The GOP 'agenda' has never been about anything more than attacking the Preisdent in 5 years. Many-like Greg Sargent-have spoken of the party's policy nihilism. What's pretty sobering is when you look back on what GOP Congressman Tom Cole was saying in early 2009 just after the stimulus was passed-without a GOP vote in the House and just 3 in the Senate. From Micheal Grunwald's The New New Deal:
The GOP celebrated after the stimulus was passed too-why? Because not a single GOPer voted for it. From pgs. 246-57
"For Republicans, the main political lesson the Recovery Act was the upside of resistance to Obama. For the first time in ages, their base was fired up. And independent voters seemed to be responding to the politics of austerity."
"Once we voted no, we started hearing cheers, and we were like, 'Hey, this is great! Life just got better!'" Tom Cole says. "We didn't have a convincing message yet. We were just against Obama. But we stood up, and we didn't get overrun."
Pg. 241 Arlen Specter:
"A lot of Republicans thought the stimulus was necessary," Specter says:"They just wanted it to pass without their fingerprints.I was all so partisan. You had the sentiment: 'We're going to break Obama.' "
It was the ultimate game of 'heads I win, tails you lose.' Mtich McConnell set new records for cynicism frankly telling his members that after all, there was no downside to voting no. After all, if the stimulus failed then it was on Obama and the Dems. If it worked, then most Congress critters would be reelected on the better economy whether they voted for it or not.
So you had all those GOP Governors against Obama while they won re-election thanks to the stimulus funds that helped their states, and phonies like Paul Ryan opposing it every step of the way then quietly applying for them once it passed.
The GOP 'agenda' hasn't moved forward one yard since Cole's gloating words of 2009. They still don't have a convincing message. Why would they bother to get one now?
The GOP celebrated after the stimulus was passed too-why? Because not a single GOPer voted for it. From pgs. 246-57
"For Republicans, the main political lesson the Recovery Act was the upside of resistance to Obama. For the first time in ages, their base was fired up. And independent voters seemed to be responding to the politics of austerity."
"Once we voted no, we started hearing cheers, and we were like, 'Hey, this is great! Life just got better!'" Tom Cole says. "We didn't have a convincing message yet. We were just against Obama. But we stood up, and we didn't get overrun."
Pg. 241 Arlen Specter:
"A lot of Republicans thought the stimulus was necessary," Specter says:"They just wanted it to pass without their fingerprints.I was all so partisan. You had the sentiment: 'We're going to break Obama.' "
It was the ultimate game of 'heads I win, tails you lose.' Mtich McConnell set new records for cynicism frankly telling his members that after all, there was no downside to voting no. After all, if the stimulus failed then it was on Obama and the Dems. If it worked, then most Congress critters would be reelected on the better economy whether they voted for it or not.
So you had all those GOP Governors against Obama while they won re-election thanks to the stimulus funds that helped their states, and phonies like Paul Ryan opposing it every step of the way then quietly applying for them once it passed.
The GOP 'agenda' hasn't moved forward one yard since Cole's gloating words of 2009. They still don't have a convincing message. Why would they bother to get one now?
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