( – promoted by DocHoc)
It appears that both Republican Senator Tom Coburn (aka Dr. No) and Democratic U.S. Representative Dan Boren are supporting the President’s tax plan. Have we now entered an alternate universe where red is red and blue is red as well? Most of the time Coburn has the great pleasure of being the stick in the spokes for anything that the President and the Democrats want–such as cleaner air, food safety, and stuff like that. However, Senator Coburn says he is serious about this deficit thing; and, if that means extending tax breaks to all the rich people–so be it! But when Dr. No says yes, you can bet things are not going well for the Obama administration.
Representative Boren, on the other hand, claims that he’s just tying to get the economy going by giving the American people what they say they want–any polls stating the opposite be damned! (For a more details read DocHocs recent Blue Oklahoma post).
Let’s just call this what it is. Both Obama and Boren are running scared before the new Republican right; and, rather than fighting for legislation that will actually reduce the nation’s debt, they have decided to curry-favor a republican constituency and carry the battle elsewhere.
If Senator Coburn is anything, he’s predictable We know where he comes from. Under the guise of reducing the nation’s deficit, his plan has always been to reduce taxes, liability and accountability for the nation’s wealthiest while opposing and stripping away programs that benefit everyone else. In this system of one-way benefits, he reduces government for everyone. It sells well at home and corporations can always be counted upon to spend a boodle of money to promote their self-interest. It’s a no-fail genius plan.
On the other hand, Obama and Boren are officials that we count upon to hold the line against corporate greed and self-interest. We depend upon them to pass laws that benefit all people–including the poorest among us. Taking a page from Bill Clinton’s play-book, perhaps they believe that legislating from a center that is ever being drawn more harshly to the right will gain them additional political advantage. Though the former President had limited success with this strategy, in this time of Tea Party madness, progressives are less likely to benefit from this plan. It’s time to grow a spine!