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Addressing the Nation
Author: BobR    Date: 09/07/2011 12:54:05

Congress returns to Washington today to continue doing nothing to help America. It was also supposed to be the day President Obama addressed them (and dressed them down, I suspect), but after privately agreeing to the date, Speaker Boehner changed his mind, and publicly rebuked the request, creating a firestorm of controversy. So tomorrow night is the night...

For all their bravado and bluster, though, it seems like the Republican leaders of the House might be a little scared. It might be dawning on them that despite Obama's 53% disapproval rating, disapproval of Congress is much higher. With groundwork being laid for campaigns next year, 82% of poll respondents disapprove of the job Congress is doing and 54% say that every member of Congress should be replaced. The president looks pretty good compared to that.

So it is with that environment that the president is going to put forth his desires and ideas to Congress in the hopes that some change will happen in the way that business is done. It's not likely to happen, unfortunately, and the Republicans' obstinate behavior will likely make them look even worse. They are trying to forestall that image somewhat by requesting that President Obama meet with them to discuss his address ahead of time. It's an obvious move at pre-emptive damage control. They want to seem cooperative, because they know they aren't. Whatever President Obama approves of - even if the Republicans initially proposed it - the Republicans will oppose it.

According to reports, though, Obama will try another jobs spending bill, this time to the tune of $300B. It may not turn the economy around, but it may stop the slide long enough to get through the election. Of course - that means spending, and with heartless bastards like Eric Cantor (R-VA) demanding spending cuts to approve aid for natural disaster victims, an out-and-out increase in spending to create jobs will likely get through Congress as well as baseball-sized kidney stone will get through your urethra - and with just as much pain.

Democrats are hoping that the president will go bold with his address. That $300B jobs spending proposal sounds pretty bold to me, if that is indeed the approach. Some Democrats fear it may still be too little too late. Perhaps - but we still need to try. The only other choice is watching the economy go down in flames.

It would help if people weren't so hung up on the word "taxes". To Republicans, it is like "amen" to Satanists. They (and the Tea Party) have demonized taxes as the scourge of our country. Never mind that people are happiest in countries with the most progressive tax schemes. Raising taxes will not destroy any jobs. In fact - it will allow government to create jobs that help the middle class, just like it did in the 30s and 40s. Higher taxes on the rich, combined with more people earning and spending leads to more tax revenue, lower budget deficits, a healthier economy, and a happier populace.

President Obama likely won't be able to sell that to the Republicans. But if he can sell it to the voters, they may be able to convince the Republicans that increasing taxes and spending that money on jobs is the only approach that has been proven to work historically. The voters in turn can chew on the ears of their representatives.

Will they listen to the voters or their rich benefactors? They've already drawn a line in the sand on taxes by pledging allegiance to Grover Norquist's No Taxes pledge (over the Constitution they pledged to uphold), so I doubt the president nor the voters will sway them. If that's the case, I hope the 2012 elections become a referendum on how not to run the country.
 

79 comments (Latest Comment: 09/08/2011 02:28:39 by trojanrabbit)
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