Cut right to the round table discussion on today's Meet The Press for some pure politics with the following guests: Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), Chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX), and Chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD).
The talk was all about political control and which party has the better ideas to fix an economy suffering from financial pneumonia. Where we are right now, and what these gentlemen proved today is that we're definitely in a state of limbo. If you've just seen the movie Inception, you'll know this is not good. Democrats have passed and want to pass initiatives, namely Healthcare and financial reform, but on both points, the American people don't have a clear idea of how these two bills will benefit them. In particular with Healthcare, the benefits that Democrats talk about have not all taken affect so the spin that Americans are left with is that all the bill has done is add to an already crippling deficit and over debt. Senator John Cornyn stayed with his party's line in that we should repeal and replace the Healthcare bill, citing that the cost is outrageous (2.6 Trillion) and that the American people don't want it. The Republican worry here is that once the new healthcare benefits kick in, there will be no way to repeal it because Americans will like the benefits, and then hence we'd be stuck with these costs. However, the cost is not the main concern with Republicans. How could they be given how much was put on the Chinese credit card under the prior administration. It's the political success for Democrats that this bill may bring it that trouble Republicans the most. However, we must keep in mind that Republicans may have a point with costs. It's simply impossible with a bill of this size how much it will ultimately cost. 'Repeal and Replace' is a nice easy notion to run a campaign on, but the reality is that this is a false promise. It will take more political leverage than the Democrats had in passing it then Republicans will be able to ganer for some time. Senator Menendez pointed out the child healthcare benefit that the bill brings and, more importantly, not being denied insurance for a pre-existing condition. The latter is where the insurance companies make a ton of revenue. And that's what it is all about, not denying any revenue to corporations. So conservatives will oppose any measure in any bill that impedes the furthering of corporate profit.
With With regard Financial reform, the fight goes even though the bill has passed on with Democrats wanting to make changes to regulations and the Republicans contending that things should not be altered as they will stifle business. Along with this, are the Bush tax cuts. What to do with those?
Mr. Sessions stated that the Bush economic policies doubled the size of the economy, essentially asking - why change that? However, what Mr. Sessions failed to note is the telling statistic that the disparity between the wealthiest one percent of Americans and the rest of the population is the highest it has been in the last 80 years. Additionally, Mr. Sessions said that we should live within our means. Mr. Cornyn reiterated this notion. Translated, it means pay as you go, which is something that President Clinton had instituted, and it's also an idea that the Bush Administration blew up, enabled by a Republican controlled Congress. This is simply 20-20 hindsight. Republicans, in actuality, want to return to the Bush era of financial philosophy, this was something that Representative Chris Van Hollen made a point to illustrate.
Unlike Healthcare, the Democrats have the upper hand with financial reform. Mr. Sessions could not give one specific example of what hard choices Republicans would make to turn the economy around. Then when pressed about it again by Mr. Gregory, Mr. Sessions still couldn't come up with anything. Mr. Gregory, sensing the bullshit, cut off the Representative from Texas and tried to get it out of his Senate counterpart - Mr. Cornyn - to no avail. Mr. Sessions stated emphatically that we need to balance the budget. Mr. Gregory simply asked him how and he could even answer that question. Easy to state the problem, coming up with the solution, not so much.
This is the Republicans main problem. They want to kill all the Democratic initiatives and maintain Bush Administration fiscal policies, and the underlying truth is that they don't know how to do it. Or, at the very least, they aren't saying because they know the consequences. In the news this week was the question of how Republicans can be for maintaining the Bush tax cuts, but no for extending unemployment benefits. It's something they simply don't want to grapple with and it seems that if they just stay on message that it will all align in their favor. Could work, but it won't if the Democrats can make compelling arguments against this, which they have yet to be able to do.
All of this is prelude to the uncertainty of the November mid-term elections - which way will the House turn? Lastly, Mr. Greogory steered the conversation to the Tea Party and how this group will affect the aforementioned outcome. Republicans have downplayed the far right, out of the mainstream statements that the candidates have made and really the jury is still out on how the establishment Republicans want to embrace this movement, if at all. Especially when you have a candidate like Sharon Angle in Nevada. She is just simply unhinged, a wack-o, who really doesn't understand the gravity of the statements she makes. One in particular is quite disturbing, which is to use Second Amendment remedies against her opponents. Second Amendment remedies? This is the biggest load of crap euphemism. What it means is to take up a gun and shoot the people who oppose you. And this is an insightful contribution to the national discourse? Republicans want Harry Reid to lose for sure, but how do they get on board with that?
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