Here's an excerpt from Paul Krugman's column in today's New York Times:
For a while, leading Republicans posed as stern foes of federal red ink. Two weeks ago, in the official G.O.P. response to President Obama’s weekly radio address, Senator Saxby Chambliss devoted his entire time to the evils of government debt, “one of the most dangerous threats confronting America today.” He went on, “At some point we have to say ‘enough is enough.’”
But this past Monday Jon Kyl of Arizona, the second-ranking Republican in the Senate, was asked the obvious question: if deficits are so worrisome, what about the budgetary cost of extending the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy, which the Obama administration wants to let expire but Republicans want to make permanent? What should replace $650 billion or more in lost revenue over the next decade?
His answer was breathtaking: “You do need to offset the cost of increased spending. And that’s what Republicans object to. But you should never have to offset the cost of a deliberate decision to reduce tax rates on Americans.” So $30 billion in aid to the unemployed is unaffordable, but 20 times that much in tax cuts for the rich doesn’t count.
The next day, Mitch McConnell, the Senate minority leader, confirmed that Mr. Kyl was giving the official party line: “There’s no evidence whatsoever that the Bush tax cuts actually diminished revenue. They increased revenue, because of the vibrancy of these tax cuts in the economy. So I think what Senator Kyl was expressing was the view of virtually every Republican on that subject.”
Now there are many things one could call the Bush economy, an economy that, even before recession struck, was characterized by sluggish job growth and stagnant family incomes; “vibrant” isn’t one of them. But the real news here is the confirmation that Republicans remain committed to deep voodoo, the claim that cutting taxes actually increases revenues.
If anything, Jeff Flake, darling of the Club for Greed A/K/A the Club for Growth, is more for tax cuts than the rich than Kyl or McConnell. He's made his reputation with his moronic little press releases highlighting an earmark of the week: some piddling sum spent for a community center here or a park there - public facilities that Flake's contributors, uber-wealthy banksters and fat cats, don't use.
But he favors not just extending the wealthy-favoring Bush tax cuts but making them larger! Jeff Flake, supposed deficit hawk, would add over a billion dollars to the deficit with his risky scheme to cut taxes on the rich even more.
Yet he won't help middle-class people who find themselves unemployed. Yesterday we got an email from an Apache Junction voter in his fifties. Due to a corporate merger and subsequent cost-cutting, he was laid off at Christmas by a national chain as a manager in a Tempe Marketplace store. That day he'd got a letter that his lifeline, his unemployment check, would stop, "pending congressional action." Currently, Republican senators are blocking passage of this action.
From Rebecca Schneider, Democratic candidate in Arizona's Sixth Congressional District:
Before the bill even got to the Senate, YOUR Congressman (Jeff Flake) voted to cut unemployment benefits to the thousands of men and women who can't find work.
This vote was not only fiscally irresponsible, but downright wrong!
The Rebecca Schneider for Congress campaign will be staging a protest in front of Jeff Flake's Mesa Office. We will be wearing cardboard barrels, since Mr. Flake doesn't seem to care if his constituents lose their last remaining lifeline and self respect.
Join us on Wednesday, July 21th from 3:30 - 5:00 p.m., 1640 S. Stapley Drive, Mesa 85204.
Come dressed in grungy T-shirt and shorts. Barrels will be provided on site.
We urge you to join Rebecca Schneider's demonstration if you can.
