TPMDC
Top 5 Republican Retro Refrains They'll Sing For Recess
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) and Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA)
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For 18 months, Republicans have been torn between their ideological nature, and their need to appear different from the party that ended the Bush era in the crapper. In a sign of just how confident they feel that their electoral fortunes have turned, that tension is seemingly now gone. In the last two weeks, unabashed Republicans have started revealing the details of their governing agenda -- one that will be familiar to those who were alive between 1994 and 2006, and which remains broadly unpopular with voters.
In the words of Mitch McConnell, Republicans feel like they've gotten their groove back. After the jump we run through the top 5 Republican retro-grooves we expect they'll be playing throughout the August recess.
1. Limit Social Security: Late last month, House Majority Leader John Boehner called for Social Security to be means tested -- i.e., limited to those with limited resources -- and for the retirement age to be raised to 70. On the latter point, he has the support of some leading Democrats.
2. Cut Taxes For The Rich: It is the near-unanimous position of the Republican party, according to GOP leaders, that Bush-era tax cuts that benefit the rich should be extended, without being paid for by spending cuts or tax increases in other areas -- even as they deny unemployment benefits on the grounds that they cost too much. The tax cuts cost almost $700 billion; the unemployment benefits about five percent of that. Some Republicans say tax cuts ought not be paid for because that puts downward pressure on the size of government. Others say, against all evidence, that tax cuts raise revenue.
3. Don't Regulate Wall Street: Yesterday, Boehner added another item to his list of Democratic initiatives he says Republicans would fight to reverse. This one, though, is much more popular than health care reform. Boehner says just-passed rules meant to reign in Wall Street "ought to be repealed."
4. Limit Corporate Governance: In their pursuit of a complete agenda, Republicans are fielding suggestions from their base voters. But for the most part, they're listening to some of the most conservative interest groups in Washington, who are calling for lower corporate taxes, and gutting regulation.
5. Stop Federal Regulations: Just how do we know that the GOP is giving deference to their corporate interests? Because minutes after he met with the very lobbyists and trade representatives who publicly asked for less regulation, Boehner came out and called for a moratorium on new federal regulations. As Speaker Pelosi points out, this would put babies at risk. But more than that, as David Kurtz explains, it would strangle recently passed health care and financial reform legislation, and essentially bring the government to a halt.
All before our very eyes.
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The Commenter Formerly Known as NCSteve
July 16, 2010 5:16 PM
Doesn't matter. At this point, they could advocate ritual human sacrifice and legalization of dog fighting and the MSM would either ignore it or treat it like it was a serious policy proposal. After all, they know these people personally and, why, they're just fine human beings.
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jdb316
July 16, 2010 5:34 PM in reply to The Commenter Formerly Known as NCSteve
The MSM is a business, especially now that so many media outlets are owned by major corporations. Which means they are out to make money, which, in their field, requires maximizing ratings/readership/viewership/website hits.
Stories explaining policy details do not accomplish that. In fact, they tend to lead many people to move on to something else that better captures their attention and/or is easier to understand. This is especially true if those explanations of policy details challenge people's preconceived notions and stereotypes.
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Peter Principle
July 16, 2010 7:08 PM in reply to The Commenter Formerly Known as NCSteve
No, what they would do is loudly accuse the Obama Administration of promoting human sacrifice and favoring dog fighting (Well, he does look kind of like Michael Vick, right?)
Then, while Fox News was roaring and the Dems sputtering about that one, they would then quietly slip a legalize-dog-fighting-and-euthanize-single-mothers rider into next year's budget -- and claim a $500 trillion cost saving for it.
Presto! Deficit gone!
Who said governing is hard?
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jeffgee
July 16, 2010 5:18 PM
God help us if these guys get back in power.
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Silence
July 16, 2010 5:23 PM in reply to jeffgee
Are you referring to the creator or the statistism god?
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Boidster
July 16, 2010 5:38 PM in reply to Silence
FSM
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Lucieann
July 16, 2010 5:45 PM
MEMO TO REPUBLICANS: THIS IS NOT 1994!!
The DNC's memo to Hill Democrats~
-- President Obama is much more popular than President Bush was in 2006 or President Clinton was in 1994.
-- Similarly, more voters trust the President and Congressional Democrats to lead the country than trust Republicans to do so.
-- In fact, on what may be the most important issue of this election -- the economy -- Democrats lead Republicans in voter trust, and do so by a similar margin to Democrats in 2006 and a larger margin than Republicans in 1994.
-- And voters don't just trust Democrats on the economy; they support Democrats' legislative efforts to improve the American economy and to move our country forward in other ways. And voters are more likely to support candidates who back the Democratic agenda.
-- Despite voter support for Democrats on key issue tests like the economy, some polls do show narrow support for Republicans over Democrats on the generic congressional ballot. However, Republicans hold only a tenuous lead in such polls, with generic support for Republicans this year nowhere near that of Democrats in 2006
-- Similarly, Republican cheerleaders have cited polling showing support for GOP control of Congress as an electoral boon; however, such polling has proven an unreliable indicator of electoral results.
Wonder why TPM won't publish this?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/15/dnc-memo-2010-not-1994_n_648290.html
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Viva!America!
July 16, 2010 6:53 PM in reply to Lucieann
they had this:
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/07/dems-to-dems-dont-worry-obama-still-more-popular-than-bush-was.php
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Peter Principle
July 16, 2010 7:02 PM
Well, you know how it is with conservatives: Once they find something that doesn't work, they stick with it.
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CityGuy
July 16, 2010 9:23 PM in reply to Peter Principle
Amen. Also, no Brady Bill this time around. No percolating scandals such as Whitewater. And HillaryCare failed, nothing but defeat for the Democrats to show on that one. But this time, HCR passed and may yet help the Dems by November.
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dustbunny44
July 16, 2010 9:52 PM
--kill social security (1)
--cut taxes to the wealthy (make poor people pay) (2)
--deregulate everything (3, 4, and 5)
You're right, that looks like Reagan's vision for government.
Graft, corruption, and greed looks the same from decade to decade.
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July 16, 2010 10:06 PM
Keep telling yourself everything is fine. Axelrod and Obama do. Every day....
It's gonna get worse before it gets better as we are now burdened with an ignorant electorate, a Kleptocracy, and the second dumbest President, maybe third who is counting, ever. In all seriousness without the DNC cooking the books for The Bummer and the economic downturn McCain would probably have won.
Doubt me?
Well, for starters just how smart is it to go on TeeBee less than 24 hours after BP announces they've 'capped' the well? If that sucker pops in the next week Mr. Big Ears will be lookn' the fool yet again. Which...I suppose is not a big problem...
No...
The big problem is that our great (PO)TU(S) is just that....
...a fool.
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AJM
July 16, 2010 10:27 PM in reply to Philip
Doubt that George Bush II being a fool bothered you much.
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Sexxybeast1973
July 16, 2010 11:23 PM
If the GOP/ teabaggers can win back the house with rewarmed policies that have proven to be disastrous, then we deserve all the bad governance we are sure to recieve.
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Kammy Political
July 16, 2010 11:32 PM in reply to Sexxybeast1973
Bad governance? You mean NO governance, right?
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JohnW1141
July 17, 2010 8:16 AM
Darrell Issa has said in so may words that if the Repugs win the House he will get to Chair the Committee on Oversight and Gov. Reform and he will paper the White House with subpoenas.
Shades of Dan Burton and his hearings du jour during the Clinton years.
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NotFooledByDistractions
July 17, 2010 9:07 AM
I heard that republicans just released their 2010/2012 campaign slogan - "we think you're stupid"
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cwnidog
July 17, 2010 12:15 PM
Rep Peter King of NY has an even better idea - Republicans just shouldn't talk about their agenda . Otherwise it might become a campaign issue.
What a brilliant man.
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Kaneblues
July 17, 2010 12:48 PM
The problem with the republican blueprint is not that is doesn't work the way it's supposed to work, the problem is that it does work the way it's supposed to work.
They don't believe that government has a role in solving national problems because they believe that government is the problem. They think we're better off if we just dismantle government.
For eight years under the Bush administration, republicans sought to prove through their indifference that government doesn't work, and with their many failures, they were quite successful in proving that notion. Now to hammer that theme home, they continue to offer their indifference to the American people. They want Obama to fail. They want the country to fail. Otherwise, the success of Obama and the Democratic Congress will prove that government can work for the people and that it can be effective, just not in republican hands.
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MrRandom
July 17, 2010 3:10 PM
Of course it won't change the GOP has been trying to usher in a corporate aristocracy since the end of the Civil War when they were completely taken over by big business. The only thing they want the government to do is protect the monied interests and ensure that there is general order so that they can attract foreign investors, that requires a strong military and police force, the rest of us can eat crow.
Left unchecked they'll turn us into one of those banana republics, or authoritarian states they swear Obama is leading us towards. Just another example of them accusing their opposition of what they really would like to do.
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