Pajamas Media

The GOP Is Getting Past ‘No’

The Republican Party does indeed have ideas ... and good ones too.

March 19, 2009 - by Jennifer Rubin

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Ever since his Inaugural Address, President Obama has accused the Republicans of being the “Party of ‘No’.” First he accused unnamed critics of peddling “stale arguments” but soon he started pointing the finger directly at the GOP, contending that they lacked anything constructive to offer.

It was a natural tactic for someone who ran as the Agent of Change against Washington, where good ideas “go to die,” as he put it during the campaign. And he kept that drumbeat up during the stimulus plan debate, accusing his opponents of wanting to “do nothing.” He continues to deride the Republicans as lacking ideas.

But the reality is quite different. ABC’s Jake Tapper tied up White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs in verbal knots recently by pointing out that Minority Whip Eric Cantor handed the president a list of suggestions while the stimulus was being drafted, but the president didn’t seem to adopt many (any?) of these.

Now Republicans see an opening. The president is reeling under the AIG bonus scandal. And more Democrats are taking issue with his gargantuan budget. Politico reports:

There is rising doubt among Democrats — particularly moderates already concerned about the big costs and deficits called for in Obama’s budget — that either Obama or Washington have enough bandwidth this year to stimulate the economy, overhaul the failed financial sector, and move on to a far-reaching domestic agenda. “From the standpoint of the Congress, there’s only so much that we can absorb and do at one time,” Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), the chairman of the Appropriations Committee, told Politico Tuesday. “To maintain a schedule like the one we’ve got at this moment, throughout the year, I don’t know if it will be healthy.”

So the Republicans have decided the time is right to rebut the president directly. Their message: the GOP may be the party of no — to bad ideas — but they also have many good ones to offer as alternatives to the Democrats’ spending, taxing, and borrowing bonanza.

Minority Leader John Boehner has a new video out listing a number of Republican themes and promising a Republican alternative budget from reformer Rep. Paul Ryan. The themes are simple: lower taxes, restrain the growth of government, a market-based health care plan, domestic energy development, and ending bailout mania. Boehner’s video does not have many details, but its core message is clear: Republicans are tired of being the punching bag for an administration that wishes to paint itself as the only source of ideas capable of solving the country’s problems.

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Jennifer Rubin is PJM's Washington, DC, editor. She also blogs at Commentary’s Contentions.

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92 Comments

1. cfbleachers:

Jennifer, there are no ideas in the Deadwood Forest. A tree falls there, but nobody can hear it.

Principled dissent is being crushed by the conspiratorial entrenched media, which has allowed itself to become not just an arm of the furthest left reaches of the Democratic Party, but much more dangerously…the muffle and gag devices, props and instruments against any and all dissent in this land of ours.

The reason that the Republican Party can’t get any traction on their ideas, is precisely because the apparatus for applying the chokehold on them is administered by the controllers of our information stream.

The reason that bad, worse, worst ideas don’t get fleshed out, then flushed out of our system…is because they are provided cover and given promotion by the imposters who masquerade as our guardians of the truth.

The Fourth Estate guards the flank of one stream of thought and runs interference for an array of bad ideas. It weakens the dialogue, stifles the debate and marginalizes principled dissent. This is where bad ideas go to metastasize.

Life in the Deadwood Forest provides a canopy which allows very little sunlight. Where truth turns to mulch on the ground.

In the land of Strangled Dissent, we need to see the forest…not the trees.

Mar 19, 2009 - 2:24 am 2. W J A:

I have a far greater fear. When the economy turns around, and it will by its own natural doing, who will take credit for it? Whether it’s the economy, political party in power or the weather, everything is cyclical.

Mar 19, 2009 - 2:51 am 3. Nostradamus:

Energy is what maintains any decent standard of living. As I like to often say, “Without cheap energy we live in mud huts while making sharp sticks.” If electricity were cheap enough in the USA, many manufacturers wouldn’t have shut down and many more would come back to America. Energy may not be much cheaper in other places, but wages and taxes are cheaper and that offsets the high cost of power. Thus, it’s cheaper to make something abroad and ship it here. Why would anyone do that if our low energy costs mitigated our higher wages? If it were “A Wash”, companies would stay here and eliminate the waste of time, cost and energy to ship goods. In addition to Crude oil, coal for Liquefied Synthetic Fuel, Bio-fuel and Natural Gas, America has the largest Oil shale deposit in the world. (Google “Green River Oil Shale”). It alone is estimated to contain over two trillion barrels of recoverable oil (And it sits on Federal Land). For comparison, since oil was discovered in Pennsylvania in the 1850’s, the entire world has used 1-trillion barrels. If any Administration wanted to, they could sign an Executive order, citing both the Economy and National Security, to immediately harvest our domestic sources, build the refineries and power plants and upgrade the power transmission grid. Jobs constructing it, by it‘s nature, would have to be spread throughout the Nation. Jobs harvesting it. Jobs refining it. Jobs running and distributing it. Jobs maintaining it. Jobs for companies that build the equipment to do all that (Caterpillar, GM, Cummings, Grumman, GE). Jobs in companies that use the end product (Manufacturing, Steel Production). The economy would Boom, lower energy costs mean more money for discretionary spending. Jobs mean more home ownership. The cycle is instantly reversed, literally overnight. And our Nation becomes immune from Energy Blackmail. Fewer wars to fight. Just imagine what ONE TRILLION DOLLARS of investment would do to get the ball rolling, and the tax revenues once it does get rolling. But that’s not what Bush did, and it certainly isn’t what this 111th Congress will do. At least McCain /Palin advocated developing our resources. So far, the 111th Congress has done nothing but place one roadblock after another in front of doing so, and that’s why we are doomed. We will spend a trillion on this ridiculous “Stimulus Package” and in the end have absolutely nothing to show for it, and most of that money won’t be spent for many years. It isn’t going to “Stimulate” anything except inflation, higher interest rates, higher unemployment, higher taxes and a higher cost of doing business. The cycle will continue, and we risk another Great Depression. THIS IS A WAR, a war against economic ruin, and it should be fought exactly as if our country were under attack, because in a sense we are. Just as industry saved us and our Allies during WWII, so too it can save us from this attack by foreign nations and our own foolish National Energy policy. The fact is: We have plenty of resources. We have the ability to build what needs to be built to do it. We have the knowledge and Lord knows we have the workforce to do it. So why aren’t we?

Mar 19, 2009 - 3:29 am 4. Angela:

I agree with WJA. When the economy turns around, who is going to get the credit for it? Have you noticed that the “Change you can believe it” became the “Prophet of Doom” the minute he got into the White House. Been Mr. “Downer” ever since, too.

Angela

Backlinks

Mar 19, 2009 - 3:39 am 5. COL.SEBASTIAN MORAN:

NOSTRADAMUS
#3
Well reasoned, very well put !! Spot on…now if only
someone would listen to, and act upon your observations !
S.M.

Mar 19, 2009 - 4:56 am 6. Alex:

#3 Nostradamus,

Because the Capital to rebuild our infrastructure is being paid to the Fed Banking system. We Give them trillions without strings or interest, they loan it back to us at Interest and strings, nice little system if you can find enough corrupt politicians to support it, and they have.

There is no Political will left, and more importantly nobody on the Horizon that can speak truth to power. Todays Republicans and Democrats are sheep and follow each other over the cliff bleating the other side is blind.

Our Nation used to stand for something, a beacon of Liberty and Freedom and Hope where people bled for what they believed in. We stand on the shoulders of Giants, their examples and sacrafice are legend, but they would shudder in disbelief to see what we have done with our inheritance.

Where does our Apathy spring from… is there not one person in our govt that stands to speak truth to our inability to provide even the most basic function, our ability to issue coin and credit. We surrendered our ability to determine our destiny when we allowed the Federal Reserve to hijack our economy.

One person with enough courage in our government that will speak to the American People with clarity of purpose and logic, end the financial tyranny spreading like Cancer thru our financial system.
It would be too simple to end the chains created by the Federal Reserve, and free America. Instead we will continue send our Earnings to European Banking families, because our leaders are sheep and cowards all.

There is an underground rail system connecting the senate and govt buildings in Washington DC. This system was built about a hundred years ago because Legislators were tired of being pelted with rotten fruit and vegetables thrown by Americans fed up with corruption and scandel. This is who we once were, people so bold that we insured the wrath of our anger was felt by individuals responsible.

We have bartered our liberty for a security blanket, a false one at that.

There is not a single Legislator that will deliver the speech to reset the Economic foundation of our Nation, there is no gain in it. Likely they would be ridiculed and shunned, as most who speak truth must be. The Status Quo does not like change, it is anathema to their existance. We will continue to debate 167 million in bonus while 160 Billion from Oct 2008 thru march of 2009 is sent to European banks. We will continue to debate saving American companies while The Federal Reserve transferred 1.7 trillion from US banking system in 2008 to save European Banks without US legislative approval.

Is there someone in the GOP that can speak truth to Power..? or do we continue false posturing and pretend we are providing substance to those searching for leadership.

Mar 19, 2009 - 5:29 am 7. ILikeIke:

These are the big ideas????

“lower taxes, restrain the growth of government, a market-based health care plan, domestic energy development, and ending bailout mania.”

Hey, lower my tax liability to zero, it’s not going to prevent my property values from plummeting when my neighbors foreclose.

Restrain the growth of government? Now???? Where was this idea during the Bush years? Homeland Security, two wars, no child left behind, medicare prescription drugs, no bid contracts? Now we’re going to restrain the growth of government???? Why, cuz a Democrat is in office now? Please…

A market-based healthcare plan? Isn’t that what we have now?

Domestic energy development? Drill, baby, drill??? Hey, I’m all for it…but what do Republicans have to do with that? Giving breaks to oil companies? Please. They’re flush with cash and don’t need any government handouts. You can’t even camp on federal lands without paying a fee, but lucrative multi-national oil companies want to set up shop on them…for free???? No.

Ending bailout mania? Again, I’m all for it. But I’m not really interested in my standard of living go down because corporate fraudsters are taking the money and running?

These ideas are stale. The ones that work won’t do enough and the ones that don’t have already been tried.

Mar 19, 2009 - 5:34 am 8. elvis:

There are some solid solutions in all the proposed ideas. However the spending must STOP! STOP the spending and TAXING. Especially to pay off foreign banks, Barry’s cronies and pet projects!

Mar 19, 2009 - 5:39 am 9. Carl:

After 40+ bitter hard years of wandering in the desert the GOP was handed the reins of power on a silver platter.

But, instead of abiding by the Constitution, listening to the people and doing what is right the GOP pissed everything down the drain.

That was not only an unforgivable betrayal; it also enabled the birth of a machine of support for Obama that is as massive in determination and size as it is in scope of ignorance. For some reason the GOP seems blind to this fact.

As a nation we have a long, long way yet to go – down – before anyone will seriously listen to ideas coming from the GOP.

Mar 19, 2009 - 5:56 am 10. RE:

Everything government touches turns to crap. There’s a rather long history of it.

ILikeIke is a bit slow on the uptake. Keeping government meddlers out of one’s life is a VERY big idea – and it drives control freaks like ILikeIke nuts.

Mar 19, 2009 - 6:02 am 11. Yes We Did:

You racist hatemongers had best grow up and face reality before its too late.

We had an election last November. We won, you lost, and you will never get another chance. President Obama rules this country now and he will lead us into the light of a new world of peace and justice. He is supported by the great majority of Americans.

The chickens have indeed come home to roost. You will pay reparations for four centuries of slavery and oppression.

The long overdue bill has been presented to you. You will pay it.

Mar 19, 2009 - 6:06 am 12. Marge:

I have something to say about the leaders of our party in congress. NOW they are saying they have good ideas. Why didn’t they use them before they got us in this mess. They will have to go a long way before I believe that they can turn the country around. It is easy to talk. It would have been easier to put those ideas into fruitation some time ago.

Mar 19, 2009 - 6:21 am 13. BackwardsBoy:

The American people must wake up, remove the BS goggles, and stop voting incompetent politicians into power.

Mar 19, 2009 - 6:35 am 14. JD:

W J A: you are absolutely right, it’s inevitable that the economy will turn around largely by itself and that the Dems. will take credit.

Which is why we have to constantly expose their lies.

At least most Republicans can speak quite well, unlike some:

http://trackacrat.com/2009/03/19/me-talk-pretty-one-day/

Mar 19, 2009 - 6:50 am 15. Pete:

In order to balance the budget while simultaneously cutting taxes, you’ll have to cut defense spending by a large amount. If you look back at the glory days of St. Ronnie, under his trickle-down economics, he still quadrupled the defense budget, resulting in a record budget deficit. Remember this the next time you advocate for the US to invade another country, wars cost money.

Mar 19, 2009 - 7:04 am 16. Delia:

Barry the ‘Affirmative Action’ president will have an epic meltdown without his teleprompter when another 9/11 happens on HIS watch. Of course, THAT will be President Bush’s fault too. ;p

Will he be impeached?
Will we end up with a President Biden? *gag*
Stay tuned…

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/03/18/teleprompter-gone-bad-obama-thanks-irish-pm-repeats-speech/

The good news?

Americans on the Right have the internet too.

Mar 19, 2009 - 7:11 am 17. Войска ПВО:

Yes We Did:

“You racist hatemongers had best grow up and face reality before its too late.”

What a lovely way to start the morning, listening to some unhinged rantette by a basement-dwelling KOS troll. Put away the keyborard and run upstairs; mummy’s prepared some nice oatmeal, poached eggs, and prune juice for you.

Mar 19, 2009 - 7:44 am 18. TOhio:

I think that this is a great move by the Republican Party.

Have you noticed that Obama likes to say, “There are some who say….” He makes it sound like someone (namely Republicans) hold the extreme view that he is making. But, the truth is that no one has that belief. Obama is making it up. But if no one challenges him (and we know our friends at CNN and MSNBC wouldn’t ever do this), Obama gets away with it.

Obama needs to be called out and exposed for being a liar!

Every time Obama uses fake straw men, Republicans need to counter with their real views and how they would approach the problem differently. This is something that has to be done every single time that Obama does it.

Eventually, and with persistence, the message will get through because, quite frankly, I think that more people are looking for an alternative to Obama, Pelosi, Reid and their Congressional Democratic flunkies.

Here’s an article in the Wall St. Journal that discusses how Obama uses fake straw men arguments in his speeches:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123561484923478287.html

Obama has gotten away with it for too long, and I’m glad that Republicans are doing something that will help stop it.

Mar 19, 2009 - 7:54 am 19. Войска ПВО:

16. Delia:

“Barry the ‘Affirmative Action’ president will have an epic meltdown without his teleprompter when another 9/11 happens on HIS watch. Of course, THAT will be President Bush’s fault too.”

Delia, you point out a delicious possibility; a single beautiful blossom amongst the garden of horrible weeds that would represent a 9/11 redux. We will have come full circle watching President Training Pants blink and stammer incredulously as they restore emergency power to his porta-cue. It would be stark contrast to Bush’s contemplative and deliberate moments whilst reading a book to the kindergartners.

Want proof? How about that instant during the campaign last June when McCain and he were called upon to react to the imminent invasion of Georgia. McCain was deliberate, forceful, and statesmanlike while Obama shuffled out in a dripping bathing suit and thongs, mumbled a few “me-too” canned remarks, blinked at the assembled press, and shuffled off the stage, sans clue one.

Mar 19, 2009 - 7:56 am 20. one of my own:

The only strategy, plans, options the Right have boil down to this, “Say it enough times and we can claim it’s true.” For example, “No, no, no, we’re no longer the party of ‘no’ . . . No, no, no, we’re no longer the party of ‘no’ . . . No, no, no, we’re no longer the party of ‘no’ ”

I believe you. I really really really really do. Yes! Yes! Yes! I do!

Mar 19, 2009 - 8:11 am 21. bobbcat:

Yes We Did States: “You racist hatemongers had best grow up and face reality before its too late.

The chickens have indeed come home to roost. You will pay reparations for four centuries of slavery and oppression.

The long overdue bill has been presented to you. You will pay it.”

Words of bitterness and ignorance. Must really suck to be you. My condolences……

Mar 19, 2009 - 8:16 am 22. savage24:

Reagan’s record budget deficit will be nowhere near as big as Obamas. When Reagan was president our military was strong our country safe and our economey booming. At that time we actually produced products in this country. Today everything is imported from China, Japan or India. Does that look like progress to you? The government has taxed and regulated all of our manufacturing out of business. Get rid of big government and this country will start to thrive again.

Mar 19, 2009 - 8:35 am 23. RV:

“When Reagan was president our military was strong our country safe and our economey booming.”

Yeah, selling weapons to terrorists and becoming friends with Saddam will help do that.

Mar 19, 2009 - 8:50 am 24. Insufficiently Sensitive:

Democrats in Congress (with the encouragement of the Treasury Department) actively blocked a measure that would have prevented AIG from awarding exorbitant bonuses.

Nowhere in this article are we enlightened why such a measure should have been blocked. But Dodd’s measure explicitly exempted bonuses agreed to prior to the passage of the stimulus bill. Well, guess why: those bonusus were honestly contracted for in April 2008, and the Constitution don’t allow no steenkin’ ex-post-facto abrogation of good-faith contracts by third parties, even the Democrats.

Apparently the Treasury Department had examined the AIG documents and concluded that, in a case where our modern-day demagogues should successfully prevent payment of the bonuses, those executives who’d agreed to spend a year working to clean up the mess on condition of such bonuses could successfully sue for the payment.

It pains me to say anything supportive of Senator Dodd, but in this case his amendment was the right thing to do. And it appears that the Treasury Department did contact him prior to the drafting of it, very likely with that information.

Mar 19, 2009 - 8:54 am 25. karlstro2u:

How about a flat tax of 13%. Instead of giving money to banks, financial institutions, ect give me 1 million and I will buy a couple of cars, update my house and eat out everyday. I’ll do my part to spur the economy. Anybody else? The money Congress is throwing away is appalling!

Mar 19, 2009 - 8:57 am 26. Blackwell:

“Carl” hit it right on the mark: GM’s brand name loyalty, Russel Crowe’s reputation for fidelity and Paris Hilton’s basic intellect have a better reputation than the GOP’s.

They had it and pissed it all away. They spent trust like it was water. Not for the Civil Rights Act, or some comparable principle for which we could say “yes, we can trust those people.” Not even for plain old competent greed. It was such rank incompetence and unparalleled greed that even stalwarts like Carl and me are alienated.

If the GOP had any principles left, it would pile up all the pictures of the corrupt, unprincipled, “never-miss a meal” former speaker Dennis Hastert and invite everyone to come and deface them at leisure. It would publically expell Hastert, Ted Stevens and some others from the party in a humiliating excommunication designed to impress current officeholders and voters that just maybe, someone means it. It would require GOP candidates sign a pledge–not to accept pay raises in office; not to have family members on the payroll; not to divert federal money to anyone known to them or on a family payroll . . .and to pay to the GOP or US Treasury, any amount so received or paid. Ha. I’m holding my breath.

The GOP’s new “ideas” are old ones, but everyone knows the GOP power structure doesn’t believe them. They don’t believe in any ideas,and only trot these out now because they lost. It took them 6 ballots to dump the idea of a Chairman from an all white country club. Its best offering last year was tired John. Now like some fat commandant facing a Red Cross tour, it ransacks its prisons for a few powerless, underfed, unsupported, diehards with principles and shoves them out into the center of the room briefly to say, “see? We haf new ideas! Just like the West!”

Its all rooted in contempt or indifference for the voters. The Catholic church blew its reputation several times in a few centuries, most recently over the abuse scandals, since it elevated its concern for its reputation over its day to day behavior. Better to “look good” than do good. GM systematically alienated its customer base with crappier and crappier cars, that customers knew were junk, no matter how many commericals GM ran insisting GM stood for the “mark of excellence”.

I’d vote for Paris Hilton, Donald Trump, Arnold Schwarzzeneger, or John Roberts over the entire GOP crew in office now: I doubt any of them would screw the American people as badly as the GOP did. All of them woud have one redemptive qualities the GOP big wigs obviously do not have: a love of country, a desire to do well and some sense of shame.

Mar 19, 2009 - 9:06 am 27. geoffgo:

W J A@2

When the economy turns around, and it will by its own natural doing, who will take credit for it?

As to the pace of recovery and the “credit for it,” the Left is playing with a different end-game in mind, than you. Their objective is to be in position, whether the market turns or not, to take it all. Every chance. Everytime. The “credit for it” is a tool, imbued to achieve an objective. The Left knows that if they get where they plan, who gets the credit will not matter.

Are you playing this game with those objectives? If not, then you can understand why we’re losing. Even some Dems don’t want to be pillaged and enslaved. So far, the Repub leaders have dared to call this creeping socialism, when half the population has had the “fears bred out” in schools controlled by single party unions, so that maybe half the citizenry has no idea of the impending threat.

The issue here, for black, white, brown and yellow (inclusive of everyone with something left to conserve – what here’s not as “inclusive” as we can ever anticipate) is to stop this blatent program to re-enslave US.

Let’s elevate our arguement and our opposition beyond all the petty distractions. This 0 catastrophe is a direct threat to the Republic and its citizens. If we can’t win that arguement, we might as well not get in the discussion. They intend to win, at whatever cost. Conservatives, everywhere, seem hesitent and unprepared. Guilty.

It’s safe to say, if US goes socialist, the rest of world is doomed to enslavement along with us; US being the last bastion and all. So, this boils down to a fundamental struggle over everyone and everyone yet to be, between forces who avow to dictate, and forces who’d rather not. Conservatives need to shift their mindset and the Left’s from amessage of “rather not,” to “I will if provoked AGAIN.”

Mar 19, 2009 - 9:17 am 28. Delia:

19. Войска ПВО,

Our *cough* ‘Dear Leader’ *cough-sputter* is heading down a one way collision course with disaster. It’s going to be an embarrassment for our entire country when all is said and done [or hopefully Undone].

The term “Doomed to fail” comes to mind with regards to Zero. His cabinet of tax dodgers will go down in flames right alongside him.

If you still have a job…
If you still have a home…
If you still have cable TV…
If you still have the internet…

Stay tuned…

It’s going to be a bumpy ride sans entertainment.

Mar 19, 2009 - 9:25 am 29. geoffgo:

Nostra@3

I agree and would add the cost applied to US manufacturers for pollution control, air quality and myriad other obligations, which are mostly ignored in the developing world, and are therefore far less expensive places to build factories, using non-union labor for both construction and operation. No ZONING laws. Giant sucking sounds are loudest where they shun commerce, subsidize renewable energy, and have committees deciding what the outside of your building should look like, after spending six months negotiating your permit to build one. And, of course taxes reaching number 2 highest in the world.

And, put 1 million highly-skilled workers to the task of building 500 nuclear reactors nationwide, to connect to that new grid you proposed. Make the energy sources compete.

Mar 19, 2009 - 9:41 am 30. RAH:

Rather than bemoaning the past about GOP failures or saying there is no one making speeches to save us. That is not true, there are plenty of conservatives making speeches, the tea parties are an uprising of dissatisfaction that many local representatives and candidates are talking at. Listen and open your eyes.

As to those fool commenters: Yes We Did States: “You racist hatemongers had best grow up and face reality before its too late.

The chickens have indeed come home to roost. You will pay reparations for four centuries of slavery and oppression.

The long overdue bill has been presented to you. You will pay it.”

Words of bitterness and ignorance. Must really suck to be you. My condolences”

Please note that 46 % did not vote for this President and will not submit and pay reparations for 4 centuries of oppression. I suspect the number that refuse to be counted as Obamanites is much less than 50% after he had shown his inadequateness and incompetence these last 60 days.

Try and make us will be the cry, so be careful how you gloat, and how far you push like children and finally get smacked down.

Mar 19, 2009 - 9:52 am 31. Notan Idjit:

Yes We Did:
“You will pay reparations for four centuries of slavery and oppression.
The long overdue bill has been presented to you. You will pay it.”
Why me?
I never owned a slave in my life, nor did anyone in my family tree. IF you really want true and fair reparations, look to the AFRICANS who sold your ancestors into slavery in the first place.

Mar 19, 2009 - 9:59 am 32. Pete:

29. So your solution to the economic woes of this country is to eliminate unions, eliminate environmental laws, eliminate zoning laws, and to build nuclear plants?

Let’s focus on nuke plants, shall we? The main reason that nuclear plants never took off in this country wasn’t The China Syndrome or Three Mile Island, it was simple economics. It is prohibitively expensive to simply build, let alone maintain a nuclear power plant. In Indiana, both the Marble Hill and Bailey nuclear plants were abandoned before coming on line because the sheer cost overruns of building the plants nearly bankrupted the utilities building them. Obviously, buildinig 50 new plants quickly would make people wonder if they were built with the same attention to detail that, oh, the New Orleans levees or I-35 Bridge in Minneapolis were built.

Now, who would WORK at the plants? Given the conservative obsession/hysteria about nuclear terrorism, would you have to screen potential employees for their religious beliefs? What about the people who live near the plants? Just how much money would it take to keep such a plant secure? Would those costs not be passed along to the utilities’ customers?

Also keeping in mind that uranium is a finite resource, that would also factor into the cost of building the plants.

Mar 19, 2009 - 10:10 am 33. geoffgo:

Bonka@19

The term “Doomed to fail” comes to mind with regards to Zero. His cabinet of tax dodgers will go down in flames right alongside him.

I question using the term doomed. Should 0bama & Co. fail, they look forward to full-boat retirements with 100% healthcare and gov’t furnished protection for life, wherever they choose to live, on your dime. Not very doomish.

Mar 19, 2009 - 10:14 am 34. Delia:

31. Notan Idjit,

People of every shade of the melanin spectrum have been ‘enslaved’ throughout the course of history.

I guess we should all stomp our feet and demand our ‘reparations’.

Actually, all I want is my muthaF***ing tax back. Now THAT is reparations *I* can believe in.

Mar 19, 2009 - 10:20 am 35. geoffgo:

Notan@31

But wait…there’s no money looking toward African slavers for reparations. That’s just wasting one’s community organizing skills. And with the Arabs, such “activism” would earn a death sentence.

Yeswedid is a kapo-kadet.

Mar 19, 2009 - 10:25 am 36. Delia:

33. geoffgo:

“I question using the term doomed. Should 0bama & Co. fail, they look forward to full-boat retirements with 100% healthcare and gov’t furnished protection for life, wherever they choose to live, on your dime. Not very doomish.”
~

Gah! You’re absofrickin’lutely right. *grumbles aloud* Bleh!

Instead of JAILING them for high crimes and white collar misdemeanours we ‘RETIRE’ them… how nice and cushy to be in the catbird seat.

Mar 19, 2009 - 10:25 am 37. Bender:

Republicans should not be the Party of No.

They should be the Party of HELL NO!

Mar 19, 2009 - 10:50 am 38. Aaron:

Ignore Yes We Did, he’s a right-wing troll trying to spark outrage.

Mar 19, 2009 - 11:48 am 39. AThinkingPerson:

In spite of what many naysayers might believe, I think President Pork has handed the brass ring to the GOP. I’m thinking that after a couple of bailouts, AIG, almost making vets pay for their own care and now doing his dog-n-pony show on a late night outlet (a la Paris Hilton), he is scraping the bottom of the barrel (I hope). I see a definite light at the end of this deep, dark tunnel that is the next 4 years. Slowly but surely Americans are standing up and saying enough (google Tea Party for further reference). It took an anti-Christ of a President to snap all of us to attention but now that we see what damage he is capable of, there is no choice but for the GOP to rally and right what is now being wronged.

Mar 19, 2009 - 12:12 pm 40. geoffgo:

Bender@37

Moving up the outrage scale, can we change it to read – The Party of NO FRICKIN’ WAY?

Aaron – Nowedidnot is a lefty in drag.

Mar 19, 2009 - 12:17 pm 41. Samizdat:

Hey Yes We Did,
My ancestors fought in the Union army and helped defeat the Confederate forces. They backed up the Emancipation proclamtion with their lives. Thank you for insulting my family with your ignorant, racist, hatred. I am judging you by the content of your character as I was taught by Dr King. You might profit from his words, if you care enough to read and understand them.Or maybe you would prefer to revel in your disrespect. I feel sorry for you.

Mar 19, 2009 - 12:18 pm 42. Ms. Attitude:

Pete: you say, “…Obviously, buildinig 50 new plants quickly would make people wonder if they were built with the same attention to detail that, oh, the New Orleans levees or I-35 Bridge in Minneapolis were built.”

Yet you support Obama (our government) to give the same attention to detail with rebuilding of our infrastructure in the name of job creation.

Mar 19, 2009 - 12:41 pm 43. Joe schmoe:

#32 pete,
Do you know why the nuclear power plants became so expensive? I have no Idea about the plants that you speak of. I do know about Shoreham on the north shore of long island in the late 70s. The union carpenters framed and tore down the framing for the cooling towers 3 times!!! That was to keep union carpenters busy. I got this info from a carpenter that worked the job. France derives close to 80% of elctricity needs from nuke power.

Also keeping in mind that uranium is a finite resource, that would also factor into the cost of building the plants.

Mar 19, 2009 - 12:42 pm 44. Ms. Attitude:

3. Nostradamus: I’m going to copy your post and email it to my Senators. Thank you.

Mar 19, 2009 - 12:42 pm 45. Marc Malone:

#15 Pete – “St. Ronnie” did not quadruple the defense budget. He (almost) trebled it. It did not lead to record deficits. Every one of his budget proposals was balanced. The Dems in Congress added the pork. regardless, the economy grew so much, that the percentage of the GDP that the deficit represented actually SHRANK! Get your facts right. Quit regurgitating talking points of the Left.

Mar 19, 2009 - 12:59 pm 46. Marc Malone:

#26 Blackwell – You have some legitimate criticisms. Your rant was going pretty good until the last paragraph, then you self-immolated.

You would elect someone like Schwartzenegger, for example, because he would not do as much damage? Schwarzenegger completely caved into Dem pressure when he tried to right the ship of CA. Now, CA is broke. I mean really, really broke! Broken, too. Despite the $40B shortfall and calls for reducing State employees, they actually have been hiring! They are emptying the jails of 60,000 inmates, because they can’t afford to keep them anymore, but they are still giving State employees pay raises!

The idea that someone couldn’t do worse than did the GOP is what got us this extremely corrupt Congress and incompetent Presidency. What a foolish premise upon which to base your vote.

So’s you know, I’m a Pub, because all the other choices are even worse. As soon as something better comes along, I’m jumping ship.

Mar 19, 2009 - 1:11 pm 47. Jim C:

31. Notan Idjit: “IF you really want true and fair reparations, look to the AFRICANS who sold your ancestors into slavery in the first place.”

Good point.

Mar 19, 2009 - 1:59 pm 48. Blackwell:

#46 Marc Malone: yes and no on Arnold: he tried in his first year to limit public pensions and benefits, control teacher’s unions and more. It was ambitious and perhaps too much so.

The panicked unions came down on him like a ton of bricks: commercials showing police officers claiming “Arnold’s going to take a way my wife’s pension,” and tired trauma nurses claiming the same thing. The newspapers were no help: they like government spending. The voters, goodhearted people who didn’t want to take away a police officer’s pension, rejected the proposed limits, which was too bad. It was a great opportunity to impose some sensible limits, but the voters were not ready. Maybe next time. But Arnold is light years better than Gray Davis and the Democratic legislature. I don’t think he’s corrupt and I do think he wants to do the right thing. But when the legislature controls the credit cards, its hard to budget.

Mar 19, 2009 - 2:19 pm 49. Moogie:

WJA: the economy will NOT turn around if the budget and stimulus stay in place. The whole point of both bills is to crash the U.S., then “rebuild” the economy based on Alinsky-esque communist/socialist principals.

Mar 19, 2009 - 2:24 pm 50. davod:

1. The conservatives need to emphasize that with Obama you have to pay to play. How much did it cost the US citizen for Obama to stop talking down the economy – 789,000,000,000 for the stimulus package plus the budget.

2. Obama and the Congress the Congress cost the hospitality industry 200,000 jobs in January, soon to be followed by the 1,000,000 million jobs supporting the US business jet infastructure.

Mar 19, 2009 - 2:41 pm 51. Paul M Hupf:

The disappointment with the President is growing. The President is a Marxist. The Republican party must clean house and introduce fresh candidates who are articulate and well versed. The figures who have been on the scene for the last twenty years are all compromised in one way or another. They bring baggage with them which will provide opportunity for the Democrats to do what they do best: character assassination

Mar 19, 2009 - 4:28 pm 52. joe buzz:

This gent from the 11h District of Michigan ROCKS!:

http://mypetjawa.mu.nu/archives/196888.php

The best slam from the house floor that I have heard in quite a while.

Mar 19, 2009 - 5:26 pm 53. richard mcenroe:

Here’s an idea…

Mar 19, 2009 - 5:43 pm 54. vivo:

46. Marc Malone:

“So’s you know, I’m a Pub, because all the other choices are even worse. As soon as something better comes along, I’m jumping ship.”

Funny, just before I read your quip I was going to write this:

The GOP still exists because Conservatives need a club to go to.

When the fear of third parties disappear, there’ll be some. Perot and Nader had good insights, but the timing was wrong.

Mar 19, 2009 - 6:41 pm 55. kev:

1. we must proceed with domestic drilling (oil,gas,coal) lets get off the TIT!

2. Give the dems healthcare on these terms.

Mar 19, 2009 - 7:41 pm 56. Samizdat:

Re: Yes We Did,
What a shallow racist you are; unable to acknowledge and correct your broad brush statements in blog post #11 about how racist our country is, while ignoring the blood shed by Union soldiers to right one of the greatest wrongs in the history of our nation. Yes We Did by your lack of reply you expose yourself to be an ignorant coward, pathetic and intellectually bankrupt. Thank you once again for nakedely insulting my Union Army ancestors. . I am certain Dr. King would consider your words to be as shallow and uninformed as I do.
My family laid it on the line for emancipation and freedom for all men. Your belligerance unmasks your empty and decrepit soul.I understand your silence, it is born from your misunderstanding and blindness.I am reminded of how small one can be by your tautological rant.
Citizens of our country need to stop apologizing and rationalizing to racists like you. I am calling you, and other like minded thinkers of what ever color, out.

Mar 19, 2009 - 7:52 pm 57. one of my own:

45 Malvo . . . “Get your facts straight.”

In his 1980 campaign, he pledged to cut taxes, increase military spending and balance the budget. He carried out the first two promises at the expense of the third.

While the nation prospered after emerging from a 1981-82 recession, the Reagan budgets produced record deficits and a near tripling of the national debt. Toward the end of his term, Reagan called the federal budget deficit “one of my greatest disappointments” and blamed it on congressional reluctance to cut domestic spending, even though the budget proposals he submitted to Congress had not been balanced.

Facts indeed. Stay in the trunk, Malvo.

Mar 19, 2009 - 7:54 pm 58. elvis:

The GOP is getting past NO????
After today, I think the BUCK stops at NO. NO. The word is no. Capitalized or not. Plain and simple no. How many ways can we say NO?
Not that I don’t respect your writing here. I do.
But NO is the word first. To pretend we need ideas right now? We’ve had principles and ideas for years…. that haven’t been practiced since the 80”s.
Give me a break; Conservatives are like parents to the eternal adolescent liberals. Get the wooden spoon out and hammer them with NO.
Get some spine, grow acme….
Good idea for an article, but kids needs NO first!
Say NO.

Mar 19, 2009 - 8:08 pm 59. elvis:

Read this…. This goes with the above!.

Mar 19, 2009 - 8:17 pm 60. john from cinncinatti:

yes we did: 400 years of slavery and oppression?
pilgrims land 1620=389
America established 1778=231
Lincoln frees slaves 1863=85 years of slavery
who called the 10th cavalry Buffalo soldiers? and who were they soldiering against? YOU WERE THE OPPRESSOR
400 years of slavery and oppression = BUFFALO CHIPS
i know it was just a troll and he was just copying and pasting but i couldn’t help but say, not just no but hell no
FREE YOUR MIND FROM MENTAL SLAVERY, NO ONE BUT OURSELVES CAN FREE OUR MIND(Bob Marley redemption song) you free now.

Mar 19, 2009 - 9:00 pm 61. Delia:

I think “Yes we did” and “One of my own” need a ginormous (((HUG))).

Mar 19, 2009 - 9:32 pm 62. Kathryn (sign: Reagan Conservative Petition):

We Conservatives DO have the idea, the reason, the facts, and logic behind us.
Check out this Conservative Manifesto:
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/we-demand-true-conservative-leadership.html

—

Mar 19, 2009 - 9:33 pm 63. W J A:

yes we did:
Another example of a person being used by the likes of Jessie and Al. Just like liberals..”taught WHAT to think, not HOW to think”.

Mar 19, 2009 - 9:52 pm 64. MarkD:

The GOP has good ideas now? Would that be going along with an illegal ex-post-facto law, a bill of attainder designed to invalidate contracts to which they were not a party?

I’m voting for the party of limited government, freedom, and individual and property rights. Well, I would if there were one.

Mar 20, 2009 - 6:38 am 65. Blackwell:

#57 One of My Own:

Reagan’s budgets contained military build up expenses needed after the lean Carter years. We’re still using the jets and tanks that went on thr drawing board in the 80’s Congress chose to pass those as badly needed additions –along with everything else. Congress votes the budget. The democrats controlled congress under Reagan.

Nixon had tried to line item the budget by “impounding” money for frivolous stuff: he was sued by people who like big budgets and impounding was held unconstitutional. Reagan vetoed some spending bills too. What has congress ever cut? (Let me know when you find out).

The GOP is not free from blame, but they at least have a history of trying to control the budget. The Democrats, not so much if at all.

Mar 20, 2009 - 9:09 am 66. Greg:

Yes, Repukes have ideas, plenty of ‘em actually. Problem is, the American public has, and continues to, reject them.

There was never a claim that you have no ideas, just bad ones. And that is why you are wandering in the wilderness now. Listen to what people want and you guys have a shot of winning something other than dog-catcher in Alabama in the next election

Mar 20, 2009 - 12:46 pm 67. Anonymous:

65. Blackwell:. . . “The GOP is not free from blame, but they at least have a history of trying to control the budget. The Democrats, not so much if at all.”

What about the budget surplus Clinton left W? That’s a pretty good “if at all” compared to the $1.2 trillion W left Obama and the Republicans candy-ass supplementals to keep Iraq off the books.

Mar 20, 2009 - 3:37 pm 68. Blackwell:

#67: Anon: Clinton deserves some credit, but it wasn’t primarily him: The end of the cold war’s big military budgets and the GOP controlled congress from 1994-2000 left that “surplus” such as it was. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity to control the budget and it worked to a degree.

But I don’t disagree with you about Bush: from 2000 on Bush and Congress went on probably the most irresponsible spending bender in history. The party that had some history of spending control got drunk with the rest of them. Bad news for all of us.

Mar 20, 2009 - 5:18 pm 69. G Alston:

#43 — France derives close to 80% of elctricity needs from nuke power.

As a point of interest I’ll note that this appears to be the same France that is the target of much social conservative derision. The weak France full of secular mush-heads who are giving into the muslims and will suffer a fall accordingly. And so on. That France.

Perhaps the frogs are a lot more clever than imagined. Certainly they seem to have figured out the energy thing before we did. Who knows, maybe they know what do do about the muslim problem as well. Track record says “yes, they do.”

Mar 20, 2009 - 5:36 pm 70. ExDem in Mich:

To ‘Yes we did’: I am the great great great grand daughter of indentured servants. Should I go back to Ireland and sue for reparations? If Obama & company try to pass a law regarding so-called reparations, there will be blood in the streets. Don’t go there. What’s done is done. Move on. 140 years is a long time to carry a grudge. Take responsibility for your future instead of hiding behind the cloak of victimhood.

By the way, a mere 52% of the electorate is not ‘a great majority of Americans.’

Mar 20, 2009 - 10:13 pm 71. Wintery Knight:

I didn’t like John Boehner’s video that Jennifer mentioned, as much as I liked this one from Rep. Paul Ryan, where he lays out his Road Map for America plan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WifAyJioxQU

He can make the case in the House of Representatives:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqFvsGb7qNo

And look, he can take on the leftist news media, too:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXeZmq2RqrM

Mar 20, 2009 - 10:14 pm 72. Alice L.:

I am hoping that this will be the end of Obama’s allegedly high poll ratings. He is a socialist who is ruining our economy. His press secretary, Gibbs, is nothing short of a demagogue and his administration is dangerous in addition to being incomptetent.

Mar 21, 2009 - 6:31 am 73. Marc Malone:

Blackwell – Nice responses.

Mar 21, 2009 - 9:57 am 74. myth buster:

I’m a nuclear engineer, so I’m qualified to state that sabotage is not a threat in nuclear power plants, because single-failure criteria are non-existent, so it would take quite a massive conspiracy inside the plant to even attempt an act of sabotage, if such an action is even physically possible (many plants are walk-away safe, that is, physically impossible to sabotage). If you are worried about nuclear material being stolen, rest assured that the fuel in the core is too hot to handle- a person attempting to steal it would quickly kill himself in the process.

Mar 21, 2009 - 10:57 pm 75. Gene:

Look at the products manufactured off shore. Some have enough direct labor component so that perhaps the less expensive labor is a reason to move manufacturing off shore.

But most of the products not manufactured in the US do not have significant direct labor costs. Look at your ball point pen for one example. So why are so many of these products made in a foreign country? Taxes, regulations, why?

Mar 21, 2009 - 11:34 pm 76. Marie Claude:

@69, of course, but that’s obviously what upsets our americanist superiors :lol show me where the ideas comes from ? tell me who analyses them ?

Mar 22, 2009 - 8:49 am 77. deguello:

THIRD PARTY NOW!

Mar 24, 2009 - 10:02 am 78. deguello:

Sorry, but all I kkep hearing is the cry “Duh”!which they emit while making noises that indicate fear-caused defecation.THIRD PARTY NOW!

Mar 25, 2009 - 1:41 pm 79. Jack:

Simply put, all of the silly excitement about getting to say “I hope he fails” has the republicans distracted. Sure, it’s fun, but what it is essentially saying is that you don’t want to fix him or work with him and you are content with him failing on certain issues. Isn’t that the definition of “no”? He wants something, you don’t, so you say “No” to even trying to fix it, and you say you hope he fails?

No other ideas, no discussion, no bartering, just “no”. If you don’t want to discuss the issues and try to make them better, just resign and let someone else try to have an impact.

I’m not even saying whether Obama is right or wrong, I’m just pointing out that it is currently in fashion to give up. I’d rather instead of wanting him to fail, that they take some ownership and try to, well, you know…govern. Unless they just think they can’t possibly improve things, in which case, they are probably not those who should be up there trying to represent us.

Jack

Mar 25, 2009 - 3:50 pm 80. Jo Coks:

Well-Pro Services, L. P., established in 2000, provides oil and gas well-servicing, workover and completion as well as swabbing services for the east Texas, southern Oklahoma, and western Louisiana areas.

Mar 30, 2009 - 3:42 am 81. Kate Connelly:

The GOP is evolving and it is exciting to see how they change after the election of Obama… conservatives know what they are missing and they are going to get it!

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Jun 21, 2009 - 1:48 am 82. Shed:

Obama will bring change, and it’s true – the GOP doesn’t have anything constructive to offer.

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Sep 13, 2009 - 9:47 pm 83. DJ Henrock:

I really believe the GOP isn’t going to find success unless they and the democrats come together to find a common goal and solution. All this right and wrong is getting us no where. We need to get the economy and health matters situated.

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Oct 1, 2009 - 2:44 pm 84. Stewart:

There’s only one politician that’s great at saying No, and that’s Ron Paul.

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Oct 7, 2009 - 12:27 am 85. Zeo:

I second that on what stewart said about Ron Paul he is really great at saying “NO!”

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Oct 18, 2009 - 6:43 am 86. Carl:

As long as the Democrats remain in power, we’ll be slaves to “government” solutions, and not the individual.

Oct 23, 2009 - 1:31 pm 87. Hurley:

Hmm trying to “trim the fat” from the health care system is a noble cause (good work obama) but who stands to oppose this noble cause? the very people feeding off the fat. follow the money trail and you’ll find the scum who feed off of our hard work.

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Oct 24, 2009 - 10:13 am 88. Chris:

i completly agree with ZEO

“I second that on what stewart said about Ron Paul he is really great at saying “NO!”

Cheers
Chris

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Nov 1, 2009 - 2:53 am 89. vijy:

Obama is a great leader and I am a big fan of him.

Nov 17, 2009 - 11:25 pm 90. ricky:

Obama is very popular all over the world he is now in china who seem to see him as a good leader
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Nov 19, 2009 - 1:48 pm 91. Reise Abenteuer:

obama is everybody’s favorite can not go well…