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Calling Republican Senators: Are you vertabrates or spaghetti-spined?

By: Lords86 (Diary)  |  January 28th, 2009 at 09:44 PM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

Senator Mitch McConnell, the ball is now in your court.  Despite the incredibly impressive Republican cohesion in the House of Representatives, the question remains, will the Republican caucus in the U.S. Senate be comparably unified in its opposition to President Obama’s $825 billion boondoggle?  That, sir, is largely a function of whether you, as Minority Leader, will lead or simply follow.

There is no appropriate compromise on this legislative proposal, as it currently stands.  Do you understand what I mean, Senator?

In case you don’t . . . reducing this package, hypothetically, from $825 billion to $819 billion to $760 billion is not a victory, Senator.  That would be a cop-out.  Plainly stated, this bill is appalling from start to finish.  In fact, the only aspect of this bill which is marginally worthy of the moniker “job creator” is its tax-reduction element, which incidentally should be patterned after the House Republican proposal.

Senator McConnell, please make your caucus aware that conservatives will remember who voted for this bill.  If any Republican Senator votes for this bill or anything remotely like it, that senator should be targeted for a Republican primary defeat in 2010 or their next cyclical election.

It is time, Senator, that your caucus start acting like Republicans and we are depending on you to make that happen.

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  • Lords86

    Steve,
    I appreciate your question, but I think that your question and its predicates, gloss over clear distinctions in the traditional Republican and Democrat responses to periods of economic recession and also misreads recent election results. We, as Republicans, or more particularly as conservatives, have traditionally favored tax reduction as a means to stimulate the economy. When you cite Republican support for stimulus and President Bush’s call for stimulus, they were not calling for Keynesian spending as a means to extricate our economy from the doldrums. To equate their support for tax cuts with support for President Obama’s Keynesian deficit spending proposal is sorely missplaced.

    In direct response to your question, do I oppose all stimulus bills? No. I would like nothing better than to reduce taxes upon America’s job producers and reduce capital gains taxes to spur economic development. This is a “stimulus” package, which will actually increase economic growth and cause job creation.

    What is currently before Congress is nothing but a Keynesian plan, which will contribute to the bankruptcy of the U.S. government. Plain and simple. $350 million for STD prevention? How does that stimulate the economy? Stimulates something, but not the economy.

    $200 million to re-sod the Washington Mall, which prior to January 20, 2009 looked just fine. How does that stimulate the broader economy?

    Tax cuts, in the form of increased earned income tax credits and increase in dependency exemption amounts, directed towards those that don’t pay or pay very little taxes? How does that stimulate the economy? Are these individuals job producers, job creators? Does such tax relief spur investment or is it more likely to be used to pay off existing debt? I would suggest the latter and, as such, it equates to private savings, which in a time of recession is not a stimulus.

    This bill is full of such nonsense and is not worthy of one Republican vote.

    Steve, Keynesian spending has never . . . not once . . . rescued the American economy from a recession in all of our history. And, it won’t work this time, either.

  • Jaded

    If you had heard McConnell after his visit from The Messiah on Monday you would have thought he had just been made love to! It was disgusting!

  • SteveLA

    Lords86

    Are you against any stimulus bill, or just this one? Is there an alternative on offer, or is is just no stimulus at all?

    I beleive that several Republican “improvements” have been offered, but the fundamental question of is there a need for a stimulus bill has been answered in the affirmative by a majority on both sides of the aisle and by President Bush before he left office.

    Calvin Coolidge could not be reached for comment.

  • Jaded

    a 6 month reprieve from Federal Taxes so that people can spend their own hard earned money. It is not millions for ACORN it is not millions for National Mall Improvements it is not money to bail out states who should be cuttting their spending and giving their residents tax holidays. It is not borrowing money from other countries that our children and their children will have to pay back in spades…….just curious how have the 3 “stimulus’s” worked out so far? I mean other than Citigroup buying a 50 million dollar plane that would be made in France….. Nothing like putting the French to work huh? oh and those over 50 percent of defaulters who refinanced defaulting again…….I could go on but to argue with a liberal who thinks 850 billion dollars in pork is going to SAVE the world would be wasted time. I am sure your buddy McCain will be the first lapdog up to sign!

  • SteveLA

    Seems you’re from the Cal Coolidge school of doing nothing economics….how’d that one work out?

    But you know best, the heck with what the majority of elected Republicans and Democrats in Congress and President Bush think, you and whatever well educated radio host that you listen to have it all worked out.

    Pardon me if I disagree with your usual 30 second sound bite view of the world, complex things being too much for your world view to grasp. It is much easier to call someone a name because you disagree with them than to actually try to figure out how to actually do something positive.

    Have a lovey special day, think some happy happy joy joy joy thoughts and better day tomorrow.

  • $peciallist

    very strange……did you lose your job?

  • JadedByPolitics

    and the “can’t we all get along” mentality you ruminate on and you look up liberal in the dictionary why I do believe you will see that other than a good tax cut you pretty much fall in the same category with John McCain and other than a few others on here the majority would say he is a liberal!

    The 30 second soundbites would be because I am responding to you not writing a diary about you. I by the way listen to all the radio hosts if I am fortunate to be in my car when they are on……I like Mark Levin the best BUT it would appear that Rush has gotten the liberals and the MSM (I know they are the same) all whipped up as they are setting up the return of the fairness doctrine and yet they think we do not see it. So not only are they living in a bubble of their own making WE conservatives are smart enough to smell their plan and point it out before they even get to the meat of it!

    Rush tells the truth and he doesn’t PC it and you are either one of his 20 millio n listeners or not but he isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. So sit back enjoy and revel in common sense and truth where rarely it is found in the media
    !

  • Martin Knight

    Blind acceptance of appeals to authority.

    … the heck with what the majority of elected Republicans and Democrats in Congress and President Bush think …

    As a lot of you “moderates” were telling us when he was President and the Democrats were blocking one of his nominees or initiatives with your support, he was not always right.

    So why is he right now?

    Wait, I see …

    … the majority of elected Republicans and Democrats in Congress …

    Heh … Bipartisanship™! No wonder you support it. Nothing stands higher than Bipartisanship™ to a “moderate”, not even the fiscal conservatism they’re supposed to be better than us non-”moderates” at.

    Seems you?re from the Cal Coolidge school of doing nothing economics?.how?d that one work out?

    And right here, you prove your “moderation” beyond doubt, the belief that Calvin Coolidge is to blame for the Depression. The other half of it is that FDR’s New Deal rescued the nation from it.

    PS: Considering the assortment of economic illiterates that constitute the membership of Congress, at least since Dick Armey and Phil Gramm left – remember that these are the guys that passed the Luxury Tax on yachts – what makes you so sure they know more than the average talk radio host (like Rep. Mike Pence)?

  • SteveLA

    No actually quite the opposite…but I also am not freaking out because the “The One” is now President “The One” Obama, so in some quarters that could be called ‘trippin.

    I will say the amazing amount of ODS after one week of the reign of King Obama is pretty laughable, and in some ways a continuation of the lack of creditable conservative ideas that sunk the Republican brand over the last two cycles by virtue of the lack of substance to the derangement.

    But I’m silly in a way and I don’t care if Obama is effective in dealing with the problems confronting this country with some help and guidance from Republicans, I agree with some wise words; “You can accomplish much if you don’t care who gets the credit. Ronald Reagan”…told you just silly that way.

  • $peciallist

    you and han are crackin me up……no problem…

    time will tell….

  • JadedByPolitics

    the Republican brand President Bush and his inability to veto huge spending bills snet up to him with goodies for both parties sunk the Republican brand. The NEW TONE (which Democrats didn’t participte in) sunk the Republican party…….Democrat-lite SUNK the Republican brand….I don’t care what the party is called if they fill it up with TRUE CONSERVATIVES I will support it.

    The American people will vote for the Democrat because they know what they will get but will NOT vote for lying Republicans who sell themselves as conservatives BUT vote as Democrats…..better to be stabbed in the chest by the enemy you know than to be stabbed in the back by the enemy you don’t.

    As with your choice of John McCain you are completely and utterly WRONG about the death of Republicanism!

  • Martin Knight

    I agree with some wise words; ?You can accomplish much if you don?t care who gets the credit – Ronald Reagan?

    Well, Reagan was dealing with a much more honorable opposition than what Bush got. Can you compare Tip O’Neill to Nancy Pelosi?

    In today’s world, this sounds suspiciously New Tone™-like.

    Implicit in that statement is that you also should not care who gets the blame. Bush exemplified that; refusing to take credit or defend much less tout his Administration’s accomplishments and accepting blame for things he was not to blame for by his silence.

    How has that worked out?

  • SteveLA

    So Rush, he’s a graduate of the Forest Gump school of economics so that makes him qualified and someone that knows more about how to fix the ailing economy than the collective members of Congress and the Senate…WAYYYYY cool. Maybe he can enroll in Donald Trump’s on line University for some continuing education credits.

    I can’t get him where I work, but used to really enjoy Hugh Hewlett when I lived somewhere else, more to my liking and he’s way smart, still read him at Town Hall.

    Far as getting along, well I remember the lessons of Reagan, I don’t seem to remember him fighting just to fight, there usually was a point he was making and a counter argument based in real conservative principles that was well thought out. If that’s “getting along”, well it worked pretty well back in the 80′s, but Reagan actually knew what he was talking about and had been talking about long before he became the President of this country. I think they call that a record, over two terms as Governor of CA and a whole bunch of speeches and newspaper columns.

    Don’t think he ever hunted moose though.

  • SteveLA

    Yep sure…the brand of “Let them eat cake” conservatism you favor will have them coming back for more….

    Maybe not.

  • Tim_Schieferecke

    n/a

  • JadedByPolitics

    perhaps its your naive belief that somehow a man who has devoted his career to speaking out on politics and studying politics is somehow not smarter than those elected to office, oh I don’t know like Sonny Bono or Fred Grandy (Love Boat) at one point or the Terminator, or almost Caroline Kennedy because THEY all had that “schooling” that makes one immediately brilliant because they got a bunch of people to vote for them…….that particular arguement will NEVER win. The halls of Congress are filled with more idiots per capita than any other profession!

    It is the common man who is fed up with the government he has who runs and wins because the average American understands him it’s called common sense and Ronald Reagan had it and many more have had it BUT the bulk of them are shysters and slick willies who fool the people.

    So do not disrespect Rush for being successful at what he does by using the intelligence and or pedigree of an elected official you lose the arguement when you do so OBTW Trump said the first bailout would be a failure and he was right!

  • $peciallist

    I thought we were talking about the Porkulus…..carry on

  • http://politicsandcriticalthinking.blogspot.com/ Critical_Thinker

    “So Rush, he?s a graduate of the Forest Gump school of economics so that makes him qualified and someone that knows more about how to fix the ailing economy than the collective members of Congress and the Senate?WAYYYYY cool.”

    Fair enough, then since you seem hung up on empirical data while acting like a intellectual snob, check out the Libertarian minded CATO, Conservative Heritage Foundation, or even the slightly Left of center Brookings (Actually they have some great analysis on tax reform and elimination of deficit spending).

    All three institiutions use some of the best economic indicators and data analysis tools available to determine ebbs and flows of the economy. And they have offered some great alternatives to reinventing Keynes’ flawed and failed 1930′s economic theories.

    While I don’t think getting all of your information from Limbaugh is the best thing in the world and I realize that everyone has their preferences. Might I suggest you lay off of the sarcastic demagoguery, it makes you sound like an a$$-hole probably when you aren’t intending to be one.

  • http://www.the41stvote.org rcov092

    Where the heck are they all coming from?

  • Martin Knight

    Senators Packwood and Mathias, as well as a few other “moderates” in the House were always crying to the Press about his neanderthal lack of Bipartisanship™! and “voodoo economics” – as his own VP put it.

    He tended to ignore them. {realization dawning} Wait a minute …!

    PS: Is it that you think the House GOP not voting for the so-called “Stimulus” bill was just mindless obstructionism and not based on conservative principle?

  • http://www.theminorityreportblog.com/ Brian Simpson

    force them to eat meat pies when they favor cake.

  • CarlSchurz

    Conservativism offers them one thing:

    We will stay out of your way and let you live free.

    That isn’t all that great a message to give to some inner city kid being hustled and jostled about by the teaming masses, or hoping to avoid the Gangs or Cops. He is wanting a chance and needs help, whether it be a father figure to kick him in shape and keep him on the narrow path or governmental assistance.

    Or the single woman who made a choice and faces a tough decision, bring a life into this world and raise it on your own facing some staggering challenges or; she goes to a clinic and discovers the abatoir. Maybe she won’t do it again and maybe she will.

    Or a family facing economic hardship.

  • Martin Knight
  • SteveLA

    But so is Penn and Teller ! Catch their Vegas act if you get a chance.

    Both are entertainers, and I enjoy both, but I tend to view entertainers differently than people who actually go out and get elected to public office. I wish Rush continued success with his radio show, with his commentary and all the other money making enterprises that he engages in. I used to watch his TV show which was way cool too, should have bought one of his ties.

    Rush by the way claims not to be a policy wonk, just an entertainer and a commenter on the issues of the day from a conservative point of view.

  • http://www.scottbomb.com scottbomb

    The Republicans in the House made us proud yesterday. They usually do. The ongoing problem is with the Senate. People like McCain, Graham, Snowe, Collins, Spector… are the ones we need to keep an eye on.

  • Martin Knight

    And a reflexive belief in Beltway conventional wisdom. John McCain made all of us pay for that when he answered Harry Reid(!!!)‘s call to run to Washington DC just before the First Debate.

    Why it never occurred to him to ask why Reid was not calling Obama at the same time …? It’s as if “Bipartisanship™!” works on McCain the way “Open Sesame!” works on Ali Baba’s doors.