President Obama introduced his budget this week amid lots of calls for Republicans to support the president’s laundry list of new and expanded spending programs, along with a minimal spending freeze and some tax cuts.
For example, Politico cites White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer saying that Republicans “have a responsibility now to partner with the President, to try to get things done for the American people.”
In short, Pfeiffer wants Republicans to quit being the party of “no.”
But bipartisanship is only good when the proposed legislation is good. And frankly, most of the president’s proposals have been stinkers.
Take the administration’s proposal to try accused 9/11 planner Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in downtown New York City. Republicans opposed the plan, as did most of the public. But the administration pushed ahead until New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg suggested security to protect the city might cost $200 million a year.
Should Republicans, ala Pfeiffer, have “partnered” with the president and attorney general in this costly and foolish idea? Republicans said “no,” and now even the White House agrees.
Or take the House-passed “cap and tax” energy bill, which is supposed to help reduce greenhouse gases that are supposedly causing global warming. The vast majority of Republicans said no way. Then we learned that some “scientists” both in England and the U.S. weren’t just crunching the global temperature numbers, they’ve been fudging them instead.
Should Republicans have taken “responsibility” and backed the president’s energy tax that would have added a huge financial burden to every American family—especially if there’s reason to believe the global warming alarmism is bogus?
And now the president wants Republicans to “get things done” by backing his proposed spending freeze, affecting only 17 percent of the budget, and a new jobs bill that’s more handouts to governments, unions and “green jobs” (see the concern above)?
We’re all for bipartisanship—when there’s important and beneficial legislation. And when the president introduces such, we hope Republicans support it.
But until this administration demonstrates it understands economics, job growth and how to stimulate the economy, the real “responsibility” of all Americans is to take the “no” way.