Republicans have been right

Richard Fulton

There are many political joys to be celebrated during this holiday season. Yes, yes, I know you are cynical. But in the spirit of the season let me chronicle some of the achievements of the Grand Old Party in recent years.

I celebrate, for example, the goals set by the leadership of the Republicans back in 2012 that must have led to their triumphs at the polls in 2014. Led by Newt Gingrich and echoed by Speaker Boehner the GOP promised to lower the unemployment rate under 6% and to get gas down below $2.50 a gallon by 2016. Laudable to be sure.

Oh, wait a minute. Didn’t I just read that unemployment just went under 6% recently and that gas is hitting below $2 a gallon? And this is only 2014.

Let’s try again. Republicans spent three years casting over 70 votes to express the solid belief that Obamacare would not and could not work and should be junked. Sure the program exceeded its original goal for sign-ups, but that would never last.

Oh wait. News last week was that 6 million signed up for the government program under the latest deadline period. And 3 million of them were new. Well, Republicans just wanted to keep the program in front of the American people so they wouldn’t forget I’m sure.

We all remember Vice President Cheney who remains a voice of the Republican party. He believes strongly in torture and how it produces important intelligence for the American anti-terrorist campaign.

Never mind that a recent report says no it doesn’t and maybe, just maybe, that sort of stuff is not part of the American character.

Still, a voice in the Republican wilderness refutes the former VP. Senator McCain, the only member of Congress who was tortured as a POW knows and says from experience that it doesn’t work. Those GOP leaders should get their act together. (A thought, this Cheney guy was a heartbeat away from the presidency. Scary.)

At least the Republicans have a point that Obama is a disaster in foreign policy. He doesn’t get anything done and is not respected anywhere in the world.

Should we give any kudos to him for getting an interim agreement with Iran over their nuclear program through quiet diplomacy or should we cry for military action as some of our rightish friends have called for?

Speaking of quiet diplomacy, anyone notice that Obama got the first pledge from China ever to reduce harmful emissions from their manufacturing and mining? And that Russia is reeling from sanctions and low gas prices?

Yes, but he has not been tough enough in foreign policy hot spots the Republican leadership point out. After all, bad people are doing bad things everywhere and what is Obama doing about it, right?

Well. One might argue that with extremely limited “boots on the ground” Obama has got us out of Iraq and Afghanistan while showing U.S. strength with drone attacks and air strikes against ISIS and other terrorists.

Republicans rightly point out the state of our economy, all Obama’s fault no doubt about it.

Still, Wall Street corporations have record profits, record highs in the financial markets and are getting their leaders into key positions in Republican leadership offices. Twelve big-time lobbyist (from AT&T, Exxon, Comcast, etc.) have “quit” their jobs to become key aids to Mitch McConnell and other key leaders of the new Congress. Can they buy policy like they Citibank did or the Dodd-Frank amendment in the budget? Europe and Japan have very weak economies, wonder if they would trade for Obama?

Which all means that Republicans must be right on other issues as well: immigration, Cuban quiet diplomacy, Keystone Pipeline (with gas at $2.00?), and climate change.

I’m sure the Republicans will fix all these problems as they take control of Congress; after all, they have been right so many times in recent years.

See, it has been a cheery political year.