Given the Republican response to President Obamas initiatives, one has to wonder exactly what the Republican vision for our nation actually is. To try to determine that, lets look at recent events. If Republicans had prevailed on their opposition to the TARP bailouts of Wall Street banks, most economists believe that the entire world economy would have collapsed and we would be in the midst of a 2nd Great Depression. Republicans argued against bailouts to General Motors and Chrysler which likely would have forced both into bankruptcy putting up to 10 million workers on unemployment. Republicans fought the stimulus plan which, by even the most conservative estimates, has saved or created up to 2 million jobs. And they have continued to whine about the growing deficits under Obama while lionizing Reagan for tripling our national debt.
The Republican alternative to Obamas attempts to save our economy? Tax cuts for the wealthy despite the fact that most economists believe such cuts would do nothing to alleviate our situation. In fact, many feel that the tax cuts could make things worse!
Republicans have fought any form of banking regulation. They have voted to keep the status quo on an unsustainable health care system that results in 33,000 deaths each year for lack of access. They have voted against increasing benefits for military veterans. Republicans refuse to allow the federal government to negotiate lower prices for pharmaceuticals as Canada and many other nations have done. They are opposed to spending money to encourage the development of reasonable alternatives to fossil fuels. They dismiss the international scientific communitys warnings of global climate change. They have long stated their disdain for entitlements such as Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. They are vehemently opposed to labor unions. They are opposed to social services for the poor, saying that they should be the responsibility of faith-based organizations. Republican-appointed Supreme Court justices voted to corrupt our election process by permitting corporations (even those based overseas) to spend unlimited amounts of money in support of candidates who favor their positions.
Under the Bush/Cheney regime, Republicans started two wars with no clear plan on how to win them, and no plan to pay for them. (Indeed, they intentionally obscured the actual cost of the wars in terms of dollars and lives.) And they awarded billions to Halliburton and other corporations through no-bid contracts.
The Democratic Congress has shown a decided lack of unity and will. But based on the Republican record, why would anyone want to return the Republican Party to power? Or their even less-pleasant brethren the members of the Tea Party?