The Democrats' crisis management

From the Senate Republican Communications Center:

CRISIS MANAGEMENT

'Every Time We Face A Crisis, It Seems, This Administration Takes Us On Another Ideological Tour Of The Far-Left To-Do List, When All The American People Want From It Are Some Straightforward Practical Solutions.' – Sen. Mitch McConnell

RAHM EMANUEL: "Never Let A Serious Crisis Go To Waste. What I Mean By That Is It's An Opportunity To Do Things You Couldn't Do Before." (Editorial, "A 40-Year Wish List," The Wall Street Journal, 1/28/09)

ECONOMIC CRISIS:

"Hemorrhaging Of American Jobs"

"The Hemorrhaging Of American Jobs Accelerated At A Record Pace At The End Of 2008, Bringing The Year's Total Job Losses To 2.6 Million Or The Highest Level In More Than Six Decades.:" ("Worst Year For Jobs Since '45," CNN, 1/9/09)

SOLUTION:

Fund Every "Pent-Up Democratic Proposal Of The Last 40 Years" While Unemployment Gets Worse

"This Is A Political Wonder That Manages To Spend Money On Just About Every Pent-Up Democratic Proposal Of The Last 40 Years." (Editorial, "A 40-Year Wish List," The Wall Street Journal, 1/28/09)

2,979,000 Jobs Lost February, 2009 – May, 2010 (U.S. Dept. Of Labor, "Employment, Hour, And Earnings From The Current Employment Statistics Survey (National)," Accessed 6/16/10)

Unemployment Rate: 9.7% ("The Unemployment Situation – December 2009," Bureau Of Labor Statistics, 6/4/10)

HEALTH CARE CRISIS:

"Spiraling Health Care Costs Have Been Whacking Away" At Middle-Class American Wages

"Recent History Has Not Been Kind To Working-Class Americans, Who Were Down On The Economy Long Before The Word Recession Was Uttered. The Main Reason: Spiraling Health-Care Costs Have Been Whacking Away At Their Wages. Even though workers are producing more, inflation-adjusted median family income has dipped 2.6 percent -- or nearly $1,000 annually since 2000." ("Rising Health Costs Cut Into Wages," The Washington Post, 3/24/08)

SOLUTION:

Massive Health Bill “Falls Short” Of “Controlling Runaway Costs” But “Socks Middle Class” With Tax Increases

"The [CMS] Analysis Also Found That The Law Falls Short Of The President's Twin Goal Of Controlling Runaway Costs, Raising Projected Spending By About 1 Percent Over 10 Years. That Increase Could Get Bigger, Since Medicare Cuts In The Law May Be Unrealistic And Unsustainable, The Report Warned." ("Report Says Health Care Will Cover More, Cost More," The Associated Press, 4/23/10)

"Taxpayers Earning Less Than $200,000 A Year Will Pay Roughly $3.9 Billion More In Taxes -- In 2019 Alone -- Because Of Healthcare Reform, According To The Joint Committee On Taxation, Congress' Official Scorekeeper For Legislation." ("Healthcare Law Socks Middle Class With A $3.9 Billion Tax Increase," The Hill, 4/12/10)

FINANCIAL CRISIS:

Fannie And Freddie "At Heart Of The Mess"

"Federal Investigators Have Opened Preliminary Probes Into The Financial Troubles Of Four High-Profile Companies That Are At The Center Of The Current Financial Turmoil That The Bush Administration Says Requires An Unprecedented Proposed Taxpayer-Funded Bailout To Clean Up. The Federal Bureau Of Investigation's Preliminary Inquiries Are Focusing On Whether Fraud Helped Cause Some Of The Troubles At Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. And American International Group Inc., According To Senior Law-Enforcement Officials." ("FBI Investigates Four Firms At Heart Of The Mess," The Wall Street Journal, 9/24/08)

SOLUTION:

Financial Bill "Doesn't Even Attempt" To Address "The Big Elephant In The Room"

SEN. MARK WARNER (D-VA): "I Think It's A Fair Claim To Make That We Haven't Done Enough To Fully Address Fannie And Freddie. It Is The Big Elephant In The Room That Hasn't Been Addressed." (CNBC's "Squawk Box," 5/10/10)

"One Sign That The White House Financial Reform Is Less Potent Than Its Advertising Claims Is That It Doesn't Even Attempt To Reform The Two Companies At The Heart Of The Housing Mania And Panic, Fannie Mae And Freddie Mac." (Editorial, "A Fannie Mae Political Reckoning," The Wall Street Journal, 5/6/10)

OIL SPILL:

"The Worst Environmental Disaster In U.S. History"

"The Worst Environmental Disaster In U.S. History." ("Obama Previews Oil Spill Address In Florida Visit," Los Angeles Times, 6/15/10)

SOLUTION:

Push For "Fast Senate Action" On Divisive "Cap-And-Trade" Bill

PRESIDENT OBAMA: "Last year, the House of Representatives acted on these principles by passing a strong and comprehensive energy and climate bill – a bill that finally makes clean energy the profitable kind of energy for America’s businesses." (President Obama, Remarks By The President To The Nation On The BP Oil Spill, 6/15/10)

"[Obama] Called For Fast Senate Action On An Energy Bill That Has Already Passed The House." ("In Address To Nation, Obama Urges Action On Clean Energy Bill," The Washington Post, 6/16/10)

"The House Voted Last June To Create The First National Limits On Greenhouse-Gas Emissions. The Measure Would Regulate Carbon Dioxide From Power Plants, Refineries And Factories Through A Cap-And-Trade Program In Which Companies Buy And Sell A Declining Number Of Pollution Rights." ("Climate Bill Lacks Momentum Even After BP Spill, Democrats Say," Bloomberg, 6/16/10)

Technorati tags: Politics Republican gop Senate McConnell Kentucky health universal health care obamacare