I have a suspicious mind when it comes to the motives of Republicans for some of the seemingly malicious actions their party has taken over the last two years. Matt Yglesias over at Wonk Room writes about the Obama White House must be ready for more Republican malicious behavior to restrain and minimize economic growth.
Planning for the Worst
So I know that tangible improvements in the economy are key to Obama’s re-election chances. And Douglas Hibbs knows that it’s key. And senior administration officials know that its key. So is it so unreasonable to think that Mitch McConnell and John Boehner may also know that it’s key? That rank and file Republicans know that it’s key? McConnell has clarified that his key goal in the Senate is to cause Barack Obama to lose in 2012 which if McConnell understands the situation correctly means doing everything in his power to reduce economic growth. Boehner has distanced himself from this theory, but many members of his caucus may agree with McConnell.
Yglesias warns the White House to expect Republicans to promote policies that would have negative impacts on economic growth.
Today over on Political Animal Steve Benen has an provocative thought experiment that goes to the heart of the issue.
NONE DARE CALL IT SABOTAGE
Imagine you actively disliked the United States, and wanted to deliberately undermine its economy. What kind of positions would you take to do the most damage?
You might start with rejecting the advice of economists and oppose any kind of stimulus investments. You'd also want to cut spending and take money out of the economy, while blocking funds to states and municipalities, forcing them to lay off more workers. You'd no doubt want to cut off stimulative unemployment benefits, and identify the single most effective jobs program of the last two years (the TANF Emergency Fund) so you could kill it.
You might then take steps to stop the Federal Reserve from trying to lower the unemployment rate. You'd also no doubt want to create massive economic uncertainty by vowing to gut the national health care system, promising to re-write the rules overseeing the financial industry, vowing re-write business regulations in general, considering a government shutdown, and even weighing the possibly of sending the United States into default.
You might want to cover your tracks a bit, and say you have an economic plan that would help -- a tax policy that's already been tried -- but you'd do so knowing that such a plan has already proven not to work.
Does any of this sound familiar?
Benen lays out the essential elements of congressional Republicans' counter-stimulative program.
(1) Oppose any kind of stimulus investments
(2) Cut Federal spending and take money out of the economy
(3) Block funds to states and municipalities to take money out of the economy
(3) Cut off stimulative unemployment benefits to take money out of the economy
(4) Kill effective jobs programs to take money out of the economy
(4) Oppose efforts by the Federal Reserve to stimulate the economy
(5) Create uncertainty in the Health Care and Financial sectors of the economy by undermining recent reforms.
(6) Undermine the ability of the U.S. government to borrow money on world markets by refusing to raise the Federal Debt Limit in time to avoid choas and risking a default.
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Are Republicans really so cynical that they would stoop to such malicious tactics? Has the Republicans' lust for power overwhelmed their love of country? Do they see their stated goal of getting Obama out of the White House in 2012 as the test for everything the Republicans do over the next two years?
Their behavior over the last two years has shown that the Republicans have repeatedly subordinated the national interest to a political strategy that included a scorched earth approach toward growing the American Economy and creating jobs.