Beware of those scary liberals
(REUTERS/Mike Segar)
For not having been in power much this decade, those liberals sure are a frightening bunch. At least that's the conclusion one arrives at listening to leading Republicans this week as they claim victimization by the left.
The latest warning landed in our email inbox today from Fred Thompson -- former Tennessee senator, John McCain booster, and, briefly a presidential contender himself. He came asking for money for Fred PAC, his new political action committee that, in his words, will "fight to elect individuals to Congress and statehouses across the country who will stand up for the values you and I share."
He wrote, "There are dozens of good, strong, committed conservative candidates doing battle every day in the trenches against the left-wing, redistribute-the-wealth, divide-the-people, protectionist, tax-and-spend crowd we’ve had to deal with for two generations."
That sounds similar to the dire political prognosis Mitt Romney delivered at the GOP convention Wednesday night. "We need change all right -- change from a liberal Washington to a conservative Washington!" he said. "We have a prescription for every American who wants change in Washington: throw out the big government liberals and elect John McCain and Sarah Palin."
Surely Republicans don't like some of what Congress has done since Democrats took control in 2006, and it's true that the GOP is struggling at the local level in states such as Massachusetts. But the ominous tone of such pleas, as some commentators have already noted, seems rather anachronistic, as if it were 1978 and Jimmy Carter, not President Bush, were in charge of the country.
The truth is, you have to have 60 votes in the Senate, plus the Presidency, to be in "control." Neither party has had such control in recent times. However, the Democrats may be on the cusp of gaining such real control after this election, so the fears are real.
Much too much is made of the power of the President with regard to economic matters - as opposed to foreign policy where the executive has real power. The Congress has more to say about domestic policy in general and the economy in particular. "All bills for raising revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives..." Art.I, Sec.7.
When the Conservatives took over Congress in 1995, the economy prospered; when the Liberals gained control in 2007, the economy faltered.
Yes, I am sure the tens of billions of dollars we have been throwing at the blackhole known as the Iraq war has nothing to do with our economic problems right now.
Or the complete lack of oversight of key financial institutions.
And just how does a "do-nothing" "Liberal" congress of 2007 manage to royally screw the US economy in 8 months?
Give me a break.
McCain has turned this election into a soap opera about Sarah Palin and her family. Is this what we need to be talking about during these critical times when people are losing their jobs, their homes, and soldiers are losing their lives? Why is it that we are forced to deal with a hockey mom and her problems that can fill the National Enquirer ten times over? McCain clearly has contempt for the electoral process and the American people deserve so much more.
Liberals love big, wasteful, ineffective government. The only folks who vote for that crap arte ppl who want free crap and handouts, and the a**holes from Hollywood. Middle America won't. Socialism sucks. Thats why so many ppl come to the USA.
Oh Jer - the economy has never been in "full steam" mode since the 90s. Real incomes have been lagging since that time and the middle class has been shrinking. The reason the economy is in turmoil is because of the housing crunch which is the work of the do-nothing Republicans and of course, W himself. Yes, John McSame was right there with em all, helping them along.
The conservatives in the Republican aren't in control anymore. The social conservatives are, and they like to spend and not pay for it. That's why the government is in such a mess.
Liberals = Liabilities.Conservatives = Assets sounds familiar?
The above comment "when Conservatives took over congress in 1995, the economy prospered; when the Liberals gained control in 2007, the economy faltered" is incredibly misleading. If Jeremiah really thinks that economic performance can change drastically inside the space of 1 year, than he is sorely mistaken. If you look at the conditions that led up to the takeovers, you see that so-called conservatives INHERITED a robust economy several years in the making, and that so-called liberals INHERITED a weaker economy several years in the making. The economy does not go drastically up and down in the space of 1 year, barring extraordinary circumstances (which haven't occurred in the last 6 years). Instead, the story is one of gradual shifts up and gradual shifts down. Don't be so misleading.
And as memory serves corruption increased dramactically.
to #1, the only problem with your argument is that conservatives were in control of congress until January 2007 thus playing a large part in creating the most recent economy problems. Deregulations of certain industries. Recall there was a surplus in the budget and the economy was strong when Clinton left office. Selective memory perhaps or just wishful thinking. Whenever an election cycle comes around the conservative always tout fear the liberals, they will raise your taxes, etc. And tout themselves as being fiscally responsible, less government in our lives, etc. However, most recent history has shown this is a complete lie. Conservatives have been fiscally irresponsible with issues in our country and we have seen liberties and our constitutional rights spit upon in our country. Make another argument.
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