Why the House GOP Should Give Obama All He Asks For
The GOP seems perplexed by Obama’s “jobs plan,” which is really an attempt to hang the jobs problem around Congress’s neck. They seem to think that he is painting them into a corner. Today, South Carolina Senator, Jim DeMint, laid out his view of this damned if we don’t, damned if we do dilemma. But the choice is not that stark.
Obama’s “jobs plan” will certainly be another ridiculously partisan and utterly unspecific demonstration of how to use a teleprompter. But within the cliched rhetoric, Obama will, one would hope, ask for something. Whatever it is, give it to him.
If Republicans truly believe that Obama’s plans are wrong headed (they are), let Obama have what he asks for: extending employment benefits (again); lowering social security withholding (again–this way most workers won’t even pay that pittance in taxes); more infrastructure spending (maybe this time, shovel-ready won’t be a hack punchline?); increase taxes on the fictional “trillionaires;” drop the “private jet” deduction (in other words, make private jet’s not deductible).
None of these will do a damn thing. If Obama wants to claim that shooting spit balls at a runaway train will help, give him all the paper he wants. The Republicans in the House can allow some of their less conservative (or alternatively, safer) members to go along with whatever Nancy and Harry and Obama can dream up. Don’t fight, don’t cluck and strut, just let Obama have what he asks for and let him own the result.
Obama dallied while he had a pliable Congress and the economy stalled again, burdened by new regulations and uncertainty. Now that he has had a year and a half of an unfriendly House, let him have his due, and ask the voters to judge him and the rest of Congress on the result. At a minimum, Obama will cement his legacy as a one term president. On the up side, there is potential for a Galtian, be-careful-what-you-ask-for moment, where we can finally put to bed the notion that you can create jobs by lynching businessman with the tax code.