(I'd like to thank Mr. Gulatti for the thorough examination of this issue. - promoted by The Big E)
Tax policy and tax cuts in particular are elements central to the Republican Party's economic philosophy. Republicans have made tax cuts one of their primary tools for fighting the Great Recession and returning America to prosperity. When advocating cuts, many on the Right have waxed nostalgic for the Reagan era tax cuts and their supposed economic benefits. The "record" of those cuts is held up as a justification for extending the Bush tax cuts beyond their expiration date and likewise for cutting taxes generally. All of this as an ideological counterpoint to what the Obama Administration has done in addressing the current downturn. Thus when economists who describe themselves as free market advocates, Libertarians, Republicans and even conservatives call extending the Bush era tax cuts into question one can only take note and inquire further as to why those whom we would expect to endorse tax cuts count themselves among the opposition.
Mark Zandi, who advised John McCain on economic issues, was asked today about Minority Leader John Boehner's criticism of the economic stimulus package and President Obama's economic team.
"I think we'd be in a measurably worse place if not for the stimulus," Zandi said at the Christian Science Monitor breakfast this morning. "If we had not had the stimulus...we'd have fewer jobs today than we actually have."
Zandi was responding to Boehner's contention yesterday that stimulus spending "has gotten us nowhere." Asked whether he agreed with Boehner, Zandi said "no."
"Without the stimulus spending," Zandi insisted, "instead of a 9.5 percent unemployment rate, we'd have an 11.5 percent unemployment rate."
Got that? This is a Republican economic advisor, who, regardless of his politics, understands modern economics, and he's confident that the unemployment rate would be 2 points higher today were it not for the stimulus package.
That translates to literally millions of people who would be out of work and placing a greater strain on the unemployment insurance system were it not for that package of tax cuts and direct investments.
Granted, Zandi wanted the package be more tax incentives rather than direct spending, but it's possible to disagree on the particulars without disagreeing on reality: that the stimulus package saved our economy from a descent into outright Depression-with-a-capital-D.
And there's John Boehner, already measuring the drapes in the Speaker's office, criticizing the package and saying the bill has "gotten us nowhere." This is the guy who would be setting a national congressional agenda were the GOP to pick up 40+ seats this fall.
If that's not a scary enough reason for Democratic voters to turn out this fall, I don't know what is.
Republican MN-01 candidate Randy Demmer is getting some help in his attempt to unseat DFLer Tim Walz. Republicans are bringing the dedicated golfer (119 times last year), the guy with the skin color of my orange leather sofa, John Boehner.
I'm surprised Minnesota Republicans were able to get this guy away from the golf course and the tanning beds long enough to ... hey ... maybe they promised him some free rounds of golf and free tanning sessions.
Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) is unapologeticly looney. She occasionally backtracks or blames others, but she never apologizes or admits her dishonesty. While you can get the complete list here, she's infamous for a number of crazy statements. Her assertions that there were secret plans to divide Iraq to conspiracy theories about a one world currency, the census and the expansion of AmeriCorps show the width and depth of her insanity. While she became a household name for charging on the Chris Matthews Show that members of Congress held anti-American views her craziness is not an occasional occurrence. We MN bloggers are guaranteed two reality-wilting statements per month.
Long before the tea parties or Wilson's outburst, Boehner and Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) had struggled to moderate the rhetorical excesses of House conservatives hammering away on Obama's birth certificate, decrying the creation of "death panels" and ferreting out signs of creeping socialism.
Sources say they have been especially wary of the possible damage inflicted on the party's reputation by bomb-throwing Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), who last fall called for an investigation into whether members of Congress are "pro-America or anti-America."
ThinkProgress had this pithy paragraph to add to the discussion:
Bachmann has previously said that she's been "labeled a kook" throughout her entire political career. Apparently, House Republicans are concerned that she'll make that label stick to them as well.
The title of the post, back on February 15th of this year, was: RNC's Michael Steele: "You have absolutely no reason - none - to trust our words or our actions at this point."
And that was BEFORE the crazy "birther" stuff, and a whole bunch of other bogus stuff slung by the GOPers nationally. Well, and locally too, by FEC Tony and MudSlingerMike. So, since some things never change, here that post is again - Michael Steele telling the world there is no reason - NONE - to trust what the GOP has to say.
Yep - that's the RNC's Michael Steele talking; talking to Glenn Beck. Beck was saying conservatives can't trust today's GreedOverPrinciples party; I submit NO ONE can trust today's GreedOverPrinciples party. Let's watch, and then - below the fold - I'll elaborate:
Oops. Sorry. We all missed the Thursday stop of Aaron Brown's (Minnesota Brown) "Overburden" book tour. But there's one tomorrow and I highly recommend the book. Just click on the pic. BTW, there's one last stop on the Twin Cities leg of the tour. Just click on the pic to buy the book.
The DFL's SD-42 produces a monthly cable-access program that discusses real issues affecting real people. This month's "Democratic Visions" show features State Representatives Paul Thissen (DFL-63A) and John Benson (DFL-43B) discussing Minnesota's revenue and tax crisis. Also featured is Belle Plaine farmer Heidi Morlock discussing Minnesota's Green Acres small farm tax program.
"Democratic Visions" airs on Comcast Channel 15 in the southwest metro area at 5:30 pm on Wednesdays and Sundays at 9:00 pm during April. So, you won't be able to watch the show, and are wondering what the "Democratic Visions" guests had to say? No problemo - let's look!
The freshman Congressman now has the dubious distinction, in less than two months in office, of being taken to task by FactCheck.org. Following the lead of others in the Make(stuff)Up GOP Party, like his ideologically kindred soulmate Michelle Bachmann, Paulsen repeated the debunked bull today's republiCons love to spew. Let's look!
Of Dog Parks and Frisbee Golf
There are several more supposedly frivolous, not-so-stimulative projects that Republican members of Congress have criticized for being part of the economic recovery act. None of them are actually mentioned in the legislation, either.
In a form letter to constituents (e-mailed to one of our readers on Feb. 20), Rep. Erik Paulsen of Minnesota claimed that the bill (now law) "contains a huge amount of spending on many things that are unrelated to saving or creating jobs." He said that it "will fund requests such as $2 million for neon signs in Las Vegas, $4.5 million for an eco park featuring butterfly gardens and gopher tortoises, $500,000 for a dog park, $3 million for a municipal golf course clubhouse, $886,000 for a 36-hole disc golf course, $1.8 million for replacement tennis courts, $6 million for three aquatic centers with water slides ... the list goes on and on."
None of these projects are specified in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. In fact, golf courses, and many other recreational projects, simply can't get funding under the law, which stipulates:
ARRA: Sec. 1604: None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available in this Act may be used by any State or local government, or any private entity, for any casino or other gambling establishment, aquarium, zoo, golf course, or swimming pool. (FactCheck.org)
So, how did Paulsen respond when FactCheck.org checked in with him about his made up (stuff) claims? And, how do those claims square with Paulsen's Press Release, just last night? Go below the break to see!
(With the revelations that The Party Of Abramoff spent donor dough at Voyeur West Hollywood, a bondage-themed nightclub featuring topless women dancers imitating lesbian sex, I thought it was appropriate to revisit this one - because you couldn't trust GOPers then and NOTHING has changed. - promoted by TwoPuttTommy)
"...or our actions at this point."
Yep - that's the RNC's Michael Steele talking; talking to Glenn Beck. Beck was saying conservatives can't trust today's GreedOverPrinciples party; I submit NO ONE can trust today's GreedOverPrinciples party. Let's watch, and then - below the fold - I'll elaborate:
Republican MN-01 candidate Randy Demmer is getting some help in his attempt to unseat DFLer Tim Walz. Republicans are bringing the dedicated golfer (
Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) is unapologeticly looney. She occasionally backtracks or blames others, but she never apologizes or admits her dishonesty. While you can get the complete list 
