From the moment President Obama took office, Rethuglicans in Congress vowed to bring President Obama's economic recovery agenda down, starting with health insurance reform, and damn the national interest. As Sen. Jim "Demented" DeMint (Confederate-SC) phrased it, they wanted to make health insurance reform the President's "Waterloo." With the economic stimulus package, as radio hate-meister Limpballs phrased it, they wanted the President "to fail." Every time Obama sought compromise, and incorporated Rethug suggestions in his economic recovery legislation, they voted against him. The latest evidence is their rejection of extending unemployment benefits legislation.
Now, Theda Skocpol, writing in Talking Points Memo, states what Dems should be doing: calling the Rethugs out for sabotaging needed measures in order to play the savior if they get back in power (shudder):
"The President, Congressional leaders, and Democrats of all stripes should be yelling day in, day out, that REPUBLICANS ARE SABOTAGING NATIONAL ECONOMIC RECOVERY. AND PREVENTING JOB GROWTH, JUST FOR POLITICAL ADVANTAGE. That should be the message all the time, led by the President. Stop the murky compromises and the whining about "helping the unemployed." Stop pretending this is about the deficit -- nothing will hurt the deficit more than delayed economic growth. Say what it happening in terms of the national interest."Well said, and worth heeding.
BONUS READING: Driftglass gives us an historical overview of the right-wing descent into nihilism and political chicanery (known as "ratf**king") of which the recent Tucker "F**ker" Carlson/ Dave Wiegel episode is just the latest example.
