Friday, March 19, 2010

Being Republicans

There has been a lot of talk about the deficit lately by Republicans who are opposed to the health care bill. As I listened to Representative Boehner yesterday trash the bill because it will cost $940 billion to insure some 30 million more Americans, I could not help but to think about the lies and hypocrisy that usually accompany such talking points. Republicans are supposed to be conservative and Democrats are supposed to be liberal. The line has long been that Republicans cut and Democrats spend. Here is a graph of the reality of deficit spending under Republican and Democrat administrations:



The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, the CBO, reports that the health care bill will cut the deficit by $1.2 trillion over ten years as the government does the moral thing to offer health care to those without it. Representative Boehner entered the House of Representative in 1990, serving under both Presidents George H. Bush and George W. Bush. He didn't have any problems with increasing the deficit to record levels under these Republican administrations. His repeated Republican talking point about deficit reduction, while being in a position then and not offering a real solution now, renders his words merely mute.

6 comments:

septembermom said...

That kind of data does not lie. Thanks for providing this info and perspective Judith.

Have a lovely weekend my friend :) I'm hoping to get out in the warm air myself. A good walk sounds good to me.

Judith Ellis said...

That's so true, Kelly. "Data does not lie."

Hoping you too have a great weekend!

DB said...

Unfortunetly no matter how often those figures are posted, and they have been a matter of public record for many years, they will continue to be ignored by those who are convinced that conservative policies are the only good ones fot the economy.

I remember an investment I had in a municipal bond fund. Every month I got a statement and in it was a flier telling me that since Clinton became President I would see my interest rate dropping. I got that flier every month and every month my interest rate went up. Even in the face of the facts certain people will not be convinced. It would be funny if it weren't so pathetic.

Judith Ellis said...

"Even in the face of the facts certain people will not be convinced. It would be funny if it weren't so pathetic."

I agree wholeheartedly, DB. I appreciate your story too.

JOHN O'LEARY said...

Got my fingers crossed, Judith. Tomorrow's the day! I can't say I'm enamored of the bill, but it's a start. I have zero confidence we'd get ANY bill if we "started over."

Judith Ellis said...

My fingers are crossed too, John!