Robert Reich echoed what I said yesterday. Now I don’t think for a minute that he is aware of what I said, but it’s heartening to see my views reflected in someone I respect. The point is this. Giving in to Republican terrorists (he calls them bullies) just encourages them to keep taking hostages. Here’s his take on it.
When I was a small boy I was bullied more than most, mainly because I was a foot shorter than everyone else. They demanded the cupcake my mother had packed in my lunchbox, or, they said, they’d beat me up. After a close call in the boy’s room, I paid up. Weeks later, they demanded half my sandwich as well. I gave in to that one, too. But I could see what was coming next. They’d demand everything else. Somewhere along the line I decided I’d have a take a stand. The fight wasn’t pleasant. But the bullies stopped their bullying.
I hope the president decides he has to take a stand, and the sooner the better. Last December he caved in to Republican demands that the Bush tax cut be extended to wealthier Americans for two more years, at a cost of more than $60 billion. That was only the beginning — the equivalent of my cupcake.
Last night he gave away more than half the sandwich — $39 billion less than was budgeted for 2010, $79 billion less than he originally requested. Non-defense discretionary spending — basically, everything from roads and bridges to schools and innumerable programs for the poor — has been slashed.
The right-wing bullies are emboldened. They will hold the nation hostage again and again.
In a few weeks the debt ceiling has to be raised. After that, next year’s budget has to be decided on. House Budget Chair Paul Ryan has already put forward proposals to turn Medicare into vouchers that funnel money to private insurance companies, turn Medicaid and Food Stamps into block grants that give states discretion to shift them to the non-poor, and give even more big tax cuts to the rich.
There will also be Republican votes to defund the new health care law.
"Americans of different beliefs came together," the president announced after agreement was reached. It was the "largest spending cut in our history." He sounded triumphant. In fact, he’s encouraging the bullies onward.
All the while, he and the Democratic leadership in Congress refuse to refute the Republicans’ big lie — that spending cuts will lead to more jobs. In fact, spending cuts now will lead to fewer jobs. They’ll slow down an already-anemic recovery. That will cause immense and unnecessary suffering for millions of Americans.
The president continues to legitimize the Republican claim that too much government spending caused the economy to tank, and that by cutting back spending we’ll get the economy going again.
Even before the bullies began hammering him his deficit commission already recommended $3 of spending cuts for every dollar of tax increase. Then the President froze non-defense domestic spending and froze federal pay. And he continues to draw the false analogy between a family’s budget and the national budget.
He is losing the war of ideas because he won’t tell the American public the truth: That we need more government spending now — not less — in order to get out of the gravitational pull of the Great Recession.
That we got into the Great Recession because Wall Street went bonkers and government failed to do its job at regulating financial markets. And that much of the current deficit comes from the necessary response to that financial crisis.
That the only ways to deal with the long-term budget problem is to demand that the rich pay their fair share of taxes, and to slow down soaring health-care costs… [emphasis added]
Inserted from <Huffington Post>
I can’t help but remember the Barack Obama I saw in 2008, the Barack Obama that promised he would shame Republicans into supporting the American people by traveling to their home states and calling them out. That is the Barack Obama we need today, not the Barack Obama that rolls over, caves in, and pretends that getting his ass kicked (and ours with it) was a victory. Mr. President, take a stand!
10 Responses to “Obama, Take a Stand!”
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Agree.
Thanks Leslie.
The only upside I see is that when the Republicans implement their plans, people will see how harmful they are and vote them out in 2012. Death of a loved one denied health care, an elderly person who dies from lack of heat because fuel costs are skyrocketing, children starving because their only good meal of the day was at school and gov’t programs cut off the food programs in favor of keeping a teacher.
This has become a war where the casualties will mobilize the passions of people who actually care if people are in pain or die because a billionaire needs another limousine.
The Republicans’ last act will be them standing in Congress saying “Let them eat cake.” I hope we use the vote rather than the guillotine to remove them from office.
Marva, the only point in which I disagree is that rather that “Let them eat cake,” their sdwan song shouls be, “So be it!”
I don’t favor the guillotine, but it gives a better haircut than Ryan’s barber.
Perhaps he got just what he wanted. He’s not all that liberal, you know. Look at his actions, not his words.
Jerry, I called him a “centrist” repeatedly, before he was ever elected. He seems to be choosing a center just slightly to the right of Herbert Hoover.
We cannot sacrifice any more – the wealthy 1% need to join in, too, and NOW! We must stand firm and resist any and all efforts by the Republicans to excercise their twisted, fatal Contract ON America!
Jack, that it. This patient has almost bled out.
I agree with you Jerry – it is a Contract on America. They’re even recycling Newt’s lingo, which is scary enough. And the Dems, as usual are silent, except for Anthony Weiner of NY – he’s been on the shows a lot lately. I love him; he’s a straight talking, no BS NY’er and tells it like it is. Obama is going to have a Dem challenger here (if he does, let it be Alan Grayson please) if he doesn’t knock this shit off. I want to know what’s in the budget and not – and nobody is publishing it. Guess I’ll have to read it for myself.
Lisa, ar the risk of sounding sexist…
Weiner: good
Boner: bad