Thursday, January 20, 2011

Time For Republicans To Govern

Democrats have always had trouble getting their members on the same page.  Getting Democrat legislators to stay on message is like trying to herd cats.  You can never get them all moving in the same direction.

Republicans on the other hand have always been very good at staying on message.  In 2009 and 2010 they embarked on a strict path of obstructionist politics.  Their message was simple: “No”.  Just say no every policy initiative put forth by the newly elected President and his Democratic controlled Congress.  They were very effective.  They stayed on message and road that horse to what the President referred to as the “shellacking” of his party in the 2010 mid-terms.  Their sweeping victory emboldened them to proclaim that they would change the way Washington works.  They would reduce the size of government and take substantive steps to cut the deficit.  One Republican Congressman was so swept up in the euphoria that he proclaimed that his party would “propose a debt reducing piece of legislation each week that they were in session.”

 Republicans are now officially in control of the House.  So let us now review the sweeping new deficit cutting, big government reducing plans they are proposing.

Waiting!

Oh, that’s right…they said they would cut discretionary spending starting with the Congressional budget.  Great!  Unfortunately cutting discretionary spending is like plucking a grain of sand out of the Sahara and expecting to see a change in the landscape.

Still waiting!

Oh, that’s right….Republicans have been busy since their installation repealing President Obama’s Job killing Health Care Reform Act. But they offered no alternative plan to cut skyrocketing health care costs.  Furthermore, everyone knows this vote was just a charade to appease their Tea Party handlers.  The vote has little if any chance to pass the Senate and zero chance to clear a Presidential veto.

So what else have they proposed?

Nothing!  They have proposed absolutely nothing.  In fact Eric Cantor, the number two Republican in the House, was asked to describe in detail the specific measures that Republicans intended to offer. He said “we are waiting for the President to offer his proposals and then we will comment on them.”  In other words the Republicans will wait for the President to put forth what everyone knows will be difficult unpopular cuts in the budget and then they will blame him for the fallout. Perfect! Staying right on message another Republican said “we can’t do anything until the President speaks.  We don’t control the government, the President does.” Someone obviously didn’t do well in his civics class.

The polls already show that the country is tired of waiting.  According to the NBC News/ Wall Street Journal poll issued today, the President’s approval rating has jumped to 53% right along with the disapproval rating of House Republicans.  Obama’s high marks stem from his successes in the lame duck Congress and no doubt from his inspirational eulogy in Tucson.  People like to see things getting done.  The voters like this President but feel the newly elected Republicans are off to a bad start.

Operating as the party of “No” is not working anymore.  It is time to govern.  And with the next election season a few short months away, Republicans might want come up with some concrete ideas soon.  Very, very soon.    

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