For quite a while, the notion that Republican policymakers might be trying to hurt the American economy on purpose was a charge too provocative for Democrats to make out loud. It's one thing to say the GOP's economic ideas are wrong; it's something else to ask whether the GOP is waging a deliberate campaign against the nation's wellbeing.
Slowly but surely, though, it appears Democrats are becoming more comfortable broaching this provocative line.
Associated Press
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), for example, argued last fall, "Republicans think that if the economy improves, it might help President Obama. So they root for the economy to fail and oppose every effort to improve it." This week, in reference to the Paycheck Fairness Act, Reid said, "Unfortunately, it seems Paycheck Fairness may have two strikes against it. It would good for women and good for the economy."
And yesterday, referencing the stalled-but-critically-important highway bill, Reid said, "I'm told by others that [House Majority Leader Eric Cantor] wants to not do a bill to make the economy worse, because he feels that's better for them. I hope that's not true."
Republicans aren't pleased.
"Leader Reid's claims are ridiculous and patently false," said Cantor's spokeswoman Laena Fallon via email. "Rather than making up stories that have no basis in reality, Leader Reid should follow the House's example and focus on pro-growth measures that will get the economy going and get people back to work."
Nor was Boehner's office about to let Reid's remark slide. "That's bulls**t," said his spokesman Michael Steel.
Maybe it's time for a larger conversation about this? At a minimum, it's a question quite a few credible observers are asking, whether that infuriates the GOP or not.
Michael Cohen, a fellow at the Century Foundation, apparently following up on a discussion I launched, said last fall, “We’re far past the point where there is reason to doubt that the GOP is purposely trying to harm” the economy.
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), vice chairman of the Senate Democratic Conference, believes “some” Republicans “want the economy to actually fail” on purpose. Paul Krugman said in a column, “[I]t’s hard to avoid the suspicion that G.O.P. leaders actually want the economy to perform badly.” Eugene Robinson, a Pulitzer Prize winner, was asked whether it’s possible Republicans would sabotage the economy. “Well, let me be honest,” he said. “It has occurred to me that this is a possibility.” E.J. Dionne Jr., Dan Gross, David Frum, and Andrew Sullivan have all raised the same concerns.
A while back, Kevin Drum wondered whether this will ever be “a serious talking point,” adding, “No serious person in a position of real influence really wants to accuse an entire party of cynically trying to tank the economy, after all.”
Given the last couple of years -- the debt-ceiling scandal, the death of the American Jobs Act, the Republican rejection of any proposals to boost the economy, the GOP proposals to take capital out of the economy through dangerous austerity measures, the GOP-driven downgrade, the GOP leadership’s demand that the Federal Reserve take no actions to improve the economy, the threats of government shutdowns -- it appears all kinds of serious people are at least entertaining the question.
I still rather doubt we'll see a broader national discussion about Republicans' motivations and whether sabotage is a legitimate possibility. Even as many on the left broach the subject, they do so carefully, with caveats and qualifiers.
But I wonder what the polls would say if the questions were put to the public, and whether the sabotage issue would have any effect on the 2012 elections.
Leave a Comment:
New axiom: the more vitriolic the Republican rhetoric, the more truth to the original assertion.
These republicans started a war and committed treason outing a CIA agent in order to gain power. They have sabotaged every democratic presidential election of modern times with Iran-Contra, Nixon's Viet Nam trreaty, blowing up the peace talks till after the election topping the treason list...at least till Bush Jr. Americans refuse to believe it because they just don't want to admit that this political party could be so depraved.
Driven by greed and power this party doesn't believe in democracy and have set out to destroy it. We have witnessed their insanity on a daily basis yet still want to lend them credibility...because we don't want to believe the truth which is right before our eyes.
I hate to say it but only natural catastrophes will bring the people back together again in a common cause for survival (most of which will be due to refusal to accept or respond to climate change by greedy polluters). Once all republicans are out of government we will then have the chance to regain our democracy. Believe it.
Rachel! Hi....just a great idea for your show...your very popular you now....this is the idea....
You show the number of Republican voters in America.
Then the number of these voters that are actually the 1%.
Then show that all the Republicans voting for Republicans other than the 1% are actually voting against their own financial interests!
Most Republicans are being used by the 1% for just their vote. You could make graphs and all kinds of visual and documented proof to support this fact.
Some one has to make the Republicans show their "hand".
You also have to go after the Supreme Court ruling that could and is destroying this Countries Political System. You have to be that Pit Bull and not let them go!
Jerry
Hi Rachel, My wife and I live in California and we voted no on Prop 28. Neither of us smoke. The proposition stated that the grants could given to "All qualified investigators, regardless of institutional affiliation, shall have equal access and opportunity to compete for the funds in this act." This, to us, means that any of the funds generated by this prop could go out of state. We don't believe that California tax money should go out of state.
Hi Howard!
We're nieghbors. I live in the Heights.
Ezra Klein ran it down the other day, describing the effect of the last debt ceiling battle as a set-up for what to expect from John Boehner's current threat of a redux:
The threat worked so well to shake up those self-same consumers that have driven every recovery since WW II it chilled and shrank economic activity last Fall. And now Boehner's back for more! Just in time for November's election. (Those consumers are also voters, you know.)
Sabotage, that a serious issue When we look at history up til now the argument of sabotage is very evident. For me it started with the constitution with word like," with the people of the united state of America, to form a more perfect union", the the pledge that all student would say," liberty and justice for all". however, the GOP has this ideal the liberty and justice is for the rich, that perfect union that the founding father was being brought with blood is now being brought with money, our money. when we look at the deficit where we had wars with no purpose, illiteracy, deregulation of business and banks. sabotage is the issue. so how do we fight sabatiers with the election in November. Obama needs helps
bruton
It's "WE the people" not "with the people" If you're going to quote the Constitution please quote it correctly. You need spellcheck and a grammar guide.
The Republicans bread Millionaires by using the middlae class. The democrates grow millionaires by supporting the middle class.
The BIG Con!
Wednesday,
October 10, 2012
By Jerry Anthony/Contributor
By definition
“conned” 1. Involving abuse of confidence: deceitfully manipulative. 2. To swindle: trick. 3. To persuade by
deception. 4 a confidence game or swindle. 5. A lie, exaggeration, or glib
self-serving talk. Now match this with
what Mitt Romney has actually been doing now for over a year! The flip flopping and pandering to whomever
he happens to be with is all part of the BIG CON that he and Paul Ryan are
running on both parties and everyone else in this country. The proof is in all those video bites MSNBC
has been running for some time. The
fuzzy math the tax cuts for the rich and we are not going to cut Medicare is
the CON. These two Republicans are
trying to CON their way into the White House with no plans. They really believe people will vote for
“trust me I will tell you later”.
The Republican
Party is openly trying to control the outcome of this election like there is no
democracy or Constitution of the United States!
So I have to ask
this question: How could anyone except
the billionaires that are buying this country vote for these Republicans?
Romney wants a
two trillion military budget? No Social
Security? No Medicare or Medicaid? No restrictions
on Wall Street? No Government regulations to protect our food, air and water
supply? War with Iran?
Just who do you think these crazy men think is going to pay for all this social and economic destruction?
Well you better start thinking because this maybe your last chance.
The BIG CON is on and you better wake up!
Romney wins we all lose.