Watching the devastation in the wake of Tropical Storm Irene, wrought in the reeling counties of Vermont (where I visited at least 3 times between 1997 and 1999,) brought a knot to my stomach and a heavy heart. Even one of my favorite small VT towns, Rochester, is now cut off from the outside world because of raging waters. The devastation in this tiny "Green Mountain" state is epic, with 210 roads washed away, towns ravaged from "once in a century" floods, and people in the midst of mind boggling misery. Their last place to turn is the federal government.
But what do we hear in the midst of this horrific storm damage and appalling misery? Diatribes from nincompoop and über-Tea bagger clown Eric Cantor, to the effect NO federal or FEMA assistance- funding will be forthcoming unless "offsetting spending cuts" of equal magnitude are made to other programs, whether Medicaid, Medicare, or to other towns still cleaning up, re-building after the Spring tornadoes, such as Joplin, Missouri. Is this man a degenerate, insane or what? Offsetting cuts in a time like this? With tens of thousands of people barely hanging on? With classic old covered bridges washed away, such as in the photo? What is he, nuts?
Cantor's cant is based on myths and outright lies propagated by him and his illustrious Gooper cohort, in particular that Obama has "overspent" and put us in a deficit hole of major proportions. This is all bollocks and codswallop and people need to know the truth! Cantor can't be allowed to deny critical aid to people in their greatest hour of need based on despicable lies!
To fix ideas, let's focus on two factors that Cantor harps on most in regards to President Obama: budget deficits, and his spending. To assist readers I have appended the relevant charts for each, respectively.
The numbers in these two charts come from Budget of the United States Government: Historical Tables Fiscal Year 2012. They are just the amounts that the government spent and borrowed, period, Anyone can go look then up. People who claim that Obama "tripled the deficit" are either misled or are trying to mislead, or outright lie to gain specious political advantage.
In the Deficit chart, one can easily see that over his tenure Bush's deficits consistently increased and at his last budget showed a $1.4 trillion deficit. This was fobbed off directly onto Obama. Nonetheless, despite a small uptick, Obama's projected deficits are in decline and his last budget showed a SURPLUS of $128 billion.
Next we come to the chart for Spending, on which Cantor bases his austerity arguments and refusal to assist current disaster areas of the country unless offsetting cuts are made elswhere. As may be seen on inspection, Bush's overall spending increase was 88% over his time, vs. 7.2% for Obama. If anything, Obama's spending immediately after he took office wasn't enough, and we ought to have had at least double the stimulus he implemented and with NO tax cuts! Had he done that, as opposed to the timid $797 billion deal laden with one-third tax cuts, we'd likely now be seing 8% or less unemployment as opposed to 9.1%. And Obama might be well on his way to a major election conquest.
Indeed, looking back, it has been Obama's consistent timidity in his policies which has thwarted a full economic recovery at every interlude. The latest was the cave-in on the debt-ceiling increase which included: 1) ceding critical ground to the Repukes by accepting only spending cuts with no tax increases, and (2) putting bothSocial Security and Medicare on the cutting room table. This a DEM president does not do, and even a neophyte needs to grok that! It may also explain part of his 38% approval rating and why he's losing support from all segments of his 2008 coalition. (Yes, jobs are important, but certain segments - such as women, 50% of whom in a recent poll now say he doesn't merit re-election, are more tuned into social service issues since they are the nation's primary caretakers)
As WaPo's Eugene Robinson put it, Obama needs to go big and bold in is jobs plan or face the political consequences - which might possibly translate into being a one termer. If he merely does more timid programs, advocating no more than payroll tax holidays or cuts, we're in deep shit. Or rather, he is.
As for Cantor, I am looking forward to him going back to his own constituents in Virginia and telling them that they can't expect any money to rebuild their damaged homes and properties...because, well,...."Washington spends too much".
Hopefully they'll respond by getting rid of this political idiot once and for all.
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