"Socialism" is a very trendy word right now amongst the conservative set these days. It was a major theme of the Republican election strategy in 2008. I guess it worked so well, they're continuing the theme into 2009. If you start to look for this trend, you'll see it everywhere. Republicans and those on Wall Street are screaming "socialism" in opposition to every Democratic proposal.
Exhibit A: The Stimulus Bill
From The Hill, Feb. 3, 2009
"[T]his whole bill is actually a steamroller of socialism that is being forced down our throats, and the economy is going to choke to death on this steamroller of socialism that you all are bringing forward," Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga.) said on the House floor on Jan. 27.
Oh No! A steamroller of socialism. Wow, what a logical and impassioned plea. Apparently the government spending money on anything (other than war) is socialism. At least it's just a steamroller, those don't move very fast, we can get out of the way before it comes to close to us I guess.
Of course the only people who are really faking concern over socialism are the Washington hypocrites right? Surely people on Wall Street, people who just took in billions of government money aren't going to have the audacity to blow smoke over socialism, right?
Oops, spoke too soon. Apparently Obama's comments about Wall Street Bonuses went too far and sound alot like....wait for it....hear it comes....socialism!
From the New York Times, an insurance broker commenting on Obama's statements,
"It’s a very slippery slope to go down," said another insurance broker as he waited to be seated for lunch at Cipriani Downtown. "A blanket statement like that borders on" — you guessed it — "socialism."
Hmmm, I think we have a theme here and as a liberal Democrat I'm scared. I'm scared that conservatives have found out our secret, we're all socialists! Damn, here I thought we were good at hiding it. I guess we Democrats got too careless by giving banks all that bailout money, a sign of outright government intervention:
Thursday, 2 October 2008
The US Senate has approved the Bush administration's $700bn bailout plan for the country's struggling financial institutions.
Oh wait, President Bush and Treasury Secretary Paulson proposed the bank bailout? That doesn't sound right, it doesn't fit in with the Republican mantra of Democrat Proposal = Socialism. It's not like reality ever matters to them anyhow.
Unfortunately for us Democrats more trouble is on the way in 2009. It seems that after such a succesful 2008 election, Republicans are going to keep hammering at us with what worked, well into 2009:
Again from the The Hill
One card Republicans hope to continue playing is connections to the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), an organization that registers voters in low-income communities.
As stimulus legislation winds its way through the Senate, House GOP leader John Boehner (Ohio) has spotlighted what he says could be billions of dollars made available to ACORN.
Oh snap! I was hoping they forgot about that successful electioneering technique. I guess you gotta stick with what works right?
So there you go folks, Democrats are in for more trouble in 2009 because once again socialism and ACORN are the two most prominent Republican strategies.
Excuse me while my head explodes as I contemplate the level of hypocrisy I've witnessed the last two weeks and the entire 26 years of my life. Kaboom!!