The House Republicans are at it already -- making noises about their agenda, talking about repealing health care reform, making deep cuts in important social services, and zeroing in on a personal anti-Obama vendetta. (They're sure he can be impeached for something!)
We can't let them set their agenda this way. We can't let them frame the public debate as "HCR: good or bad" or "Obama: impeachable or not?"
Whenever they advance their agenda -- talking about it in the media, or by putting out legislation -- we need to ask them the only question that matters.
How is this going to create jobs?
They are making noises about repealing health care reform.
We ask, "How is this going to create jobs?"
They have stated that their goal is to ensure Obama is a one-term president.
We ask, "How is this going to create jobs?"
They want to ensure that the wealthy continue to avoid paying taxes.
We ask, "How is this going to create jobs?"
They want to dismantle every government enterprise from Social Security to the Post Office.
We ask, "How is this going to create jobs?"
They want to balance the budget on the backs of the American people.
We ask, "How is this going to create jobs?"
They want to move backward on gay rights.
We ask, "How is this going to create jobs?"
They want to move backward on reproductive freedom.
We ask, "How is this going to create jobs?"
They have vowed to obstruct everything the Democrats propose, everything Obama tries to do.
We ask, "How is this going to create jobs?"
We have to ask it like it's the only question that matters. Because it is the only question that matters. We can't let the Republicans pretend that everything is business as usual. They were elected by a wave of deep voter dissatisfaction, driven mostly by pervasively high unemployment and economic insecurity. They will attempt to get us all to forget that. They'll attempt to run the usual dog and pony show of "smaller government" and "lower taxes" and "family values." And they drive the media narrative, so they just might be successful. They're very good at getting people, especially people in the news media, to ask the wrong questions.
Unless the real question is so loud it can't be ignored.
How is this going to create jobs?
Now, you might think there is a danger in this -- the danger being that, if jobs are created, the Republicans will take credit. I'll take that bet. If the debate over the next two years is whether it was Obama and the Democrats who created jobs, or the House Republicans who created jobs, we win in 2012.
Plus, we'll have jobs.