the GOP has blocked pro-growth policy and backed job-killing austerity

[nitroz]

Did Republicans deliberately crash the US economy? | Michael Cohen | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk



So why does the US economy stink?

Why has job creation in America slowed to a crawl? Why, after several months of economic hope, are things suddenly turning sour? The culprits might seem obvious – uncertainty in Europe, an uneven economic recovery, fiscal and monetary policymakers immobilized and incapable of acting. But increasingly, Democrats are making the argument that the real culprit for the country's economic woes lies in a more discrete location: with the Republican Party.

In recent days, Democrats have started coming out and saying publicly what many have been mumbling privately for years – Republicans are so intent on defeating President Obama for re-election that they are purposely sabotaging the country's economic recovery. These charges are now being levied by Democrats such as Senate majority leader Harry Reid and Obama's key political adviser, David Axelrod.

For Democrats, perhaps the most obvious piece of evidence of GOP premeditated malice is the 2010 quote from Senate minority leader, Mitch McConnell:

"The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president."

Moderation: Edited for length... ONLY post the fist couple paragraphs.

 

[Truthmatters]

The GOP wants to empower foriegn money to influence our democracy

 

[SniperFire]

You can come along for the ride, but you are going to have to sit in the back seat.

The adults will soon be in charge.

 

[Stephanie]

this AGAIN

 

[nitroz]

this AGAIN

Well, what do you think the problem is?

How do you think the all mighty and powerful GOP and Republican party is going to save us all and improve our economy?


If they fail, I demand $4,000 a month (with value compensation since inflation will happen), Benefits, etc.

 

[occupied]

The republicans are yet to explain how throwing thousands of government employees out of work while doing nothing to create or protect a job for them in the private sector is supposed to stimulate the economy.

 

[Truthmatters]

they only seek to weaken the government of the US.

why?

so they can drown it in the bathtub as planned

 

[Truthmatters]

What happens to a country that only lowers taxes and NEVER raises them?

it dies

 

[California Girl]

this AGAIN

Well, what do you think the problem is?

How do you think the all mighty and powerful GOP and Republican party is going to save us all and improve our economy?


If they fail, I demand $4,000 a month (with value compensation since inflation will happen), Benefits, etc.

I think the problem is you can't tell the difference between a blog and a legitimate OpEd. And it's from the (notoriously left wing) Guardian... therefore it is biased.

The GOP is not gonna 'save us' and improve our economy... any more than the Democrats will. You clearly don't understand how we got here (clue: it wasn't the GOP or the Dems that did it)... and until the country understands why we are where we are, we don't stand a snowball's chance in hell of working our way out.

 

[Too Tall]

Did Republicans deliberately crash the US economy? | Michael Cohen | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk



So why does the US economy stink?

Why has job creation in America slowed to a crawl? Why, after several months of economic hope, are things suddenly turning sour? The culprits might seem obvious – uncertainty in Europe, an uneven economic recovery, fiscal and monetary policymakers immobilized and incapable of acting. But increasingly, Democrats are making the argument that the real culprit for the country's economic woes lies in a more discrete location: with the Republican Party.

In recent days, Democrats have started coming out and saying publicly what many have been mumbling privately for years – Republicans are so intent on defeating President Obama for re-election that they are purposely sabotaging the country's economic recovery. These charges are now being levied by Democrats such as Senate majority leader Harry Reid and Obama's key political adviser, David Axelrod.

For Democrats, perhaps the most obvious piece of evidence of GOP premeditated malice is the 2010 quote from Senate minority leader, Mitch McConnell:

"The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president."

Such words lead some to the conclusion that Republicans will do anything, including short-circuiting the economy, in order to hurt Obama politically. Considering that presidents – and rarely opposition parties – are held electorally responsible for economic calamity, it's not a bad political strategy.

Then again, it's a hard accusation to prove: after all, one person's economic sabotage is another person's principled anti-government conservatism.

Beyond McConnell's words, though, there is circumstantial evidence to make the case. Republicans have opposed a lion's share of stimulus measures that once they supported, such as a payroll tax break, which they grudgingly embraced earlier this year. Even unemployment insurance, a relatively uncontroversial tool for helping those in an economic downturn, has been consistently held up by Republicans or used as a bargaining chip for more tax cuts. Ten years ago, prominent conservatives were loudly making the case for fiscal stimulus to get the economy going; today, they treat such ideas like they're the plague.

Traditionally, during economic recessions, Republicans have been supportive of loose monetary policy. Not this time. Rather, Republicans have upbraided Ben Bernanke, head of the Federal Reserve, for even considering policies that focus on growing the economy and creating jobs.

And then, there is the fact that since the original stimulus bill passed in February of 2009, Republicans have made practically no effort to draft comprehensive job creation legislation. Instead, they continue to pursue austerity policies, which reams of historical data suggest harms economic recovery and does little to create jobs. In fact, since taking control of the House of Representatives in 2011, Republicans have proposed hardly a single major jobs bill that didn't revolve, in some way, around their one-stop solution for all the nation's economic problems: more tax cuts.

Still, one can certainly argue – and Republicans do – that these steps are all reflective of conservative ideology. If you view government as a fundamentally bad actor, then stopping government expansion is, on some level, consistent.

So, let's put aside the conspiracy theories for a moment, and look more closely at how the country is faring under the GOP's economic leadership.

As Paul Krugman wrote earlier this week, in the New York Times, while a Democrat rests his head each night in the White House, the United States is currently operating with a Republican economy. After winning the House of Representatives in 2010, the GOP brokered a deal to keep the Bush tax cuts in place, which has reduced the tax burden as a percentage of GDP to its lowest point since Harry Truman sat in the White House. At the insistence of the White House, Congress also agreed to extend unemployment benefits and enact a payroll tax cut – measures that provided a small but important stimulus to the economy, but above all, maintained the key GOP position that taxes must never go up.

But as Congress giveth, Congress also taketh. The GOP's zealotry on tax cuts is only matched by its zealotry in pursuing austerity policies. In the spring of 2011, federal spending cuts forced by Republican legislators took much-needed money out of the economy: combined with the 2012 budget, it has largely counteracted the positive benefits provided by the 2009 stimulus.

Subsequently, the GOP's refusal to countenance legislation that would help states with their own fiscal crises (largely, the result of declining tax revenue) has led to massive public sector layoffs at the state and local level. In fact, since Obama took office, state and local governments have shed 611,000 jobs; and by some measures, if not for these jobs, cuts the unemployment rate today would be closer to 7%, not its current 8.2%. In 2010 and 2011, 457,00 public sector jobs were excised; not coincidentally, at the same time, much of the federal stimulus aid from 2009 ran out. And Republicans took over control of Congress.

These cuts have a larger societal impact. When teachers are laid off, for example (and nearly 200,000 have lost their jobs), it means larger class sizes, other teachers being overworked and after-school classes being cancelled. So, ironically, a policy that is intended to save "our children and grandchildren" from "crushing debt" is leaving them worse-prepared for the actual economic and social challenges they will face in the future. In addition, with states operating under tighter fiscal budgets – and getting no hope relief from Washington – it means less money for essential government services, like help for the elderly, the poor and the disabled.

This is the most obvious example of how austerity policies are not only harming America's present, but also imperilling its future. And these spending cuts on the state and local level are matched by a complete lack of fiscal expansion on the federal level. In fact, fiscal policy is now a drag on the recovery, which is the exact opposite of how it should work, given a sluggish economy.

This collection of more-harm-than-good policies must also include last summer's debt limit debacle, which House speaker John Boehner has threatened to renew this year. This was yet another GOP initiative that undermined the economic recovery. According to economists Betsey Stevenson and Justin Wolfers, "over the entire episode, confidence declined more than it did following the collapse of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc in 2008." Only after the crisis did the consumer confidence stabilize, but employers "held back on hiring, sapping momentum from a recovery that remains far too fragile." In addition, the debt limit deal also forced more unhelpful spending cuts on the country.

Since that national embarrassment, Republicans have refused to even allow votes on President Obama's jobs bill in the Senate; they dragged their feet on the aforementioned payroll tax and even now are holding up a transportation bill with poison-pill demands for the White House on environmental regulation.

Yet, with all these tales of economic ineptitude emanating from the GOP, it is Obama who is bearing most of the blame for the country's continued poor economic performance.

Whether you believe the Republicans are engaging in purposely destructive fiscal behavior or are simply fiscally incompetent, it almost doesn't matter. It most certainly is bad economic policy and that should be part of any national debate not only on who is to blame for the current economic mess, but also what steps should be taken to get out from underneath it.

But don't hold your breath on that happening. Presidents get blamed for a bad economy; and certainly, Republicans are unlikely to take responsibility for the country's economic woes. The obligation will be on Obama to make the case that it is the Republicans, not he, who is to blame – a difficult, but not impossible task.

In the end, that might be the worst part of all – one of two major political parties in America is engaging in scorched-earth economic policies that are undercutting the economic recovery, possibly on purpose, and is forcing job-killing austerity measures on the states. And they have paid absolutely no political price for doing so. If anything, it won them control of the House in 2010, and has kept win Obama's approval ratings in the political danger zone. It might even help them get control of the White House.

Sabotage or not, it's hard to argue with "success" – and it's hard to imagine we've seen the last of it, whoever wins in November.




By voting for Mittens, all it will do is screw us over even more. Mittens and the GOP are working together. He is funded by the republicans and GOP because he is an investment for them, financially. It's been proven that they don't do jack shit for the economy, they just stuff as much money into their pockets as they can as if there is no tomorrow.
Why aren't we holding them responsible for their mess?

Republicans have a majority in 1/2 of 1/3 of the government.

I will 'splain it for the brain impaired. There are three co-equal branches of the US government. Legislative, Executive and Judicial. The House of Representatives, a majority of the seats held by Republicans, is 1/2 of the Legislative branch. The Senate, a majority being held by Democrats, is the other half.

The Executive branch is held by a Democrat, and the Supreme court is non-partisan and does not make economic policy.

A pissant blaming the Republicans is ludicrous.

 

[Stephanie]

The republicans are yet to explain how throwing thousands of government employees out of work while doing nothing to create or protect a job for them in the private sector is supposed to stimulate the economy.

no one told these people to take a job in Government. They can do like the rest of would if laid off, go find another job, it's not the Governments job to do it for them. How special do these people think they are?

 

[California Girl]

The republicans are yet to explain how throwing thousands of government employees out of work while doing nothing to create or protect a job for them in the private sector is supposed to stimulate the economy.

Oh finally! A smart point... and one that I completely agree with. Congrats.

 

[Too Tall]

What happens to a country that only lowers taxes and NEVER raises them?

it dies

That is true only if some batshit crazy President submits a trillion dollar deficit for 3 years in a row. And intends to continue doing the same for the next 4 years.

 

[California Girl]

The republicans are yet to explain how throwing thousands of government employees out of work while doing nothing to create or protect a job for them in the private sector is supposed to stimulate the economy.

no one told these people to take a job in Government. They can do like the rest of would if laid off, go find another job, it's not the Governments job to do it for them. How special do these people think they are?

Actually, Steph, it's a legitimate point. Canning public sector jobs is a good thing... if the private sector can absorb the jobs... currently, it cannot. And that is something that needs to be addressed. Unfortunately, neither the GOP or the Dems has a decent solution to it. The difference between Occupied and myself is that I suspect he will think the Dems have the solution... and I think that Romney is the best person to give that task to.

 

[Too Tall]

The republicans are yet to explain how throwing thousands of government employees out of work while doing nothing to create or protect a job for them in the private sector is supposed to stimulate the economy.

Oh finally! A smart point... and one that I completely agree with. Congrats.

I have been laid off three times from employers in the private sector and the government didn't get me another job. I did! And, I was not thrown out of work as the pissant calls it. Two of the three times I was laid off were in California, and layoff was by seniority, as in union rules. The union didn't help me get another job. Do you think they should have?

 

[blackhawk]

Didn't Obama get the stimulus that was supposed to keep unemployment under 8% and create millions of shovel ready jobs passed? Didn't he get really everything passed during his first two year's in office that he wanted? Those policies did not work out very well and now you want to pass more of them brilliant.

 

[occupied]

The republicans are yet to explain how throwing thousands of government employees out of work while doing nothing to create or protect a job for them in the private sector is supposed to stimulate the economy.

no one told these people to take a job in Government. They can do like the rest of would if laid off, go find another job, it's not the Governments job to do it for them. How special do these people think they are?

The question should be, why are they not as special as anyone who works for a living? These are real people with real lives, disrupting their lives for an entirely arbitrary reason that hurts far more than it helps is no way to run things. No one likes to hear tales of companies laying off and going away, it sucks for the economy, yet this is the stated policy of republicans who relish the idea of arbitrarily closing down a vast section of our economy to save the billionaires a relatively petty amount.

 

[buckeye45_73]

The GOP wants to empower foriegn money to influence our democracy

you do liberals just make shit up? Uh Democrats have had waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more foreign money in elections. They had Gore's Budhist temple friends, Clinton had Chiese money in elections. I mean after all socialists stick together no matter what country they're in.

 

[Stephanie]

The republicans are yet to explain how throwing thousands of government employees out of work while doing nothing to create or protect a job for them in the private sector is supposed to stimulate the economy.

no one told these people to take a job in Government. They can do like the rest of would if laid off, go find another job, it's not the Governments job to do it for them. How special do these people think they are?

The question should be, why are they not as special as anyone who works for a living? These are real people with real lives, disrupting their lives for an entirely arbitrary reason that hurts far more than it helps is no way to run things. No one likes to hear tales of companies laying off and going away, it sucks for the economy, yet this is the stated policy of republicans who relish the idea of arbitrarily closing down a vast section of our economy to save the billionaires a relatively petty amount.

To save the billonaires, it's us taxpayers who pay their salaries and we can't afford it anymore with out this bloated Government wanting TO tax us more...sorry they are getting laid off, but so do a lot of people who DON'T work off the taxpayers backs

 

[occupied]

no one told these people to take a job in Government. They can do like the rest of would if laid off, go find another job, it's not the Governments job to do it for them. How special do these people think they are?

The question should be, why are they not as special as anyone who works for a living? These are real people with real lives, disrupting their lives for an entirely arbitrary reason that hurts far more than it helps is no way to run things. No one likes to hear tales of companies laying off and going away, it sucks for the economy, yet this is the stated policy of republicans who relish the idea of arbitrarily closing down a vast section of our economy to save the billionaires a relatively petty amount.

To save the billonaires, it's us taxpayers who pay their salaries and we can't afford it anymore with out this bloated Government wanting TO tax us more...sorry they are getting laid off, but so do a lot of people who DON'T work off the taxpayers backs

Republicans disproportionately target tax cuts towards the 1%. They could at least cut stuff and then pass the savings on to the rich, they are doing it backwards.