The Republicans made a monumental political blunder when they passed the $100 billion tax cut bill on a vote that was almost totally split among party lines. They handed us a perfect opportunity for us to brand us and brand them as well. By this vote, we have shown that we are the party that puts the money in, while the GOP has shown that they are the party that keeps the money out.
The Republicans ignore a basic fact of life year in and year out — it costs money to run this country effectively. Therefore, they can never be credible again when talking about the sanctity of human life, because upholding the sanctity of human life involves quality of life. And they can never be credible again when talking about jobs, the economy, health care, or education, because it costs money to fund them. On the other hand, we have always fought to put money into the economy so people can have a better quality of life.
Here are nine different issues in which we are the party that puts the money in, while they are the party that takes the money out:
National Health Care: We do not believe in a price tag on human life. That is why we would set up a National Health Service which would insure everybody who is not currently insured. They are the ones who would place a price on human life by continuing the same old politics as usual.
National Security: We’re the ones who put the money in through the Slaughter Plan to protect us from terrorists. They are the ones who would keep the money out by opposing this plan; they are using the Patriot Act as a crutch to avoid having to enact any meaningful National Security measures.
Education: We are the ones who would put the money in by fully funding the requirements of No Child Left Behind. They are the ones who would keep the money out by not doing so.
Iraq: We are the ones who would put the money in by ending the War in Iraq within 6-12 months and freeing up $200 billion a year. They are the ones who would take the money out by dragging out the war as long as possible.
Jobs: We are the ones who would put the money in by legalizing pot and hemp, creating a Works Progress Administration to rebuild the South from the ravages of Katrina and Rita, and build a national alternative energy infastructure via the Apollo Alliance. They are the ones who would keep the money out by opposing all of these measures.
Minimum Wage: We are the ones who would put the money in by raising the minimum wage to $7-10 an hour. That would move millions of people off welfare and into work, as it is more affordable to stay on welfare than it is to get a job in many cases. They are the ones who would keep the money out by opposing this and fostering the culture of the nanny state.
Free Trade: We are the ones who would put the money in by opposing any more free trade agreements that would export jobs to other countries. They are the ones who would keep the money out by continuing this process.
Department of Peace: We are the ones who would put the money in by creating a US Department of Peace which would hire thousands of people with conflict resolution skills to stop conflicts around the world before they start. They are the ones who would keep the money out by using the military as a crutch and a substitute for diplomacy.
Budget: We’re the ones who would put the money in by forcing the Donald Trumps to pay their fair share of taxes. They’re the ones who would keep the money out by balancing the budget on the backs of the poor.
It does not matter what the Republicans try to promote; they have just shot their credibility. It doesn’t matter what they try to talk about; they voted to cut the funding of it through their tax cuts. On the other hand, we were the ones who wiped out the deficit, balanced the budget, and created 25 million new jobs when we were last in power. All this goes to show that we’re the ones who put the money in, while they are the ones who keep the money out.
