The Constant Carping of the Conservatives (Part 2)

When Is a Budget Not a Budget?

Earlier This Week, the Republican House Minority Leader, John Boehner of Ohio, released an eighteen-page pamphlet which he presented as an alternative budget. The presentation was a sad spectacle. It was presented as an argument against President Barack Obama’s assertion that the Republicans had not presented an alternative budget. But the “budget” that Congressman Boehner flashed to the media was only 18 pages long—and lacked figures.

Then, Later, Wisconsin Republican Representative Paul Ryan Stepped Forward to report,

“There was some confusion as to what was released on Thursday; that was not our alternative budget.”

According to Congressman Ryan, Congressman Boehner’s pamphlet presented:

“a broader Republican economic agenda.”

But Here’s What Congressman Boehner Actually Said:

“Two nights ago, the President said, ‘We haven’t seen a budget yet out of Republicans. Well, it’s not true, because.....here it is, Mr. President.”

Constant Reader, See and Hear the Video for Yourself:
Republican Budget Proposal

So Which Republican Leader (If Any) Is Telling the Truth?

Listening to Both Republican Gentlemen, it’s hard to tell.

• Was there a Republican budget at the time that President Obama said that there wasn't one?
• Was Congressman Boehner's pamphlet without numbers actually a budget?
• Was Congressman Boehner's budget actually the Republican alternative budget?
• Is Congressman Ryan really the Republican Representative who is going to present the Republican alternate budget next week?
  

If One Did Not Know Better, one might think that these Republicans are just “playing politics” with the American people—at a time when many Americans have more-urgent things to do then to decipher what the Republicans mean right now, what they stand for besides the familiar “lower the taxes” and “cut Democratic spending.”

Republicans Don’t Usually Seem to Have Anything Better to Do these days than to play politics. Going back to Congressman Phil Gramm, who lobbied to destroy the Glass-Steagall Act and then called America, “a nation of whiners,” these folks clearly don’t get it.

With All Due Respect, the Republicans just don’t get it.

How Liberals and Conservatives Serve America Best

Here's Our Prescription for America's Best Political Future:

Let American Liberals—the Democrats—Drive the Dream Forward, as they always have. But there is still a role for Conservatives in American government.

America Can Use the “Constant Carping of the Conservatives” to remind us not to spend too much. Not to tax too much. Not to make a government too large. No government that interferes too much in the personal and economic lives of it citizens.

Conservative Opinion Notwithstanding, Our Representative Government Has a legitimate role overall: to do those things necessary, which we cannot do individually. Such as coordinating the overall health and welfare of the nation–from roads and defense to accountable financial institutions and health care.

When Should Government Save and When Should Government Spend?

When the People Cannot Afford to Save, then government should curtail its spending and do the saving on our behalf.

When the People Cannot Risk Spending on infrastructure and new jobs, then government should expand its infrastructure programs. As President Obama said in Tuesday night’s press conference–and as we wrote here previously–necessary infrastructure of the future, built today, borrows expenses from the future. Which expenses borrowed now will contribute in the future to re-balancing the budget. And to restoring a healthy economy.

And the Value of a Balanced Budget and a Healthy Economy are a combination that all Americans can agree on.

We Win Again

About Twenty-eight Years Ago, a prominent leader said that we, the people, were the problem, not the solution.

That Was an Evil Thing to Say about the American People. It took us by surprise, caught us off guard. It took over the dominant leadership of the nation. And for much of the past twenty-eight years, we have lived by this evil idea. We have accepted it as an indictment on our character, our hopes, our ambitions, and our ideals.

Twenty-eight Years. It Has Taken Us All That Time to live those words down.

But Yesterday, the Citizens of the United States of America Voted to Repudiate that warped idea and to take back America, our great nation and the world's greatest hope.

We Have Asked Ourselves in this Presidential Election, can America return to the ideals of liberty, justice, and opportunity for all? Can America become once again a beacon of hope for the world?

Yesterday, America Voted its Answer:

Yes, We Can.

Congratulations to Barack Obama and Joe Biden and Their Campaign, as well as to the American people on the event of our good fortune. It is an honor and a privilege as an American, to have lived to this great time. All of the old slogans, from "We shall overcome" to "I have a dream," are given new life. They have become "Change we can believe in."

Can America Rise to the Many Challenges We Face?

Yes, We Can.

Is Government Really the Problem?

Republicans Since the Days of Ronald Reagan have loudly insisted that “Government is not the solution. Government is the problem.”

With the Current Bailouts of the American Economy underway in Washington, it’s getting a little bit harder to make that sound convincing.

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, speaking urgently last week before the Senate Banking Committee about their Federal Bailout proposal, seem to believe that government actually may indeed have the solution to the current potential mortgage meltdown.

According to These Distinguished Republican Gentlemen, deregulation is the problem, government is the solution. And the time is now.

Government Can Be the Solution, even if the free-market Republicans want to deny it.

Presidential Candidate Barack Obama and Vice-Presidential Candidate Joe Biden ask for your vote on November 4th.

It's Time to Reinvest in the American Spirit.


Thank You For Your Support