Many lefty bloggers have explicitly accused the Republican Party of intentionally sabotaging the US economy for political gain. I am proud to be counted as one of them, and even predicted in 2007 that Republicans, knowing they were on the way out, would do just that so they could blame Democrats for mess and present themselves as saviors. I’m surprised and saddened that one virtually never hears such claims from our elected officials, until now, as Greg Sargent reports.
Today Senate Dems went there: They accused Republicans of deliberately sabotaging the economy in order to further their own political interests. And a senior Dem Senate aide tells me that Dems will not shy away from making that case in the weeks to come, if the Republicans keep blocking their efforts to spur job creation.
Senators Chuck Schumer and Dick Durbin made the charge in remarks to reporters today. Durbin said: “Unfortunately our Republican colleagues in the House and Senate are driven by putting one man out of work — President Obama.”
Schumer seconded:
“Do Republicans really oppose a tax cut for businesses that created jobs? This is sort of beyond the pale. If they oppose even something so suited to their tastes ideologically, it shows that they’re just opposing anything that helps create jobs. It almost makes you wonder if they aren’t trying to slow down the economic recovery for political gain.”
Schumer is referring to GOP opposition to a White House proposal for a new temporary payroll tax cut as a means for job creation. Dems want the idea included in the forthcoming deficit deal; Republicans have opposed it, arguing that what we need are permanent tax cuts. This, plus GOP opposition to reauthorization of the Economic Development Agency — which provides grants to local projects and once was supported by Republicans as good for job creation — finally prompted Dems to accuse Republicans today of deliberately trying to harm the economy for political reasons.
As Steve Benen points out, this represents the mainstreaming of an argument that had previously been made mostly by liberal bloggers and a few pundits: That Republicans are trying to hurt the economy on purpose. “At a minimum, it hardly seems unreasonable to call for some national discussion on this,” Benen notes… [emphasis added]
Inserted from <Washington Post>
Isn’t this way past due? On Monday Night, Ed Schultz joins with Bernie Sanders to put Republican economic policy in the trash where it belongs, and explain how Republicans are butchering the economy.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Democrats need to grow a pair and take off the gloves. Republicans will be in full attack mode with every lie they can imagine. This is too important a truth to ignore.
20 Responses to “The Liberal Bloggers Were Right!”
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Well Duh! Why is this such a revelation to read Schumer and the rest? They have been at this for 2.5 years now, why do you think they work so hard to keep taxes at 25% or less for them who ran up the damn bill?
It shouldn’t be, Mark, and I’m sure it wasn’t. They just refused to say so until now.
Obstrucionism at it’s very worst!
Yes!
Demand HONESTY above all else from your candidates! They need not be snide, nasty, belittling, but there are enough words in our English language to be blunt and direct about others BAD behavior and the reasons that behavior is BAD for US! (and I do not just mean honesty about their personal affairs…gutter honesty is not as important as street honesty that affects me…..if you get my point)!!!!!
That was my point exactly, Zada. For too long they have refused to tell it like it is, because of their tradition of congeniality.
Exactly Tom – well Duh! One of my points is that most dem supporters are fairly well informed!!!!
Maybe that’s why there are so few of us. 😉
And, as I point out in my current post, the majority of those Republican lies originate with those G%(^*! Koch Brothers!
What about the US Chamber?
It is about time , what has been so obvious for the past 2 + years is finally dawning on the Dems! The republican bullies have threatened and impeded every positive offered until now when the truth is hitting the slow witted over their collective heads! Zada said it well-
I think it dawned long ago, Phyllis. But the lite was obscured by a cloud of BS.
Way to go Tom! The truth always wins out when real facts are presented. That’s why I like your blog the best! I have said from the get-go that’s what this is about! (make Obama fail) Thank you! 😈
Off on another rant:” Make Obama fail” being the mantra of the GOP (Greedy Odd Puckers) now PROVES once & for all that ANY black has to be twice as good to get half as much credit. Some people HATE so MUCH, they’d rather see the entire USA fall on it’s knees than allow a BLACK MAN to solve the Nations problems/to unite the Nation/to show us another Way! I see no other explaination…NONE! It is 99% racial bias!
OMG— Zada in so right—I think it is about time for the real problem to be addressed- ; the Hate and Fear of this Black Man–
Folks, I think that has a lot to do with it, but I don’t see it as a root cause. The Republican root causes are greed and lust for power. Appealing to racism is a means of achieving it, and a successful black president might shrink their racist base.
You’re right<TomCat! The racism is a tool, kinda like a pry bar, to get more votes to stay in power. 👿
Exactly!
This is simply unacceptable – the longer the Repubs are in the House and /or Senate, this is how things will continue to be, The rich will will get richer and the rest of us will suffer un-imaginable loses. If we continue down this path, even the rich will be affected because there will be no middle class. Unacceptable. 😡
Good things don’t happen when pyramids are built upside down.