We offered, you refused
Dear Republicans and/or conservatives,
I don’t know how to break this to you, since you obviously haven’t figured it out yourselves yet, but it’s starting to become a problem. So here it goes.
You lost.
Last November, the American people took a good hard look at where your ideas and policies have taken us, and decided, as they say in showbiz, “to go a different way.” It’s not that we didn’t understand your position, it’s just that, well, we’re just not that into you.
I know it hurts. I know you’re used to throwing your weight around and getting your way. But that’s just not going to happen anymore. Democrats, liberals and other folks you’ve spent the last three decades demonizing are calling the shots now. It’s over.
It didn’t have to be like this. President Obama (gee, I just love saying that) and the rest of the Democratic leadership tried to reach across the aisle. They asked for your input into how we should go about fixing the mess you put us in. We tried, so very hard, to be not bipartisan, but post–partisan. We wanted your help.
What we got instead was a bunch of petulant prima donnas stomping their feet, holding their breath and shouting “NO!” at the top of their lungs at anything and everything. In the greatest crisis most Americans have seen in their lifetimes, Republicans have opted to act like three-year-olds. Well, that’s your call.
But here’s how it’s going to go down. We’re going to fix this country with or without you. We’re going to do what’s necessary, even if it’s not popular. We’re going to raise taxes to pay for necessary infrastructure. We’re going to spend taxpayer money to create jobs. We’re going to negotiate with other countries rather than just waving bombs at them. And we’re going to see if just maybe you create fewer terrorists by building schools than by blowing them up.
And as we do this, you will have no input and no choice. This is entirely your own doing. We asked for your input, and the only thing you offered was the same tired and thoroughly discredited ideas that got us into this mess in the first place. Let me be very clear. Neocon ideology, of prosperity through tax cuts for the rich and peace through belligerent nationalism, is has been proven just as wrong as the flat Earth theory. We don’t believe the sun revolves around the Earth, and we don’t believe in Reaganomics. The extreme version of conservatism espoused by the Republican party has been proven to be wrong. It simply doesn’t work. So we’re not going to do that anymore.
And as long as that’s all you’re willing to bring to the table, you will remain in exile, ignored and irrelevant. If we have to, we’ll start forcing you to actually filibuster the bills you want to force to 60 votes and show the Americans you supposedly represent how you’re trying to hurt them for your own political gain. It’s sad, but it’s your own decision. When you’re willing to act like adults and have a serious discussion about our serious problems, we’ll be here. But we’re not holding our breath.
That’s f*ckin right, you tell ‘em Jeff.
Amen!
Here here. Although I’m a bit worried about this first attempt at fixing the economy I’m well aware it’s a “we need to do something right now, it ain’t great but it’s a start” move. Don’t get me started on tickle down bullshitenomics. I work for a company that is so small it would never effect them but they still believe whole heartedly in it. It makes me sick as they lay people off to hire engineers. Engineers which are being managed into uselessness.
OK, no ranting from me. Well said Jeff.
Wow. I was following a link in search of a GTD implementation method for WinMobile 6 and instead I’m shot in the face with childish partisan vitriol. You know Jeff, there are many decaffeinated brands that taste just as good as the real thing. –GB
Jeff, your post is needlessly immature. I occasionally check your site for info on mobile computing issues; I have other sites I use for political insights.
When exactly did Nancy Pelosi meet with the Republican leadership to compromise on any issues with the bailout of $700B+ ?
When the Democrats were in the minority, I recall there was constant criticism of Republican policies. Partisan politics is the push and pull of contrasting ideas. I recall that much of the liberal criticism lacked basic civility, i.e., Bush=Liar; Bush=Hitler; General BetrayUs
–Jack
Gurn, Jack, sorry y’all feel that way. I stand by what I said, though. Obama said, “It’s the responsibility of the majority to be inclusive, but it’s the responsibility of the minority to be constructive.” As long as the Republicans don’t have anything to say but “no no no”, they’re going to be marginalized and ignored. Come up with some constructive ideas, and we’ll listen. We’ve already tried “get government out of the way and let private industry do everything for profit” and we know that doesn’t work. Come up with something else.
Jeff, the House Republicans had a plan that was not well covered in the media. Using the same economic model that President Obama used, the Republican plan would have created 2x as many jobs at half the cost.
Just because you were not aware of the Republican plan does not mean they were not trying to be constructive; they didn’t agree with the spending bill where most of the authorized spending doesn’t even occur until 2011.
The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) determined the large spending plan that passed will be a net negative to the economy. The CBO stated that only a small portion of this huge spending bill could be considered stimulating for jobs.
Most of the spending increases were for the majority’s preferred social programs that have a tangential relationship to an immediate stimulus to the economy and should have been considered in the usual appropriation process in Congress rather than for an emergency stimulus plan. — Jack
Brilliant! I think you said what all of us were thinking so clearly! That was an awesome way to put it! Nice going Jeff!