It has been Republican dogma for the past several years or longer that “we don’t have a revenue problem, we have a spending problem.” Kowtowing to private citizen Grover Norquist and his “no tax increase in any form, under any circumstances” pledge, Republicans in Congress and elsewhere have heretofore rejected any kind of balanced approach to shrinking the U.S. debt and deficit that involves raising revenues in any way. In one famous moment at their August 11, 2011 debate in Iowa, the Republican presidential candidates all rejected even a hypothetical solution that consisted of a ten to one ratio of spending cuts to tax increases. However, in the wake of their considerable defeat in the 2012 elections, the Republican wall against raising revenues is now crumbling.
Author Archives:
Climate change is the new Internet
Want to know the dirty little secret that may cause many Republicans to believe in climate change? The secret is: there’s lots money to be made. Indeed, climate change a/k/a global warming could unleash economic opportunities on par with the Agricultural Revolution, the Industrial Revolution and the Information Revolution that kicked into high gear with the Internet. Here are some ways in which capitalists may capitalize on climate change:
The Republicans’ Hurricane Sandy problem
Multistate disasters like Hurricane Sandy, which is currently battering the Northeast, present a big problem for the Republican Party and its anti-government ideology. Here’s why:
Four debate pointers for President Obama
With the second Presidential debate between Barack Obama and Willard Mitt Romney around the corner and the third debate just six days later, President Obama should follow these four time-tested principles of successful political communication to gain the debate advantage:
Interview with Nicole Belle of Crooks and Liars
Nicole Belle
“Mom, Wife, Media Critic/Political Analyst, Blogger, Austen Fanatic, Unapologetic Liberal.” That’s Nicole Belle‘s bio at the Crooks and Liars progressive political blog, where she is Senior Editor and a regular contributor. Nicole has also written for Firedoglake, the ACLU blog, and elsewhere, and has been a frequent guest on political talk shows (including one where the author is a co-host).
With the 2012 presidential election just weeks away, and the campaign season in full frenzy, Messaging Matters spoke with Nicole to get her take on the political landscape:
The One Thing Democrats Should be Saying but Aren’t
At the Republican National Convention and elsewhere during this election season, the Republicans’ principal attack against President Obama is that he hasn’t fixed the economy or significantly lowered the unemployment rate. The Democrats have failed effectively to call the Republicans out for not lifting a finger to work with them and with President Obama to solve these economic issues.
The story is a simple and compelling one for the Democrats, if they would only tell it:
Republican Ideology Collides with Tropical Storm Isaac
Republicans hate “the government,” especially “the federal government.” That ideology has run through the Republican Party for decades, including opposition to regulation of financial markets, opposition to Medicare, calling for the elimination of the Departments of Education, Commerce, etc. President Ronald Reagan once famously said, “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help.'” Ask residents of New Orleans how that Republican hands-off approach worked for them during Hurricane Katrina. This Republican ideology is being sorely tested again now by Tropical Storm (soon to be Hurricane) Isaac.
Interview with Rap Activist Macarone
Macarone
With his name and his residence in conservative Orange County, California, Maurice Bradford could be an attorney or an accountant. But instead he’s Macarone, a self-styled “rap activist” who is carving out a niche as a hip-hop spokesman of the political Left. Messaging Matters caught up with Macarone after his recent performance to benefit the Wolf PAC:
Thank Your Public Employees
This past Sunday, we saw two widely varying examples of the best of public service. On Sunday morning, when white supremacist Wade Michael Page gunned down six people at their Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, police officer Brian Murphy was one of the first to arrive on the scene. Murphy began to assist one shooting victim, whereupon Page ambushed Murphy and shot Murphy eight to nine times. Murphy then reportedly waved off paramedics who attempted to treat him, so that they could get to the other victims first. Murphy remains in critical condition.
At nearly the same time, team members of NASA‘s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California successfully guided the Curiosity rover to a bulls-eye landing on Mars. The enthusiasm and celebration of the NASA team, following many months of hard work, was as infectious as a gold medal win from our U.S. Olympic team.
These are just some of the “government workers” who Republicans and Conservatives have been trashing wholesale on a daily basis for decades, and firing in recent years. The funny thing is, when you point out specifics, whether it’s Sunday’s heroes, or the first responders who rushed up the stairs of the burning World Trade Center on 9/11, or our brave soldiers in Afghanistan and other war zones, the Conservatives’ pathological attacks on public workers just don’t hold water.
After Aurora Shootings, How About a Gun Law Shock Doctrine?
Another six months, another tragic shooting. The Aurora, Colorado theater shootings were the 22nd such incident since and including the 1999 Columbine shootings. In the mainstream corporate media, especially the television and cable “news” networks, we hear the cliche “our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims of this tragedy.” In addition to that sentiment, now is when we should push for real solutions to America’s gun violence epidemic, such as strengthening the nation’s gun laws. Call it the “Gun Law Shock Doctrine.”
