GOP’s politics of hurt feelings: Why their go-to excuse for inaction makes no sense

[applegrove]

GOP’s politics of hurt feelings: Why their go-to excuse for inaction makes no sense

by Jim Newell at Salon

http://www.salon.com/2014/11/19/gops_politics_of_hurt_feelings_why_their_go_to_excuse_for_inaction_makes_no_sense/

"SNIP.......................

Obama has been promising to cut the nation’s corporate tax rate, the highest in the world, for nearly three years. And with a rash of companies moving abroad to escape U.S. taxes, many Republicans see action on that issue as critical to both the economy and their political fortunes in 2016, when more than 20 GOP senators will be up for reelection.

However, lawmakers say that instead of engaging with Republicans, Obama has provoked them on a range of issues, most explosively his threat to unilaterally halt deportations of millions of undocumented immigrants.


This is the sort of logic that gets a lot of very serious heads nodding together in Washington, even though it’s not logic at all. Well, we were going to work on tax reform, but then the president did something we didn’t like in an entire other area of policy, so we couldn’t do it anymore. It’s another iteration of “poisoning the well,” or what one might call the Politics of Hurt Feelings.

.........................

Republican leaders have been saying most directly that if the mean bully Barack Obama pokes them in the eye with executive action on immigration, he will eliminate any chance of Congress taking up comprehensive immigration reform next year. At least here, everyone’s in the same policy ballpark. But that still doesn’t mean it makes any sense! There will be nothing in Obama’s executive action that bars congressional Republicans from writing a comprehensive immigration reform bill. They don’t want to do that, though, because immigration politics tend to expose divisions within the Republican Party. So in comes the trusty rigmarole about hurt feelings to save the day and provide cover for inaction.



.......................SNIP"

[Frustratedlady]

1. How many years has it been since Congress turned their attention toward the next election

and away from taking care of the country's business? Is there even a week in the year when they base their decisions on moving the country forward?

Pretty darned sad state of affairs when Congress is out of town more than they are in. Well, maybe that's a good thing considering what little they get done when they ARE in town.

Maybe they should start punching a timecard?

[applegrove]

2. New laws mean more regulation or taxes. Usually. I'm sure much less time in congress,

and more time raising money, is exactly what the GOP want. Making elections expensive keeps some good eggs from getting in that game. Fewer good eggs means fewer Elizabeth Warrens. Fewer days to legislate mean fewer programs. This is exactly as the GOP wants it to be.