MM Commentary: Those big Republican lies and loyalty to the president
Read Time:3 Minute, 41 Second
The last election campaign exposed the American public to outrageous lies from an increasingly desperate and increasingly nutty Republican Party. Sadly, as it turned out, some of them, the dumber ones no doubt, believed those lies. In reality they have been told and repeated for so many months that they have assumed the proportions of truth, and are accepted by a great many Americans. Regardless, they are still lies, each and every one.
Unfortunately for us more considered thinkers, the “progressives” have bought into the same line of nonsense, thus damaging even more the chances of this president being able to lead past 2012. This is the “bite off your nose to spite your face” approach popularized by talking heads such as Ed Schultz, and the rest of the gang of loud talking progressives.
Just what are the most popular prevarications? Well see for yourself:
1) President Obama tripled the deficit.
Reality: Bush’s last budget had a $1.416 trillion deficit. Obama’s first budget reduced that significantly.
2) President Obama raised taxes, which hurt the economy.
Reality: Obama cut taxes. 40% of the “stimulus” was wasted on tax cuts which only create debt, which is why it was so much less effective than it could have been.
3) President Obama bailed out the banks.
Reality: While many people conflate the “stimulus” with the bank bailouts, the bank bailouts were requested by Bush and his Treasury Secretary, former Goldman Sachs CEO Henry Paulson. (Paulson also wanted the bailouts to be “non-reviewable by any court or any agency.”) The bailouts passed and began before the 2008 election of President Obama.
4) The stimulus didn’t work.
Reality: The Stimulus worked but was not enough. In fact, according to the Congressional Budget Office, the stimulus raised employment by between 1.4 million and 3.3 million jobs.
5) Businesses will hire if they get tax cuts.
Reality: A business hires the right number of employees to meet demand. Having extra cash does not cause a business to hire, but a business that has a demand for what it does will find the money to hire. Businesses want customers not tax cuts.
6) Health care reform costs $1 trillion.
Reality: The health care reform reduces government deficits by 138 billion.
7) Social Security is a Ponzi scheme, is “going broke,” people live longer, fewer workers per retiree, etc.
Reality: Social Security has run a surplus since it began, has a trust fund in the trillions, is completely for at least 25 more years and cannot legally borrow so cannot contribute to the deficit (compare that to the military budget!) Life expectancy is only longer because fewer babies die; people who reach 65 live about the same number of years as they used to.
(8) Government spending takes money out of the economy.
Reality: Government is We, the people and the money it spends is on the people. Many people do not know that it is government that builds the roads, airports, ports, courts, schools and other things that are the soil in which business thrives. Many people think that all government spending is on “welfare” and “foreign aid” when that is only a small part of the government’s budget.
Don’t believe the lies being told by the rabid Republicans. Their goal is to recapture the White House and once again control the country for the benefit of the their fat cat thieving corporate friends.
Support your president. You don’t have to agree with him on everything, but try to be loyal otherwise you might see a Sarah Palin as president. Think that’s far fetched? Do you remember the elections of 2000 and 2004. Did you forget who America elected?
What’s the moral of my story? The president is not perfect but then again none of us are perfect. He has not been able to fulfill all of his campaign promises because no one could possibly do that. It is, after all, the game of politics and in order to get elected you have to play it. It is fair to criticize and that is the American way, but one can be critical without being hateful. So, keep in mind as you bash the man for which you voted that if you aren’t careful when you throw out the bathwater you just might throw out the baby as well and that would be a disaster for the American family……MM
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Every episode of The Daily Show, Stewart shows Republicans at different media outlets saying the exact same thing over and over again. They have elevated the misleading and false talking point to an art. It’s nauseating how effective it is.
It is nauseating Mr. McDermott. It’s also scary.
As you point out, what the republicans are saying and the reality, are two different things. It needs to be stated over and over.
But, loyalty . . . I’m waiting on the Bush tax cuts . . .
There are some Democrats who intend to side with the Republicans on this tax cut nonsense.
Thanks for this Mike. I am one of those people who is disappointed in our president but I am certainly not ready to replace him with a Republican. They are just plain crazy. Good commentary.
You are right Jean. They are just plain crazy.