If the debt ceiling talks fail, independent voters will see that Democrats were willing to compromise but Republicans were not. If responsible Republicans don’t take control, independents will conclude that Republican fanaticism caused this default. They will conclude that Republicans are not fit to govern.
And they will be right.
Those are the words as written by David Brooks – a columnist for the New York Times who is described by David Warren, of Real Clear Politics, as someone who shares the Conservative Republican ideology. The piece, published on July 4th, is called The Mother of All No-Brainers, and in it, Brooks spoke about the Republican party as being “infected by a faction that is more of a psychological protest than a practical, governing alternative.”
“The members of this movement,” Brooks continued, “do not accept the logic of compromise, no matter how sweet the terms. If you ask them to raise taxes by an inch in order to cut government by a foot, they will say no. If you ask them to raise taxes by an inch to cut government by a yard, they will still say no.”
Brooks proved his point by referencing the debate going on in Washington about raising the debt ceiling, where Democrats and the President have already signaled their willingness to cut defense and entitlement spending if Republicans are willing to close some tax loopholes that benefit millionaires. This willingness by the Democrats would cut about $3 trillion in spending, for a few billion in savings by closing these tax loopholes. According to Brooks, the real Republican party should “seize the opportunity to put the country on a sound fiscal footing,” but the infection would not allow that to happen.
Speaking further on this “infection”, Brooks says;
The members of this movement do not accept the legitimacy of scholars and intellectual authorities. A thousand impartial experts may tell them that a default on the debt would have calamitous effects, far worse than raising tax revenues a bit. But the members of this movement refuse to believe it.
The members of this movement have no sense of moral decency. A nation makes a sacred pledge to pay the money back when it borrows money. But the members of this movement talk blandly of default and are willing to stain their nation’s honor.
The same Republicans who were responsible for raising the debt ceiling under the Bush Administration on numerous occasions did it then because they knew the importance of America paying its bills. These same Republicans are now willing to allow the country to default on these bills, in order to point to the present administration as being irresponsible and unable to lead. That argument they’re hoping, would be enough to win them the elections in 2012.
Americans sent both Democrats and Republicans to congress with one request – lead. In order to effectively do that, both party must be able to come together and solve the nation’s problems. But Republicans have shown, time and time again, that they are not willing to come together to solve anything. Republicans are more willing to assist in pushing the economy back into a ditch, even if it means millions of Americans suffer in the process.
