The republican Addiction to Spending

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The republican Addiction to Spending - 9/24/2010 7:42:16 PM

AnimusRex

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Good article in Slate describing why the Republicans are incapable of achieving their signature goal- fiscal responsibility.

Sample quotes:
Of the six recent Congresses essentially controlled by the GOP, from 1995 to 2006, not one ever reduced federal outlays. (The last year in which federal outlays were lower than the year before was 1965, when Democrats ran both the White House and Congress.) As soon as Republicans controlled both Congress and the White House in 2001, spending really took off, with more than $100 billion added to federal outlays every year that Bush sat in the White House...

When Republicans denounce "government spending," then, they're talking only about government spending that they don't like: the TARP (a Republican creation), health care reform, stimulus spending, the auto industry bailout. But the plain fiscal fact is that the national Republican Party has been addicted to its own forms of government spending at least since the Nixon administration. The very notion of taking a "pledge" evokes their addiction—This time it's different, we swear!

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RE: The republican Addiction to Spending - 9/24/2010 7:56:41 PM

seekingOwnertoo

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Chuckles ...

Indeed ... it is amazing to me ... how dedicated people become to a cause ...

when they are tossed out of power, for their foolish decisions and wasteful ways ...

Then ... they wish to regain that power ... and simply reform the rhetoric ...

Because history and facts prove ... they NEVER act on their words ...

and always create the problem ...

IMO

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RE: The republican Addiction to Spending - 9/24/2010 8:12:40 PM

kdsub

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I don’t think things will change for either party until there is reform in how money is collected for election funds. There is just too much obligation to lobbyists and special interests for a politician to be objective when voting on legislation.

It is expensive to run for office today and would we want a representative that could not raise money for a successful election? This ability to raise funds shows organizational and creative thinking skills necessary to be a representative of the public.

I think they would still be able to raise money if all money were limited individual contributions. This would shift obligations from lobbyists to constituents.

If politicians legislated a budget based strictly on the wants and needs of its majority voters there would be little complaining about spending…In my opinion anyway.

Butch

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RE: The republican Addiction to Spending - 9/25/2010 5:58:22 AM

DarkSteven

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The Republicans have bought into the idea that tax cuts magically produce revenue. As long as they believe that, they have a neverending supply of funds to draw upon. Why should they advocate fiscal responsibility?

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