The Republican brand
The most profile serving Republican,
House Republican Leader John Boehner was among the immediate critics of Obama's plans, saying lawmakers "should start listening to the American people, who do not believe increasing government spending is the best way to put our economy back on track.".
Instead, Boehner wants to eliminate the capital gains tax.
posted by mikevotes at
1:48 PM
6 Comments:
As Obama puts together his A-list economics team and as Americans begin to look toward him positively as their president, I wonder how relevant Boehner will be. As Obama and his team put together bold plans, whiny Republican cranks like Boenher, with their tired, threadbare rescue-the-rich policies will increasingly appear not only irrelevant, but ridiculous.
When Americans begin to remember what competent, intelligent government looks like, it's my hope they'll be ready to finally suck up the civic maturity to dump these sniping, destructive cranks.
By
-epm, at 3:06 PM
Yeah.
I'm sorta waiting to see when the popular wave for personal savings plans begins.
And when the media push for bringing ordinary manufacturing back to the US starts.
By
r8r, at 3:31 PM
EPM, it's one of those "how out of touch are they" things that Boehner is saying cap gains cuts are popular among the country. How far in the bubble are the Republicans?
....
r8r, One of those great ironies is that they were talking "personal savings plans" (privatizing social security or invested healthcare accounts) right up into the election.
What would have happened if x percent of social security money had been in personal accounts that could invest in the market? The bubble would have been bigger, and the price collapse, and the damage it's done would likely have hit the poorer and less educated harder.
The Repubs really need to go back to the drawing board. They're really only talking about issues for the 100K and up set, with virtually antagonistic policies towards 60% of the country.
By
mikevotes, at 3:51 PM
Mike, there's an added dimension to the out of touch - bubble thing. With GWB as president the congressional Repubs didn't seem as out of touch (or fringe-dwelling), because they and the executive branch were self validating. With Obama in the WH, the same Repub talking points from Boehner and his ilk, will suddenly seem comically, tragically, absurd.
The absurdity isn't revealed not so much by Boehner's blather, but by the contrast with a newly rational, competent and respected Executive branch.
By
-epm, at 8:09 PM
Mike - yes, I'm quite aware of the bullet we managed to dodge: the effort to privatize Social Security nearly happened. Our current mess would only have been deeper if it had.
What I'm talking about is the need for people who aren't in the habit of saving money to start doing so. To set something aside for the inevitable rainy day has gone out of style in the last 30 to 40 years, and I think it definitely should return. People need to learn how to live within their means.
Saving money is part of an overall recovery picture. Another major part, I feel, is bringing manufacturing back inside the US borders.
By
r8r, at 9:09 PM
EPM, definitely, but it's not only the presidency, although that played a huge part, it was also the lobbyists, interest groups, fundraisers, talking heads, etc. They were in Washington long enough, and in power long enough, that they became created their own bubble.
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r8r, Yeah. Agreed. The only problem with your very important idea is that their are strong interests against it. Our entire culture has become subsumed in consumption. Even the popular church people now preach a breed of wealth based faith.
And, I have major post I've never put up on the 5 stages of the imperial economy. I fully agree that our nation would be far stronger bringing back manufacturing, that's always right near an empire's peak, but to get there we'll have to go back a stage and a half or so from "service economy," back through "financial economy" or find some way to bridge the three.
Manufacturing is essential for a strong country.
By
mikevotes, at 9:40 PM
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