On January 20, 2009 Republicans gathered with Frank Lutz and agreed to do their utmost to wreck all efforts to foster an economic recovery under President Obama. Republicans put Party over Country in the most cynical political ploy this country has ever seen. Mich McConnell laid out his party's cynical strategy like this: "The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president."
Why isn't Republican economic sabotage the number one issue of this election? Like it deserves to be!
The British Press has done a much better job of covering this important story than the recalcitrant US Press. This comes from the Guardian:
Did Republicans deliberately crash the US economy?
By Michael Cohen
Republicans have opposed a lion's share of stimulus measures that once they supported, such as a payroll tax break, which they grudgingly embraced earlier this year. Even unemployment insurance, a relatively uncontroversial tool for helping those in an economic downturn, has been consistently held up by Republicans or used as a bargaining chip for more tax cuts. Ten years ago, prominent conservatives were loudly making the case for fiscal stimulus to get the economy going; today, they treat such ideas like they're the plague.
Traditionally, during economic recessions, Republicans have been supportive of loose monetary policy. Not this time. Rather, Republicans have upbraided Ben Bernanke, head of the Federal Reserve, for even considering policies that focus on growing the economy and creating jobs.
And then, there is the fact that since the original stimulus bill passed in February of 2009, Republicans have made practically no effort to draft comprehensive job creation legislation. Instead, they continue to pursue austerity policies, which reams of historical data suggest harms economic recovery and does little to create jobs. In fact, since taking control of the House of Representatives in 2011, Republicans have proposed hardly a single major jobs bill that didn't revolve, in some way, around their one-stop solution for all the nation's economic problems: more tax cuts.
The GOP's zealotry on tax cuts is only matched by its zealotry in pursuing austerity policies. In the spring of 2011, federal spending cuts forced by Republican legislators took much-needed money out of the economy: combined with the 2012 budget, it has largely counteracted the positive benefits provided by the 2009 stimulus.
Subsequently, the GOP's refusal to countenance legislation that would help states with their own fiscal crises (largely, the result of declining tax revenue) has led to massive public sector layoffs at the state and local level. In fact, since Obama took office, state and local governments have shed 611,000 jobs; and by some measures, if not for these jobs, cuts the unemployment rate today would be closer to 7%, not its current 8.2%. In 2010 and 2011, 457,00 public sector jobs were excised; not coincidentally, at the same time, much of the federal stimulus aid from 2009 ran out. And Republicans took over control of Congress.
Unfortunately many Americans automatically hold the sitting President accountable for the strength of the economy, regardless of of the near complete obstruction of anything beneficial to economic growth by the opposition party in Congress. President Obama needs to call out Republican obstruction more forcefully.
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Probably the most glaring example of Republican sabotage was their killing of the The American Jobs Act.
Unemployment is High by Republican Design as GOP Sabotaged Obama's Job Proposals
By Benjamin Feinblum
Obama calls a joint session of Congress to propose the American Jobs Act. The full proposal is here. A majority of the law is tax cuts and support for small business.
The White House brought together a number of proposals that Republicans had previously supported for the basis of the American Jobs Act.
What happened when Obama sent the bill to Congress?
Debate was filibustered by Republicans in both houses. No conversation was allowed.
Obama broke the bill in 16 parts so that Republicans could block segments that were only tax cuts.
Republicans blocked every part except for one to help veterans.
That is a total of 17 jobs bills blocked.
They didn't say what they disagreed with. I don't even know if I agree with it. They completely blocked debate.
Filibuster Debate? For what purpose? Would this prevent a public record of Republicans having to explain why they are against all sorts of tax cuts and other measures to help small businesses? Would this minimize the time in the public eye? Would this minimize news coverage... so this is... swept under the rug?
Here is Senator Carl Levin as Senate Republicans filibustered debate.
Republicans may have better ideas, but where are they? Without debate, or a counter-proposal (Republican bill) there was no debate to reveal what Republicans actually believe. They just say NOPE! And end discussion on all jobs legislation. They assumed Americans would be too busy with their lives to remember.
Democrats need to remind them!
Here is Eric Cantor who blocked all debate on job legislation. Most of the jobs bill was tax cuts. Watch him talking about fear and uncertainty about taxes going up. He is on a business news channel right now with the soul purpose of spreading that fear and uncertainty to business leaders about Obama. That is the mission of his entire speech in this video.
The case that Republicans did everything they thought they could get away with to wreck the recovery is irrefutable.
Here is the record of the last 2 years of "accomplishments" in the Republican run House:
Republican Jobs Creation The GOP...Keeping Millions Unemployed to put One Man out of work
The Republicans' shameful record is clear: They fiddled while the economy was still smoldering from the handiwork from the previous Republican President's reckless policies.