craigfarmer
Member
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2004
- Messages
- 175
- Reaction score
- 6
Senate passes a budget
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-03-17-medicaid-budget_x.htm
The budget passed by a Republican Senate containing over 2.6 trillion dollars in federal spending is the number one reason it will be exceedingly difficult for Democrats to ever become the majority party again. Our only realistic hope is that scandal scars the GOP.
Here is how large 2.6 trillion dollars is:
2,600,000,000,000
This is ten years after the "Republican Revolution".
This budget is a symbol of the Republican strategy for the last decade: adopt every positive liberal idea, and leave liberals and democrats with the most extreme parts of their agenda to argue for.
It's difficult to assert that the Republicans are cruel, against the poor, focused only on the wealthy, etc. WHEN IT'S NOT THE CASE. They are proposing to spend 2.6 TRILLION dollars.
Those looking closely will point to the various details of how certain programs are being underfunded or how some powerful lobby has an unfair advantage. Yet this Senate budget has an answer to that also. They reversed President Bush's proposed "cuts" in Medicaid spending. So now the Republicans have "stood up" for the poor. A few weeks ago, the President warned Congress not to cut the Medicare Prescription drug spending. This is a shell game.
As long as the millions of voters who claim to believe in smaller government don't hold so-called Conservatives accountable at the ballot box, Democrats can't win. Republican leaning liberals and moderates have ample evidence that the President and his party are compassionate and on their side. The small government conservatives have learned to be "adults". Liberals and democrats have to wonder where the tipping point is. At some point Republicans will have to choose left or right, but for now they choose both.
That's because while they borrow our popular ideas ranging from the rebate tax cut checks, to the Dept. of homeland security, federal role in education, more spending on healthcare, and on; they are steadily producing tax cuts, government deregulation, and other popular parts of their agenda.
Anytime they go too far. They simply flip flop and undo the damage.
You have to think what will ever fracture this coalition. What will be one step too far for some of the Republican base? Tax increases?
There's word that the President is willing to raise taxes on some to enact a Social Security plan. I would say that would never happen under a second Bush administration, but history may tell a different story.
Ronald Reagan whose nickname had to have tax cuts in it, raised taxes several times. And yes, once was to save Social Security. Imagine how grandiose the President who has firmly stood against higher taxes for anyone will look if/when he offers a compromise plan that includes tax increases.
The question for Democrats is whether the GOP is on to something? Is the best way to attain/retain power in America to support everything popular to deflect the attention, and then do as much of your agenda as possible? Thereby exploiting the reality that only the headlines matter?
What about when the popular item is the opposite of your agenda. How far is too far?
10 years ago when Republicans assumed control of the Congress, and five years ago when they completed control of the government, many predictions on the left were grim.
The truth is we as a country are more liberal now than then. Prescription drug benefit in Medicare, a consensus on civil unions, the death penalty being banned for minors and mentally ill, affirmative action allowed, a federal education law, and so on...
I know many of you are thinking about the details... or the REAL plan of the Republicans. You may be right, but if you fake something for such a long time eventually you become it.
I can only imagine how Newt Gingrich would be plotting to have a Conservative take-over, until he realized it was his side in power.
Craig Farmer
making the word "liberal" safe again!
go to:
http://www.newliberals.org to whole piece and solution!
supported soley by users clicking on sponsors ads.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-03-17-medicaid-budget_x.htm
The budget passed by a Republican Senate containing over 2.6 trillion dollars in federal spending is the number one reason it will be exceedingly difficult for Democrats to ever become the majority party again. Our only realistic hope is that scandal scars the GOP.
Here is how large 2.6 trillion dollars is:
2,600,000,000,000
This is ten years after the "Republican Revolution".
This budget is a symbol of the Republican strategy for the last decade: adopt every positive liberal idea, and leave liberals and democrats with the most extreme parts of their agenda to argue for.
It's difficult to assert that the Republicans are cruel, against the poor, focused only on the wealthy, etc. WHEN IT'S NOT THE CASE. They are proposing to spend 2.6 TRILLION dollars.
Those looking closely will point to the various details of how certain programs are being underfunded or how some powerful lobby has an unfair advantage. Yet this Senate budget has an answer to that also. They reversed President Bush's proposed "cuts" in Medicaid spending. So now the Republicans have "stood up" for the poor. A few weeks ago, the President warned Congress not to cut the Medicare Prescription drug spending. This is a shell game.
As long as the millions of voters who claim to believe in smaller government don't hold so-called Conservatives accountable at the ballot box, Democrats can't win. Republican leaning liberals and moderates have ample evidence that the President and his party are compassionate and on their side. The small government conservatives have learned to be "adults". Liberals and democrats have to wonder where the tipping point is. At some point Republicans will have to choose left or right, but for now they choose both.
That's because while they borrow our popular ideas ranging from the rebate tax cut checks, to the Dept. of homeland security, federal role in education, more spending on healthcare, and on; they are steadily producing tax cuts, government deregulation, and other popular parts of their agenda.
Anytime they go too far. They simply flip flop and undo the damage.
You have to think what will ever fracture this coalition. What will be one step too far for some of the Republican base? Tax increases?
There's word that the President is willing to raise taxes on some to enact a Social Security plan. I would say that would never happen under a second Bush administration, but history may tell a different story.
Ronald Reagan whose nickname had to have tax cuts in it, raised taxes several times. And yes, once was to save Social Security. Imagine how grandiose the President who has firmly stood against higher taxes for anyone will look if/when he offers a compromise plan that includes tax increases.
The question for Democrats is whether the GOP is on to something? Is the best way to attain/retain power in America to support everything popular to deflect the attention, and then do as much of your agenda as possible? Thereby exploiting the reality that only the headlines matter?
What about when the popular item is the opposite of your agenda. How far is too far?
10 years ago when Republicans assumed control of the Congress, and five years ago when they completed control of the government, many predictions on the left were grim.
The truth is we as a country are more liberal now than then. Prescription drug benefit in Medicare, a consensus on civil unions, the death penalty being banned for minors and mentally ill, affirmative action allowed, a federal education law, and so on...
I know many of you are thinking about the details... or the REAL plan of the Republicans. You may be right, but if you fake something for such a long time eventually you become it.
I can only imagine how Newt Gingrich would be plotting to have a Conservative take-over, until he realized it was his side in power.
Craig Farmer
making the word "liberal" safe again!
go to:
http://www.newliberals.org to whole piece and solution!
supported soley by users clicking on sponsors ads.
