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Subscribe to RSSUSA Today writes up the unveiling of the House Republicans’ “Pledge to America”: “House Republican leaders vowed to reverse the course of Washington and ‘realign our country's compass’ in a wide-ranging agenda unveiled six weeks before the fall elections,” USA Today says.
Paul Krugman on the House GOP Pledge: "In essence, what they say is, 'Deficits are a terrible thing. Let’s make them much bigger.' The document repeatedly condemns federal debt — 16 times, by my count. But the main substantive policy proposal is to make the Bush tax cuts permanent, which independent estimates say would add about $3.7 trillion to the debt over the next decade — about $700 billion more than the Obama administration’s tax proposals."
The Washington Post: "There are no specifics about how the spending cuts would be carried out, and the agenda does not outline how Republicans would deal with Social Security and other expensive federal entitlement programs, saying only that lawmakers "will make the decisions that are necessary" to cut costs. The agenda is designed to give voters a broad outline of what proposals House Republicans will push if they regain the majority and to give their candidates specifics to cite on the campaign trail. It also aims to answer a favorite attack line of Democrats: that Republicans have no new ideas and are merely the 'party of no.'"
"Asked by CNN if he would act to shut down the government if his conference could not agree with President Obama on spending, [John] Boehner said 'Our goal is to fight for a smaller, less costly and more accountable government here in Washington, D.C. It's not to shut down the government,'" The Hill writes, noting, "Some Republican candidates and office-holders, such as Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (Ga.), have raised the specter of shutting down the government if their party comes to an impasse with the White House."
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Agreed! When a "Small Business" makes Billions every year it IS NOT SMALL. Lobbyists should be illegal, and term limits should apply to all offices!
The devil is in the details and these people are trying to hide the devil. In fact, they are trying to hide 3 of them: 1) The privatization of Social Security, 2) The privatization of the VA and 3) The repeal of Medicare/Medicaid.
If you think SS won't be there for you now, just let the Republicans get hold of it and it really won't be there. And never mind the VA and Medicare are run much more efficiently than any private services, especially since there is no profit motive to jack up prices..
This is just one more example of the Republicans wanting to govern by slogans, sound bites and catch phrases.
All hat, no cattle.
The Republicans say that their version of the Health Plan would add 3 million uninsured by the year 1019. Wow, 3 million in 9 years. I guess the other 30 million will just keep filling up emergency rooms getting free care at our expense. I'm glad they stuck their necks out like this. The worst part is, they're beating their chests like it's a HUGE deal. They have no shame.
And they sell it because there is a huge amount of very ill-informed, stupid people who vote.
Chandler, unfortunately a lot of this is our own fault. As soon as President Obama was elected they cranked up the propaganda machine full blast and they have been absolutely unrelenting ever since. They have proven the old saying, "Tell the same lie enough times and people will believe it." It is sadly true. They have revised history and called the president some of the vilest names I've heard in a long time. Anytime it's OK for a Senator to call a sitting President a liar, out loud, during a State of the Union Address. It shows and incredible amount of low class behavior and loss of civility.
The Republicans have shown time and time again that they have no shame and no class.
I would like to hear an actual discussion from the Republicans on how they can implement their agenda and cut government spending AND taxation. The Republican agenda will not cut military spending, will fully fund missile defense, all while cutting taxes and social programs. The reason most other nations can afford to consider the welfare of citizens is because the US is underwriting all the defense programs. Just this morning, an article in the paper notes that Great Britain is set to cut its military budget (20%). Does that mean that we are still obligated (as an ally) to come to Great Britain's defense? Must we assume that Great Britain can not fulfill its obligations as an ally and increase our budget proportionally?
The saddest part of all of this is that even Republican analysts are saying that it would add to the deficit. It's pretty bad when your own people pan your BIG IDEA. They say that they don't address the biggest problems. Well, that's because they really want to get elected again. That is and always will be the bottom line.
All I ask is for them to tell me:
Cut what and how?
Replace the Health Plan with what?
Extending or making the tax cuts permanent is projected to add 10 Trillion to the deficit in 10 years, and that's from Republican analysts.
Please stop trying to ram 20 year old failed solutions down our throats. Try to come up with something innovative and original. Then maybe we will stop dismissing you.
Dennis - you have hit the nail on the head. 20 year old (didn't work the first time) outdated policies will not fix todays issues. We need to get out of every country and protect, rebuild and take care of the Americans for awhile. Outsource goods should NOT be allowed to sold in the USA. The Republicans are all old white stale males than need to be ousted in November!
Also, this "Pledge" calls for REPEAL of the healthcare bill, but then later says they would implement 7 "good" aspects of the healthcare bill. So they want to repeal it and then re-introduce parts of it, like it's their own bill. I wonder....who in the world came up with this Pledge? Does ANYONE want to take responsibility for this fiasco?
Does anyone really trust these Republicans. I agree Lobbyists should be illegal and there should be term limits. However, neither party has the guts to do it. And with the recent Surpreme Court ruling allowing unlimited campaign funds, we are doomed. Corporate greed will takeover this great country. Tea party is not the solution either. These people are just being propped up by corporations secretly.
God help us!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Why do you think that some democrats and Independents would go back to Republican Ideas and vote them in? They can not believe that Republicans would change there ways from past years. Obama has only been in less than two years, Without his policies the country would be in a Depression,
That fact that Some Dem's have given up and would let things go back to the old ways just makes no sense.
Again, I go with stupid American people.
Also - all the anger supposedly out there has been drummed up by the media, allowing all the smears and lies about Obama to fester.
Bottom line? They are masking anger with racism. And Republicans are not the only political party with racists. There are many people out there who just can't handle the black guy being in the White House - especially one who is smarter than they.
I agree.
What amazes me is that they voted the Dem's in for a reason, Republicans would do away with most Federal Programs that help those that cannot pull themselves up by themselves. I know it cost money to fund these programs, but where would we be without them. Churchs cannot handle the load.
Everyone knew about Obama's plan for HealthCare. They voted him and the congress in to get it done. Look at the thanks he got for that.
Where's the beef! The Republicans "Pledge to America" is a sandwich with no lunch meat. Strangely enough though, it acually raises the deficit instead of lowering it. Basically it's the same ole song they've been singing since 2006 they just changed the name from "just say no" to "just stop it." The Republicans are going to have to offer up more than this to get moderates Independant voters to vote for them. Oh, but then I forgot... they don't much care for moderate voters, Independant or otherwise. I aggree that Lobbying should be illegal. The Supreme Court ruling permitting unlimited campaign funds pretty much spells doom for the average voter. Congress needs to act on this ruling ASAP.
The Tea Party wants to disband the EPA and deregulate all the industries. This foolish move will create thousands of Love Canals across the country. By the time everybody figures out what has happened, it'll be too late. I don't trust these large corporations to regulate themselves or even try to do the right thing. It's not in their best interests.
Hilarious piece on the Daily Show yesterday. The same cast of Republican fools parroting the exact same talking points (in some cases verbatim!) from the Bush years and regurgitated in the new Plague on America. And yet, America seems poised to hand over the keys to these same old fools cast out in 2006 & 2008. Go ahead America, bring em back, spouting the same old nonsense, and expect a different result. How stupid is that? The Daily Show doesn't even have to write new comedy.
The Republican cry now is, “we know what to do – put us in charge”. The rational response to that of course is to question why they would have kept it secret so long and just criticized and obstructed everything. They have consistently put their political ambitions above all else, at any cost to the people, and have said and done everything to rationalize their positions and to manipulate public opinion – without hesitation or conscience. Why should anyone now believe something has changed? No, their concentration actually has constantly been on just being ‘puppets’ for Special Interests and the select few who strongly support them and who ‘pull their strings’ and there is nothing to indicate there has been any change in that. They want to repeal all of the changes already made, which would put us right back to where we were, and they want us to believe then they would turn around and make appropriate changes, those that they have strongly faulted and resisted all along and that their supporters don’t want. They may now admit that changes are really required but with their history and demonstrated loyalty to the very few, while giving only subterfuge to the many, there isn’t any real justification to believe that they want anything other than to return to ‘more of the same’ that cost us so much and that serves only the few. There is simply no honest or conscientious base established to justify trusting them, in fact, the last ten years has provided ample justification to not trust them. Their rhetoric is completely deceptive and totally insulting in their arrogantly thinking that people are just so easily conned.
There is no hope offered in ever returning to ‘more of the same’ as that only satisfies the very few. What we need is the changes already being implemented and to see them adjusted and fine tuned and definitely not repealed which would leave us with no progress. The Republicans, regular or Tea Party, offer nothing but a return to ‘more of the same’ and to firmly reject them now, along with their self-serving subterfuge aimed to manipulate, should prompt them to understand it is about honestly, conscientiously and responsibly representing the people, not just the few.
Newt Gingrich had his "contract on America" back in the 90s and now we see the same old garbage revisited. After 30 years of failure one would think they would wise up but obviously they have not.
between now and election, pls confront these republicans and ask them the hard question, whats your take on Social Security, Medicare, pork barrel spending and down sizing your own offices....bet you get the run around and when election is over you the ones who put these people in office are no longer important....wake up your nothing but yo yos being pulled up and down by both parties.
The Republican cry now is, “we know what to do – put us in charge”. The rational response to that of course is to question why they would have kept it secret so long and just criticized and obstructed everything. They have consistently put their political ambitions above all else, at any cost to the people, and have said and done everything to rationalize their positions and to manipulate public opinion – without hesitation or conscience. Why should anyone now believe something has changed? No, their concentration actually has constantly been on just being ‘puppets’ for Special Interests and the select few who strongly support them and who ‘pull their strings’ and there is nothing to indicate there has been any change in that. They want to repeal all of the changes already made, which would put us right back to where we were, and they want us to believe they would then turn around and make appropriate changes, those that they have strongly faulted and resisted all along and that their supporters don’t want. They may now admit that changes are really required but with their history and demonstrated loyalty to the very few, while giving only subterfuge to the many, there isn’t any real justification to believe that they want anything other than to return to ‘more of the same’ that cost us so much and that serves only the few. There is simply no honest or conscientious base established to justify trusting them, in fact, the last ten years has provided ample justification to not trust them. Their rhetoric is completely deceptive and totally insulting in their arrogantly thinking that people are just so easily conned and manipulated.
There is no hope offered in ever returning to ‘more of the same’ as that only satisfies the very few. What we need is the changes being implemented and to see them adjusted and fine tuned and definitely not repealed which would leave us with no progress. The Republicans, regular or Tea Party, offer nothing but a return to ‘more of the same’ and to firmly reject them now, along with their self-serving subterfuge aimed to manipulate, should prompt them to really understand it is about honestly, conscientiously and responsibly representing the people, not just the few and their own political interests.