Deficits aren't good for the economy, especially in this time of high unemployment; they make us uneasy about the future and have caused President Obama's approval ratings to plummet. Although Republicans didn't seem to have any concerns about running up deficits during the Bush years when they advocated pouring money into Bush's optional war in Iraq that he misled us into, now they are screaming from the rafters how bad deficits are, as if Obama created them. This fall, that is what Republicans will run on because they have no programs of their own, but they do not want to take the logical and proper acts to help the economy--letting the Bush tax cuts for those earning over $250,000 expire. No, the Republicans are screaming that Obama should lower the deficits, but they don't want their rich friends to suffer. Our country went to war without asking for sacrifice--the first war when taxes weren't raised to support it, and in the midst of it, Bush cut taxes on the rich.
The gall of Republicans to run on cutting deficits! But, they are getting away with it because Democrats have no enthusiasm for defending ourselves and getting out and voting against those who caused us to live through eight years of unfairness, no, worse than that, eight years of (to redraft Rand Paul’s remark about how Obama was treating BP) “putting their boot on the necks of the disadvantaged and poor” of this country, asking them to fight a war we shouldn't have started, cutting their social services safety nets, and increasing the divide between them and the rich at their expense. Now, Republicans want the rich to keep on having it easy while they cut funding for education, social programs including Social Security and Medicare, infrastructure, just about anything that made the nation strong. Hey, the way they are heading, we won't even have a middle class--just the very, very rich and the poor. That doesn't matter to them as long as they can get into power and protect those who fund them.
Sometimes, along comes a person or a commentary that shows Republicans for the hypocrites they are. Last night's Daily Show did it magnificently.
First, I must admit my bias. I really, really like John Stewart and watch The Daily Show nightly or at least DVR it. They don't hit a home run every time, but I watch because I don't want to miss the broadcasts that are 'spot on' such as last night's show. I know a lot of other national and Virginia blogs are showing this clip, too, and I thought about not posting it, but Stewart does such a great job of eviscerating the hypocritical, lying Repugs that I couldn't resist. He is a masterful satirist, and that allows him to cut through the purposefully confusing verbiage the Republicans put forth. It's a strategy they use adroitly, but one the Dems can't seem to counter, and by the way, neither can interviewers. Case in point: I watched David Gregory try to deal with Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) and Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) on Meet the Press last Sunday when they would not answer the questions about how tax cuts will be paid for; rather, Boehner was defining letting the tax cuts for the rich run out as RAISING TAXES. But, raising taxes will resonate with those not paying attention, and Boehner knows that. It has worked for Repugs before, and we Dems don't call them on it loud and clear and long. Stewart did it last night, but we cannot and should not have to depend on a comic, great satirist that he is, to do our work for us.