enemy — regulations against the entities that stuck it to Americans, regulations that will prevent them doing it again?

We all know what opposing regulations says about the GOP, but doesn’t it bring up questions about what it says about Americans?  The sharp partisan differences over how to respond to the 2008 crisis that caused a near meltdown on Wall Street should remind us of the need for regulations, and we should all pay careful attention.  None of us, no matter our political philosophy, should allow nothing to be done — nothing isn’t a solution!

What the GOP Costs America

The Party of NO is like an expensive frat party!

There may be “no shame in being the party of no,” according to Sarah Palin, but it sure is damned expensive, Vanity Fair says. In honor of Tax Day, the magazine set out to discover “Just how much money are taxpayers spending on the Republican Party’s commitment to doing exactly nothing.” The answer is evidently $1.32 billion, which includes $47.9 million for congressional salaries; $231.3 million for congressional aides; $163.1 million in health, retirement and other benefits; $533.1 million in paper clips, free postage, and other office expenses; $281.4 million in building maintenance; and $63.5 million in lost federal revenue due to tax-exempt donations to conservative think tanks. As for the latter, as Vanity Fair put it, “Sure, they’ve come up with some interesting ideas. When Republicans enact any of them, you can take this item off the list.”

The Carvile Plan…

The following is James Carvile’s suggestions on dealing with the GOP when it comes to healthcare reform:

“And strategist James Carvile became the first leading Democrat to suggest publicly that there might be political advantage in letting the Republicans kill healthcare.

“‘Put a bill out there, make them filibuster it, make them be what they are, the party of no,’ Carvile said. ‘Let them kill it. Let them kill it with the interest group money, then run against them. That’s what we ought to do.'”  Read more at this Politico article.

I think that the GOP needs to pay in a big way for this disaster.  What do you bloggers think ?

iggy donnelly

Obama needs to call their bluff

New polls show a growing number of Americans are worried about growing deficits and debt. The former president has added his voice to the noise, the GOP is using this deficit tactic to court Independents who pretty much stay out of social issues but take fiscal issues seriously.

Health care reform is jeopardized and this is important.

President Obama needs to call their bluff!

I have confidence that most Americans are intelligent adults and will listen when issues are explained. Who knows? If bush the lesser had been able to communicate we may have been able to understand some of his motives. A leader is a person who both makes and explains the hard decisions and actions that are necessary for the common good. Americans are capable of understanding and even appreciate being respected and having our interests acknowledged — whether we agree or not.

First, Obama must explain that Uncle Sam has to spend until we’re past the worst of this recession which nearly reached depression status. Our economy isn’t healthy enough to really do anything about deficits yet. He must make the honest case for temporarily running high deficits to rescue our future. He has to lay out the reasons the deficits will get us past the worst and back to financial safety. He must acknowledge the cure isn’t instantaneous. He must explain rising unemployment rates, and what he is doing to address those rates. He has to state the goals that will lead us to stability and allow growth to resume. He must go on the offensive and speak directly to the American people with an honest plan and achievable goals. We will understand and it will take the wind out of those who have NO PLAN.

He has to call their bluff, involve the American people once again and as often as necessary to take the steam out of this issue. This can’t be a one-time interaction, but the beginning of a conversation that points out this is my plan, then updates the progress and / or adjustments to the plan — all the while (maybe silently) pointing out detractors have no plan, and aren’t part of the solutions.

Most Americans will be ready to support the team with a solution over those who simply have criticisms. Something does beat nothing every time!

fnord

Will The GOP Survive?

A new Gallup poll shows 63% of the Republican Party are white conservatives, with another 26% saying they are white but not conservative.  Only 11 % represent Hispanics, Black, Asians, or members of other races.

By contrast, only 12% of Democrats are white conservatives, while about half are white moderates or liberals and a third are nonwhite.  Democrats have a significantly more diverse party composition. Well over a third (36%) of Democrats are nonwhite (Hispanic, or black or some other race) and the 64% of Democrats who are white are strongly skewed — by more than a 4-to-1 ratio — toward an ideological position that is moderate or liberal rather than conservative.

Independents, as would be expected, are somewhere between Republicans and Democrats in terms of their racial, ethnic, and ideological composition. Twenty-seven percent of independents are Hispanic, or are black or identify with another race, and, by about a 2-to-1 ratio, white independents split toward the nonconservative ideological position.

Republicans have a clear monopoly on the allegiance of white conservative Americans.

Does the Republican Party cling to its core conservative principles? Or should the Republicans make an effort to expand their base?  The decision the party makes in response to this question could be pivotal in helping determine its future.

fnord