We want Boehner to kill 15 million jobs, so he can own those jobs. Barack Obama, or the Democratic leadership. Just do it. Stop talking. Propose a comprehensive package to create 15 or 20 million jobs over the next 5 years. Its a winning hand. Strategically GOP ownership of the the S&P downgrade is one thing, ownership of the debt deal, etc. But by upping the ante, by putting 15 million jobs, daring the GOP to call, forces the GOP to own those 15 million jobs.
If Boehner blocks the jobs bill in the House, Democrats can run on that. Boehners kills 15 million jobs will resonate with lots of voters. If the Jobs bill goes to a vote in the House, but loses, fine, we run on that. If it passes the House and Senate, fine, we're heroes and we run on that.
By taking it to the next level, ownership translates from secondary issues to the largest issue, the economy and jobs. It becomes a reality pill, many right wingers and Tea Partiers wont swallow the pill, and they do so at their own risk. In many districts voters are thinking jobs, some will buy the reasoning behind a Congressperson's not supporting a jobs bill. A jobs stimulus bill will have to have a tax increase component, but the average voter is intelligent, as many as 81% support a millionaires tax. This suggests that even in super right districts, there is probably a significant minority that supports a millionaires tax, and this translates to erosion of support for that right winger Congressperson.
Voting against 30,000 jobs in your district and surviving to be re-elected will be a tuff mountain to climb, not every House GOPer will be up to the task. Without a serious long term solution that gets taken seriously in all the right places, the Democrats ability to force the ultimate responsibility onto the GPO for killing 15 million jobs grows weaker as the jobs bill grows smaller and or shorter in duration.
I've recently written on how many jobs could be created and which sectors they can come from, a significant portion of these jobs will be from developing power from solar wind, and the need to move that power to where its needed via a supergrid that uses HVDC. Democrats love this stuff, it will resonate very well. The vast majority of these jobs will have above average pay, expand Americas energy portfolio and reduce carbon emissions.
I favor raising taxes and providing tax breaks to reward good behavior by the uber wealthy if they invest in new factories in the US in emerging tech and markets like solar and wind, instead engaging in speculation in commodities, futures, etc. Federal Loan Guarantees can be a useful tool too, but using tax breaks to incentivize capital moving in the smart direction utilizes market forces to our collective advantage. New factories in the US making solar panels and wind turbines makes importing these products a moot point, and increases the impact of job creation in a sector that will very labor intensive.
I realize that we had a majority in Congress in the recent past, I'm not so foolish to think having a majority will suddenly allow all the right legislation to get passed, but getting that majority back will give us the ability to at least revisit things like filibuster rules.
If Democrats walk up the poker table and put 15 million American jobs on the table, then we get to grin at the GOP and say "who's in"?