The Republican Party does not have an agenda, and that is the point:
Sometime after Labor Day, House Minority Leader John A. Boehner plans to unveil a blueprint of what Republicans will do if they take back control of the chamber. He promises it will be a full plate of policy proposals that will give voters a clear sense of how they would govern.
A full plate of policy proposals? Okay, if you consider:
- Repeal health care reform.
- Repeal financial reform.
- Repeal what remains of the stimulus.
- Repeal Social Security.
- Repeal Medicare.
- Start a third war, this one against Iran. Triple the funding for the military.
- Cut taxes for corporations and for the wealthiest Americans. Do not offset these cuts.
- Raise the deficit and call it revenue.
- Rail against the lazy, good-for-nothing unemployeds and homeless bums who would rather drink beer and watch football on tv, or sleep in a doorway, than get a job and work for a living.
to be policy proposals.
It’s possible, though, that wiser heads within the party will prevail:
But will Republicans actually want to run on those ideas — or any ideas? Behind the scenes, many are being urged to ignore the leaders and do just the opposite: avoid issues at all costs. Some of the party’s most influential political consultants are quietly counseling their clients to stay on the offensive for the November midterm elections and steer clear of taking stands on substance that might give Democratic opponents material for a counterattack.
“The smart political approach would be to make the election about the Democrats,” said Neil Newhouse of the powerhouse Republican polling firm Public Opinion Strategies, which is advising more than 50 House and Senate candidates. “In terms of our individual campaigns, I don’t think it does a great deal of good” to engage in a debate over the Republicans’ own agenda.
Oh. One more item on John Boehner’s “blueprint” — a complete one-year moratorium on new federal regulations:
A day after calling for repeal of the new financial regulatory reform bill, John Boehner is going even further: He’s calling for a moratorium on all new Federal regulations — in the name of job creation.
Here’s what he told reporters moments ago, per a transcript that was sent my way:
“I think having a moratorium on new federal regulations is a great idea it sends a wonderful signal to the private sector that they’re going to have some breathing room.”
And more:
“I think there’s probably a way to do this with an exemption for emergency regulations that may be needed for some particular agency or another. But if the American people knew there was going to be a moratorium in effect for a year that the federal government wasn’t going to issue thousands more regulations, it would give them some breathing room.”
The American people beg to differ:
The public wants more regulation, not less.According to last month’s NBC/WSJ poll, 65% said they wanted more regulation for the oil industry (versus 16% who want less); 57% want more regulation for Wall Street firms (compared with 15% who want less); 53% want more regulation for big corporations (versus 21% who want less); and 52% want more regulation for the health-care industry (compared with 27% who want less).
Only regarding small business was the public divided on having more regulation versus less.
Which of these proposed federal regulations to protect taxpayers and consumers does Mr. Boehner think is “a great idea” to stop to give “breathing room” to the special interests?
SAFE CRIBS AND BASSINETS FOR CHILDREN: The Commission is proposing a more stringent safety standard for bassinets and cradles that will further reduce the risk of injury associated with these products.
TRANSPARENT GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING: The establishment of a free, public, website containing full disclosure of all Federal contract award information.
CONSUMER PROTECTIONS FOR AMERICAN AIR TRAVELERS: New action to strengthen the rights of air travelers in the event of oversales, flight cancellations and long delays, and to ensure that passengers have accurate and adequate information to make informed decisions when selecting flights.
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