The end of progressive government?

[dtotire]

God help us if the country adopted his programs.

The end of progressive government?



By E.J. Dionne Jr., Sunday, April 3, 7:53 PM


So far, our nation’s budget debate has been a desultory affair focused on whether a small slice of the federal government’s outlays should be cut by $33 billion or $61 billion, or whatever.

But Americans are about to learn how much is at stake in our larger budget fight, how radical the new conservatives in Washington are, and the extent to which some politicians would transfer even more resources from the have-nots and have-a-littles to the have-a-lots.

And you wonder: Will President Obama welcome the responsibility of engaging the country in this big argument, or will he shrink from it? Will his political advisers remain robotically obsessed with poll results about the 2012 election, or will they embrace Obama’s historic obligation — and opportunity — to win the most important struggle over the role of government since the New Deal?


This week, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) will announce the House Republicans’ budget plan, which is expected to include cuts in many programs for the neediest Americans.
>snip<



Put the two parts of the Ryan design together — tax cuts for the rich, program cuts for the poor — and its radically redistributionist purposes become clear. Timid Democrats would never dare embark on class warfare on this scale the other way around.

read more:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-end-of-progressive-government/2011/04/01/AFQbjTXC_story.html?hpid=z3

[villager]

1. "...or will he shrink from it?" Rhetorical question, yes?

n/t

[northoftheborder]

2. I would love to be shocked by Obama.

[Citizen Worker]

3. People need to disabuse themselves of the idea that democrats are timid and spineless and thus

refuse to challenge the cruelty and viciousness of the right. They endorse the transfer of wealth to the already super rich and the shifting of financial burden onto the backs of the working class. That's why they are "timid" and "spineless." It's a cruel hoax that too many of US accept as the truth. So we vote for more democrats thinking things will change, they won't.

[ejpoeta]

4. you are right. they get their money from the same people and thanks to citizens united

they will get a lot more of it from them if they play their cards right. and since their job is only to get re-elected then they are going to do what the people with the money want them to do. I wish we had another viable place to put our votes. I am sick of both parties. I am sick of this bs.