Krugman:
Getting to CrazyThe last paragraphs of this piece really lay out the problem.
<...>
Recently, however, all restraint has vanished — indeed, it has been driven out of the party. Last year Mitch McConnell, the Senate minority leader, asserted that the Bush tax cuts
actually increased revenue — a claim completely at odds with the evidence — and also declared that this was “the view of virtually every Republican on that subject.” And it’s true: even Mr. Romney, widely regarded as the most sensible of the contenders for the 2012 presidential nomination, has
endorsed the view that tax cuts can actually reduce the deficit.
<...>
Here’s the point: those within the G.O.P. who had misgivings about the embrace of tax-cut fanaticism might have made a stronger stand if there had been any indication that such fanaticism came with a price, if outsiders had been willing to condemn those who took irresponsible positions.
But there has been no such price. Mr. Bush squandered the surplus of the late Clinton years, yet prominent pundits pretend that the two parties share equal blame for our debt problems. Paul Ryan, the chairman of the House Budget Committee,
proposed a supposed deficit-reduction plan that included huge tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy, then
received an award for fiscal responsibility.
So
there has been no pressure on the G.O.P. to show any kind of responsibility, or even rationality — and sure enough, it has gone off the deep end. If you’re surprised, that means that you were part of the problem.
Think about where this country is. There were always more progressives in the House Democratic caucus, and that number has grown. In fact, the Progressive Caucus outnumbered the blue dogs during the last Congress. There are more Democrats, even among Senators, who support marriage equality. That is in stark contrast to 1990. There are more pro labor Senators. President Obama has been able to reverse or is making progress toward reversing/improving many of the damaging policies of the last 40 years, and he's doing it with little to no Repubican support.
It doesn't matter how much the country tries to move left, Republicans continue to test the electorate with every right wing policy they can advance. They go unchallenged, and as Krugman stated, they even get rewarded. Keep electing them and Democrats have to deal with them. House Democrats can't pass a bill on their own. The good thing is that it appears Boehner doesn't have control over his caucus.
Still, there would not be a debate about the debt ceiling with Nancy Pelosi as Speaker.
When the GOP gained control of the House, it was just another opportunity for them to move further toward crazy.
Imagine if they had gained control of the Senate.
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
