The Cynical Right
There are, I believe, two ways to read what the GOP is doing at the Congressional and state levels. On the one hand, this may be all driven by ideologues -- it's easy to dismiss the budget battle in Washington and the craziness in Wisconsin as the overreaching of Tea Party Republicans emboldened by their electoral success. That would explain why House Republicans would be willing to force through budget cuts that will, in all likelihood, stall the economic recovery and cost the economy nearly 700,000 jobs. It would explain why Scott Walker, Wisconsin's newly elected Tea Party Governor, would be willing to alienate teachers and union workers in his pursuit of a political agenda that goes far, far beyond "fiscal concerns."
On the other hand, this could be a coordinated and, frankly, strategically sound attack on the Democratic Party and the Obama Presidency. Weaken unions and teachers' associations, two of the party's core constituencies, to the point where they are unable to protect themselves and their jobs much less raise money for the party. And at the same time, cripple the economy in the name of "budget savings," so that next year, when unemployment has spiked again and the economy has slipped back into recession, they can point fingers at the President and, they hope, win back the White House.
Are Republicans that cynical? Would they sacrifice hundreds of thousands of jobs and sabotage the American economy in order to win an election? I really want to say no. I really want to blame this on Tea Party ideology run amok. But the truth is, I think they are just that cynical.
On the other hand, this could be a coordinated and, frankly, strategically sound attack on the Democratic Party and the Obama Presidency. Weaken unions and teachers' associations, two of the party's core constituencies, to the point where they are unable to protect themselves and their jobs much less raise money for the party. And at the same time, cripple the economy in the name of "budget savings," so that next year, when unemployment has spiked again and the economy has slipped back into recession, they can point fingers at the President and, they hope, win back the White House.
Are Republicans that cynical? Would they sacrifice hundreds of thousands of jobs and sabotage the American economy in order to win an election? I really want to say no. I really want to blame this on Tea Party ideology run amok. But the truth is, I think they are just that cynical.