Boehner and House Nullify Nov. 6 Election

by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright Nov. 30, 2012
All Rights Reserved.                                         

       Holding the U.S. government—and economy—hostage, an unruly, rebellious and radical group of House Republicans refuse to sign off GOP Party boss Grover Norquist’s “No Tax Pledge.”  Violating their vows to the U.S. Constitution, an extremist House Republicans now hold the nation prisoners of their “no tax” religion, now infecting Washington.  While Republicans would like to blame President Barack Obama for not compromising on his promise to raise taxes on wealthy Americans, the American people spoke on Nov. 6, handing GOP nominee Mitt Romney a stinging defeat.  House Republicans refuse to accept the will of the people that voted for Obama’s economic program, not the one they’re trying to sell the nation to get a deal on the so-called “fiscal cliff.”  Led by House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), the House GOP refuses reverse their “No Tax Pledge.”

            Boehner has no control over the House’s unruly group seeking to impose entitlement reform on the American public in exchange for a deal on Bush’s expiring tax and spending cuts.  Whatever happens in January when expiring tax cuts and new spending cuts to into effect, the GOP will get blamed for imposing their discredited brand of economics on the country.  With the nation’s Gross Domestic Product running about one-and-a-half percent, any abrupt reduction in spending could plunge the nation into a double-dip recession.  Obama has offered the GOP House a serious of revenue increase and spending cuts designed to avert the so-called “fiscal cliff.”  So far, Republicans have rejected the president’s offer, citing uncompromising adherence to Norquist’s “No Tax Pledge.”  GOP officials cite old and discredited views of Supply Side Economics to justify their actions.

            No matter how Boehner spins it, his inability to exact some compromise from GOP lawmakers indicates he has no control over the House.  “There’s a stalemate, let’s not kid ourselves,” said Boehner on Capitol Hill.  “It’s not a serious proposal.  Right now we’re no where,” signaling the GOP’s complete inflexibility on raising taxes on the wealthiest taxpayers.  Boehner and the GOP know that a sizable majority of Americans didn’t vote for the Republican economic program.  Pointing fingers at Obama completely ignores the president’s Nov. 6 Electoral College landslide where over 2 million voters endorsed Barack’s economic plans.  Boehner and the GOP House leadership knows that voters rejected Republican economic proposals to slash government spending, especially popular entitlement programs like Medicare and Social Security.  What’s Obama supposed to do:  Roll over after the election?

            Instead of ending the 2012 campaign on Election Day, the House’s GOP leadership has continued Gov. Romney and Rep. Paul Ryan’s (W-Wis.) campaign to slash government spending and reform entitlements.  When voters sided with Obama on Election Day, they expect him to deliver his economic program, not Romney and Ryan’s rejected campaign proposals.  Instead of regrouping for four years from now, the House has chose to continue fighting the failed 2012 GOP campaign.  “Our original framework still stands,” said Boehner, opposing tax increase on any income bracket.  Before the negotiations began in earnest, Boehner and other key Republicans, such as, Sen. Lindsay Grahm (R-S.C.) and Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Georgia), agreed that it was time to put “revenue” back on the table.  Refusing to raise revenue reveals the real problem with today’s GOP. 

 Obama’s decisive Nov. 6 victory was a repudiation of Supply Side economics, where tax cuts become the only way to stimulate the economy.  Boehner and the GOP continue to rely solely on the idea that tax cuts leads to job creation, a balanced budget and a booming economy.  No reputable economist subscribes to Supply Side economics.  They know that even the late iconic President Ronald Reagan guadrupled the federal budget deficit by refusing to raise taxes.  “Closing loopholes [and] getting rid of special interest deductions” within the Tax Code would be the best approach to deal with whopping federal budget deficits, said Boehner.  Making statements about how tax cuts fuel the economy have no basis in reality, only to the GOP’s stubborn adherence to Supply Side economics.

            Playing a deadly game of chicken with the “fiscal cliff,” GOP lawmakers will have hell to pay in the midterm elections for plunging the economy into a recession in 2013.  Voters expect Obama to deliver his economic program, not Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan’s.  “I’m not trying to make this more difficult,” said Boehner realizing he has no control over the GOP House.  “You’ve watched me over the last three weeks; I’ve been guarded in what I have to say.  Because I don’t want to make it hard for me or the president, or member of both parties to be able to find common ground,” said Boehner, realizing he can’t control the votes of House members.  Instead of battling over spilt milk, House leaders should cut Barack some slack and give him the leadership he earned on Nov. 6.  Continuing to swim up stream, the GOP risks alienating even more voters the next time around.

 John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news.  He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com.and author of Dodging the Bullet and Operation Charisma.

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