A few months ago, on the heels of President Obama’s stirring appearance at the National Correspondent’s Dinner, I encouraged him to be more available. I encouraged him to not only be seen more often, but to be assertive in his criticism of those Republican rivals being actively disingenuous or flat-out lying. Now would be a good time for the president read it.
The Republicans are primed for public humiliation of epic proportion. Their media empire is crumbling upon it’s yellow foundations and elected Republican officials on state and national levels are engaged in folly that makes the demented pundits of the right seem nearly sane (I take that last bit back, considering the uproar over Michelle Obama eating a hamburger, but still…).
The moment is especially perfect because the debt ceiling debate must be resolved soon (the President has threatened to continue negotiations through the weekend), and Republican politics throughout these negotiations have exceeded credulity. Who agrees to negotiations and then refuses to negotiate? They didn’t really even need to negotiate: the president offered $4 trillion in spending cuts from government programs in exchange for $1 trillion in tax hikes on the wealthiest Americans and corporations exploiting loopholes and sweetheart deals, and the Republicans refused. Imagine passing on four dollars for one in return. It seems, based on that logic, that if the president offered $4 trillion in spending cuts for a single dollar to be paid personally by Warren Buffet, the Republicans would refuse. They are holding the American economy, and therefore the American people, hostage for ideological purposes. And that’s what the Republican Party has become in the age of Obama: ideologues. They put conservatism ahead of patriotism. They have no ideas and no sense of decency or democracy. They need to be publically called out. Now. And the president is the man who needs to do it.
He needs to get up on the presidential platform and do the following:
- Remind America how we got into this economic mess and how many Republicans, including their current leadership, were “Government Spenders Gone Wild” during the Bush administration, a time when “deficits didn’t matter” according to Vice President Cheney.
- Inform America of how many jobs were created vs. how many were lost in the aftermath of the Bush tax cuts. Debunk the rhetoric that that tax hikes on the wealthy would “kill jobs.”
- Tell America about the sweetheart deal you offered the Republicans and why they passed.
- Detail to America the consequences if the debt ceiling isn’t raised, the reality of ceased payments to our seniors, military, government employees, the poor, the ill, etc.
- Explain to America about the damage to be wrought upon their savings and retirement portfolios and property value and respective loans.
- Tell America about how many jobs will be lost if the debt ceiling isn’t raised.
- Finally, explain to America how low our current tax rates are compared to the rest of the developed world and also compared to recent American history. And how, as a result, wealth is being disproportionately distributed to the wealthy, while the overall economy of the rest of America suffers.
Get patriotic. Come up with an “Ask not what your country…” line (don’t ask me to come up with it, though, I’ve done enough for you already). This is not humiliation for humiliation’s sake. This is humiliation for the good of the country. This is sunlight as antiseptic. This will be good for future Republicans who actually want to be part of the American conversation. The current Republicans have become a pack of ideological bullies operating in the shadows of misinformation, ideology, and political calculation; thankfully, the President of the United States has the best bully pulpit on the face of the earth and, with it, the power to bring a whole lot of sun. So, bring it, man. Bring it.
—Photo Flickr/The U.S. Army
About Andrew Cotto
Andrew, thanks for describing the current crisis in terms that people can understand. Republicans want to get rid of Obama so badly, they are willing to throw out the baby w/the bath water. The way they behave is sinful.
We need you to keep people informed so they can see the truth of what is. I look forward to more of your writings.
Thank you, Pat. Your points are well taken about ideology and politics. I appreciate your encouragement. I’ll keep at it.
Best,
Andrew
I am not exactly pleased with the outcome of the debt ceiling negotiation (a ‘super congress’?), but your points are worth refuting:
= Remind America how we got into this economic mess and how many Republicans, including their current leadership, were “Government Spenders Gone Wild” during the Bush administration, a time when “deficits didn’t matter” according to Vice President Cheney.
The argument that ‘deficits didn’t matter’ was only valid (if at all) when the debt-to-GDP ratio was so low. I am on record at chastising the Republicans for their foolish spending habits, but what was spent in 2000-2008 has been eclipsed several times over since 2009.
= Inform America of how many jobs were created vs. how many were lost in the aftermath of the Bush tax cuts. Debunk the rhetoric that that tax hikes on the wealthy would “kill jobs.”
Pardon me, but what was the unemployment rate until 2007? Many jobs were created, to the point that most economics considered we were at full-employment (unemployment rate of 5% or less). When Bush Administration moved to rein in FANNY MAE/FREDDIE MAC, they were attacked for being against the poor. Look what happened to the housing market.
= Tell America about the sweetheart deal you offered the Republicans and why they passed.
Detail to America the consequences if the debt ceiling isn’t raised, the reality of ceased payments to our seniors, military, government employees, the poor, the ill, etc.
Since our monthly tax collections (what Liberals call ‘revenue’) was and remains higher than our monthly outlays, this ruse was easily dismissed.
=Explain to America about the damage to be wrought upon their savings and retirement portfolios and property value and respective loans.
I can use the same argument when considering the increased tax rates.
= Tell America about how many jobs will be lost if the debt ceiling isn’t raised.
Using one of your earlier points, how many jobs have been created since 2009?
= Finally, explain to America how low our current tax rates are compared to the rest of the developed world and also compared to recent American history. And how, as a result, wealth is being disproportionately distributed to the wealthy, while the overall economy of the rest of America suffers.
The top 5% of income earners contribute 40% of the taxes collected. The bottom 50% pay no taxes. Exactly how is this ratio wrong?
Charlie,
Thanks for writing in. With all due respect, I think you’ve proven my point: people need to be informed of the facts. Your general premise is that “what was spent in 2000-2008 has been eclipsed several times over since 2009.” That’s an amazing fallacy. The Bush administration inherited a surplus, spent that and then accumulated what accounts to 4/5ths of what our national debt is today (see: two sets of tax cuts, two wars, prescription drug plan, and the reckless spending you previously “chastised” Republicans for – also see the CBO for figures for empirical evidence). The Obama admin share, beyond regular government spending, is the stimulus plan and other recession-related bailouts. The housing bubble blossomed and popped under Bush; Obama got the muck on his face). And please don’t put the whole blame on Fannie Freddie (which was operating under the Bush admin at the time of their contribution) – all the national lenders, public and private, contributed to the housing crisis, which was a product of deregulation marshaled in by the same Republicans who were spending like mad between 2000-2008.
Equating government default with a return to pre-Bush tax rates is as feeble as your notion that the bottom 50% of American earners pay NO taxes. The tax codes under President Clinton, enacted by President Bush (41), brought a surplus and millions of jobs. How has our economy responded to the cuts? Do you still believe in the absurdity of trickle down economics? The notion that those top 5% of earners will spend enough of their extra money to create enough jobs to keep Americans employed? How has that worked so far?
The economy tanked under Obama. But do you recall the absolute crisis that preceded his inauguration? The panic on Wall St? Candidate McCain suspending his campaign to rush to Washington to address this immediate matter of national importance?
Face it, Charlie: we are in an economic hangover from the Bush years. Republican posturing and absurdity in the face of this crisis is a disgrace. They offer no ideas beyond cutting spending, which, alone, will not solve the problem. See the irony?
This is not ideology were debating here, Charlie. It’s math and history, which really shouldn’t be open to debate. Hence, the point of my article.
Andrew
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