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"Pledge To America" : A Toothless Slog?

Republicans unveiled their "Pledge to America" today. While it's laced with tea party slogans, there's not much to see here.

Here's one analysis:

It's a 21-page slog -- it just seems longer -- whose opening is an equal parts corny and clumsy (I counted two grammatical errors in the first paragraph alone) overreach for high-mindedness. In a desperate attempt to capture the Tea Party's flag-waving zeitgeist, the introduction borrows heavily from the Declaration of Independence -- inserting some phrases wholesale while paralleling the original's litany of charges against George III with indictments of President Barack Obama and Congressional Democrats.

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    I got a couple paragraphs in... (5.00 / 1) (#4)
    by kdog on Thu Sep 23, 2010 at 02:35:56 PM EST
    waxing poetic about liberty sounds great...my kinda party!

    But if you've got the war on drugs on your mind, or rigged markets passing as free ones, you know it's just more of the same "don't tread on me, tread on them" bullsh*t the tea partiers have been spewing all year.  

    My kinda party too. (none / 0) (#10)
    by lentinel on Thu Sep 23, 2010 at 03:19:23 PM EST
    I think it was mighty white of them to put in that part 'bout them Ten Commandments even if they was Old Testament instead of the good one.

    Parent
    I like the part where they replace HCR (5.00 / 1) (#15)
    by Socraticsilence on Thu Sep 23, 2010 at 04:12:25 PM EST
    with something even worse. That amuses the hell out of me- repeal mandates but continue guaranteed issuance- I mean personally it sounds awesome but as someone who actually gives a crap about the longterm health of the country its just laughable- I mean how can anyone even think that will work- seriously why on earth would anyone healthy ever have health insurance if this is what goes through- just free ride until you get sick (since their's no mandate) and then buy insurance- drop it as soon as you can- its sweet and really, really, really, dumb.

    I tried to read the whole thing (5.00 / 0) (#20)
    by Militarytracy on Thu Sep 23, 2010 at 04:31:56 PM EST
    I just can't though.  It's like playing in mud and I'm an adult now.  But they promise to only pass clean defense funding bills.  What a crock :)  And they obviously missed a big memo, most of America isn't just tired of DADT but they are also tired of all defense funding bills.  They act like America can't wait to have some clean ones, the whole thing is a joke though.  If I had more time I'd look up some of their filthy defense funding bills from the pathetic Republicans in charge past.

    Can't bring myself to read it yet; (none / 0) (#1)
    by Anne on Thu Sep 23, 2010 at 02:16:10 PM EST
    I want to wait until my lunch is more digested...

    But, David Dayen has a post up today, in which it is revealed that the 44 Blue Dogs in the House who have signed on to "tax cuts for all," together with the Republican members, give the tax-cuts-for-all crowd a working majority...

    So the House will follow the Senate and punt on the Obama tax plan. I hear cries that Democrats are "gutless," "cowardly," "politically stupid," etc., etc. Um, they just don't agree that millionaires shouldn't get $100,000 tax breaks. They want them to. Maybe not the whole caucus, maybe not a majority of the caucus. But certainly, enough of the caucus to make a contrast with the Republicans on this point impossible. Here's a letter with 44 House Democrats - enough to join with Republicans to have a majority in the House - wanting to extend not only all the tax cuts, but the dividend rates on the high end as well. The names:

    John Adler, Jason Altmire, John Barrow, Melissa Bean, Shelley Berkley, Marion Berry, Sanford Bishop, Dan Boren, Rick Boucher, Bobby Bright, Chris Carney, Travis Childers, Jim Cooper, Jim Costa, Kathy Dahlkemper, Lincoln Davis, Ted Deutch, Joe Donnelly, Brad Ellsworth, Ann Kirkpatrick, Larry Kissell, Ron Klein, Suzanne Kosmas, Dan Maffei, Betsey Markey, Jim Matheson, Mike McIntyre, Michael McMahon, Walt Minnick, Harry Mitchell, Scott Murphy, Glenn Nye, Gary Peters, Collin Peterson, Ciro Rodriguez, Mike Ross, Steve Rothman, John Salazar, Loretta Sanchez, Albio Sires, Zack Space, Betty Sutton, Harry Teague, David Wu

    I think this is a glimpse into the future, where, as Dayen says:

    Because there isn't a majority, even now, in Congress for the kind of policies Democrats purport to run on. I don't think they had a higher priority in the 2008 election year than letting the high-end tax cuts expire. And yet here we are.

    Indeed.  Obama's not going to veto extending the tax cuts even if that means extending them to the wealthy.  Okay, fine.  The question is, on other issues where this working majority comes into play, will Obama exercise his veto power?  Or will he stand with the conservatives?

    Sure wish I knew for sure; my gut isn't real optimistic about the answer.

    Figured my Rep Kosmas (none / 0) (#2)
    by ruffian on Thu Sep 23, 2010 at 02:22:36 PM EST
    was in there. I'll tell her that if I want a Republican in Congress I'll vote for one Nov 2, for all the good that will do.

    Parent
    Since she is one who is (none / 0) (#3)
    by ruffian on Thu Sep 23, 2010 at 02:28:00 PM EST
    helping
    to make a contrast with the Republicans on this point impossible
    .

    Idiots.

    Parent

    I (none / 0) (#9)
    by lentinel on Thu Sep 23, 2010 at 03:16:00 PM EST
    just read the pledges posted by jbindc above.

    You better wait until well after dinner.


    Parent

    Too late! I saw it posted and (5.00 / 1) (#14)
    by Anne on Thu Sep 23, 2010 at 03:57:14 PM EST
    ended up skimming over it so my eyelids wouldn't sear onto my eyeballs.

    Jesus, what a load of doo-doo.

    No party that wants to put as many restrictions on individuals' private lives, and wants the right to monitor at will everyone's communications, has any business using the word "liberty."

    No party that enjoys killing brown people with funny names as much as these people do, that never met a program that would help poor women with children they couldn't cut or try to eliminate, has any business claiming to stand for "life."

    I could go on, but I'm preaching to the choir.

    My uneasiness is that we have too many Democrats that wouldn't have a problem with this manifesto.

    Parent

    This is why it had to be congress (none / 0) (#18)
    by Socraticsilence on Thu Sep 23, 2010 at 04:18:29 PM EST
    a veto would be politically (and arguably economicly) moronic as it would essentially be spun as "Obama raised taxes on the middle class"

    Parent
    The pledges (none / 0) (#5)
    by jbindc on Thu Sep 23, 2010 at 02:55:53 PM EST

    America is more than a country.

    America is an idea - an idea that free people can govern themselves, that government's powers are derived from the consent of the governed, that each of us is endowed by their Creator with the unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. America is the belief that any man or woman can - given economic, political, and religious liberty - advance themselves, their families, and the common good.

    America is an inspiration to those who yearn to be free and have the ability and the dignity to determine their own destiny.

    Whenever the agenda of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to institute a new governing agenda and set a different course.

    These first principles were proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence, enshrined in the Constitution, and have endured through hard sacrifice and commitment by generations of Americans.

    In a self-governing society, the only bulwark against the power of the state is the consent of the governed, and regarding the policies of the current government, the governed do not consent.

    An unchecked executive, a compliant legislature, and an overreaching judiciary have combined to thwart the will of the people and overturn their votes and their values, striking down longstanding laws and institutions and scorning the deepest beliefs of the American people.

    An arrogant and out-of-touch government of self-appointed elites makes decisions, issues mandates, and enacts laws without accepting or requesting the input of the many.

    Rising joblessness, crushing debt, and a polarizing political environment are fraying the bonds among our people and blurring our sense of national purpose.

    Like free peoples of the past, our citizens refuse to accommodate a government that believes it can replace the will of the people with its own. The American people are speaking out, demanding that we realign our country's compass with its founding principles and apply those principles to solve our common problems for the common good.

    The need for urgent action to repair our economy and reclaim our government for the people cannot be overstated.

    With this document, we pledge to dedicate ourselves to the task of reconnecting our highest aspirations to the permanent truths of our founding by keeping faith with the values our nation was founded on, the principles we stand for, and the priorities of our people. This is our Pledge to America.

    We pledge to honor the Constitution as constructed by its framers and honor the original intent of those precepts that have been consistently ignored - particularly the Tenth Amendment, which grants that all powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.

    We pledge to advance policies that promote greater liberty, wider opportunity, a robust defense, and national economic prosperity.

    We pledge to honor families, traditional marriage, life, and the private and faith-based organizations that form the core of our American values.

    We pledge to make government more transparent in its actions, careful in its stewardship, and honest in its dealings.

    We pledge to uphold the purpose and promise of a better America, knowing that to whom much is given, much is expected and that the blessings of our liberty buoy the hopes of mankind.

    We make this pledge bearing true faith and allegiance to the people we represent, and we invite fellow citizens and patriots to join us in forming a new governing agenda for America.



    Sorry (none / 0) (#6)
    by jbindc on Thu Sep 23, 2010 at 02:57:17 PM EST
    Didn't think I got the whole thing.

    Nothing really new - same stuff they've been spouting all along.

    Parent

    Whew! (none / 0) (#8)
    by lentinel on Thu Sep 23, 2010 at 03:10:40 PM EST
    I am so pleased that they are pledging to honor traditional marriage.

    I was real worried that traditional marriages were dropping out of favor.

    Parent

    My question is this (5.00 / 0) (#11)
    by jbindc on Thu Sep 23, 2010 at 03:24:02 PM EST
    If they pledge to honor "life", as they state, does that mean they will stop all wars and back a constitutional amendment to ban the death penalty?  Or do they only honor "life*"?

    *Embryonic and fetal life, but not non-US life or those in prison?

    Parent

    read the other fine print (none / 0) (#17)
    by Socraticsilence on Thu Sep 23, 2010 at 04:16:01 PM EST
    (Freedom sections do not apply to women or gays) once you get through that it makes sense. Well, that and the part about fiscal responsibility while arguing to confront Iran.

    Parent
    Wait (none / 0) (#16)
    by Socraticsilence on Thu Sep 23, 2010 at 04:14:42 PM EST
    How can they pledge to both honor "life" and "traditional marriage" and make America a place where "free people can choose their own destiny" or are women and gays not people?

    Parent
    Well (none / 0) (#19)
    by jondee on Thu Sep 23, 2010 at 04:21:43 PM EST
    what will it do to freedom when those people's actions bring the wrath of the almighty down on an entire nation?

    Parent
    I will admit (none / 0) (#7)
    by lentinel on Thu Sep 23, 2010 at 02:57:43 PM EST
    that I haven't read the "Pledge to America". I am not at all sure that I can bring myself to do so.

    But I must say I am astounded that they picked a title that is so similar to the disastrous "Contract For America" that they laid upon us in 1994.

    I guess the Democrats are not the only party with a death wish.


    It is sooooo easy to pick this apart for the Dems (none / 0) (#12)
    by BarnBabe on Thu Sep 23, 2010 at 03:43:31 PM EST
    Now if they have the nerve. Hold it up next to Contract of America. Compare then and now. And see how many of those who signed it with term limits are still in DC among other items.

    Parent
    they probably got (none / 0) (#13)
    by jondee on Thu Sep 23, 2010 at 03:50:57 PM EST
    a product placement deal with whatever megacorporation cranks out that cheezy furniture polish.

    And isn't it pretty much a given at this point that any position statement coming from the Right has to prominently feature "America" and the words "freedom", "liberty", "patriotic" etc in the first couple of sentences? If they could somehow include The Battle Hymn of the Republic playing in the background every time someone reads it, they'd do that too.

    Parent

    hmm .. remember that (none / 0) (#22)
    by nyrias on Fri Sep 24, 2010 at 04:58:31 PM EST
    Contract for America actually WORKED with respect to taking back the house & senate.

    You do not need a working idea to get elected. You just need to convince enough people that you have one.

    Parent

    Lemon Pledge (none / 0) (#21)
    by DFLer on Fri Sep 24, 2010 at 09:53:59 AM EST
    good comparison of Contract with Pledge on Daily Show

    RE Contract....one of my prized possessions is a little Newt doll, with the Contract in pocket, filled with catnip. Fun watching the cat bat him around for years.