September 4, 2008

Republicans and the Economy: A Dysfunctional Relationship

Economy? What Economy? -- By Harold Meyerson
Wednesday, September 3, 2008

On an issue of some concern to Americans -- the economy -- they [Republicans] seem to have nothing to say.

I have combed the schedule of events here [at the Republican Convention] without finding a single forum . . . devoted to what John McCain and the Republican Party propose to do about America's . . . economic challenges. I've found four panels on what to do about the Middle East, but not one on what to do about the Middle West. [emphasis added]

[T]he Republicans here plainly don't believe that the economy needs fixing. On Monday, a New York Times poll of Republican convention delegates showed that 57 percent believe the American economy is in very good or fairly good shape.

The only economic concern of ordinary Americans that finds expression inside this year's GOP convention is the price of gas, for which the chief solution, as you would expect at a convention where the American Petroleum Institute is hosting the party's governors, is offshore drilling.

Republican silence on economic matters stands in sharp contrast to the Democratic convention last week in Denver, where there were close to 20 forums on "green" jobs, reviving progressive taxation, balancing the budget, rebuilding infrastructure, the economy of alternative energy and the like. [emphasis added]
^^^
If the election is about the economy, they're cooked -- and their silence this week on nearly all things economic means that they know it.

9 comments:

LET'S TALK said...

Hi two crows, have you seen this site yet...see Palin

LET'S TALK said...

I forgot about this really sick one at Who is Palin

Mary Ellen said...

This election won't be about the economy because Obama supporters are too busy clouding up the airwaves and Internet about who the mother of Trig is. They are the one's taking the Democratic party off message.

LET'S TALK said...

It seems to me that the message by the Democratic party is right on message and defined to some degree much better than what McCain brings to the table which is nothing.

Then he goes out and pick a VP that's against all that Hillary stood for.

I admired Clinton and was stronly for her at the start, but to vote for McCain because of a Republican woman will still set this country back.

This is what some of Clinton supporters are going for now and not looking at the real picture....see Palin and please take a look at where she stands...see Who is Palin

two crows said...

hi, Larry--
I've been down and offline for a while.
thanks for the links. I'll check em out when I'm feeling better.

meanwhile, Eugene Robinson hit the nail on the head [as he so often does] at
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/04/AR2008090402841.html?wpisrc=newsletter&wpisrc=newsletter

I hope you can get there from here.
if not, it's on Washington Post's online
opinion page and titled:
The Other Party's Playbook.
xxx
hi, ME--
well, it seems to me that blaming Obama for what his fans do doesn't work.

think back to when your kids were small. could you control what THEY did? and they were toddlers with no access to blogs, etc.

jmsjoin said...

Hi two crows
I have been busy taking care of things and helping TC so sorry I have been AWOL! I am so sick of hearing the lies coming from McCain and Pailing! Dave Dubya had a great comparison today! You know how Paling says Obama was just a community organizer but she was a "Governor" Whoa! Anyway Dave said to put it in contrast Jesus was a community organizer and Pontius Pilate was a Governor. Why can't Obama's people think of stuff like that. That would stop them in their tracks!

jmsjoin said...

Hi two crows
Economy? In the terrible reality The country is in a $53-trillion financial hole, but few of the nation’s leaders — including the two leading presidential candidates — are willing to grapple with it. So said former U.S. Comptroller General David M. Walker, who plays a key role in a new documentary film about the nation’s debt problems. Besides an $11-trillion debt, the country is also saddled with $34 trillion in unfunded Medicare promises, $7 trillion in unfunded Social Security promises and $1 trillion in miscellaneous debts, Walker said at an economic summit at Bryant University in Smithfield.

The total — $53 trillion — is the equivalent of $175,000 in debt for every man, woman and child in the country, Walker said. Federal budget controls expired several years ago and now, “Washington is out of touch and out of control,” he said. But even if the annual federal budget is balanced, the overall debt will continue to grow — automatically — unless voters hold elected leaders accountable and demand solutions, said Walker, former head of the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the watchdog arm of Congress. “America is at a crossroads,” he said. “We have much to be proud of and much to be thankful for, but we have strayed” from the nation’s founding core values.

Voters should demand that candidates for elective office acknowledge the $53-trillion problem, change the nation’s tax policy and address entitlement programs such as Medicare and Social Security, he said. He added that the nation must no longer write a “blank check” when it comes to health-care costs. “If we don’t get health-care costs under control, we will bankrupt this country

two crows said...

hi, Jim--
I don't know nearly enough about the points you raise to be able to respond to them.

I do know how ANGRY I am about Social Security, generally. all those years when the boomers were paying into the fund and there was a huge surplus and Congress was recklessly spending it on everything else, I was saying there would be nothing left when it came time for us to retire.

now, here we are, nearing retirement age and, right on schedule, the BLAME THE BOOMERS folks are trotting out to say we're asking for a handout.

it's not a handout when you've PAID for it, goddammit!!!

but, they've blamed us for everything that has happened in the last 60+ years and it has worked so far. so, why not just keep doing it?

jmsjoin said...

two crows
You relax and have fun! I just better shut up because I know too much and it isn't good but oh well. You take care!