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Friday, September 9, 2011

The Plan

Was this the President's "Network" moment? Is he finally, "mad as hell" and not going to take it anymore? In plain words and demanding tone, the President challenged the Republican party to enact what must be seen as a centrist call involving tax cutting (certainly a Republican mantra) mixed with spending on infrastructure needs and hiring of those like returning veterans, policemen and teachers. With long term offsetting debt reduction in exchange for the monies now desperately needed and an explicit recognition that social security and medicare are not untouchable, the agenda should appeal to the right even as the President's pointed remarks chastised them for being so wrong for so long.

But I fear, given what we have painfully witnessed over the course of this administration, that Mr. Cantor's and Mr. Boehner's immediate words of tepid praise for the framework will soon dissolve. I believe that unless we collectively stand at the window and shout the words of the President, over and over, the plan will disappear and what we will be left with is only our anger and frustration and an economy perpetually on the brink. And that, I think, is the only real Republican plan for the next 14 months.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

My favorite (not) moment was on CBS after the speech/ Bob Scheiffer was talking with Cantor (such a shonda). Cantor was polite but then talked about how much he did not like the "all or nothing, my way or the highway" tone of the proposal. I know the republicans would never do such a thing...oh wait, wasn't the debt ceiling fiasco just that? PB

Robert said...

I caught the same act. There is no shame in these people and not even an implicit recognition that there may be something ludicrous in the way they go about their business.

RSN

Anonymous said...

He set a good, clear plan with lots of promise. but I am afraid he will retreat even before the GOP pans it. He doe not know how to negotiate. He needs to sell it to the public before he retreats.