Republicans Are Deliberately Sabotaging the Economy

Well finally, the thing that I have been saying for months now seems to be in the mainstream. I heard it last night when Senator Chuck Shumer was being interviewed by Keith Olbermann. Shumer has ventured into waters that progressive bloggers have been wading around in for awhile now: Republicans are deliberately trying to sabotage the economy to improve their chances against Barack Obama in 2012.

Nothing could be more clear.

In this op/ed piece at the Washington Post, we find another quote from Senator Shumer:

“Do they simply want the economy to go down the drain to further their political gain? They seem to be against anything that may create jobs, because they view a weak economy as key to their political chances in 2012.”

“It’s an uncomfortable question, to be sure. Are they trying to undermine the economy on purpose, for political gain? Harry Truman had a do-nothing Congress. The Republicans seem to be trying to make this a do-nothing-on-the-economy Congress.”

Time and time again Republicans have supported and even sponsored legislation to improve the economy, but when it becomes apparent that these plans are acceptable to Democrats, the have backed off and moved the goal posts.

Their flip-flopping behavior is getting to be almost bizzarre.

Bizzarre, that is, unless you look at their antics in light of this comment uttered by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell late last month:

“I think the president can be defeated if conditions in November of '12 are anything like they are today. He’s got a really tough race on his hands, and I’m confident we’re going to nominate someone who’s going to be a credible, believable alternative.”

The only real issue I have with that statement is the second part. If he’s so confident that a credible believable nominee will appear, where is this person now? The first part of his statement seals the notion, previously considered radical, that Republicans will go to any length to keep the economy limping along at current levels. An improvement in the economy is the death knell to Republican victory in 2012 and they all know it.

Now it’s time to spread the word who is really behind the poor performance of the economy, and why.