Joan Walsh: "We come together to do what we cannot do alone."

[babylonsister]

http://www.salon.com/2012/11/15/the_gops_sore_losers/

Thursday, Nov 15, 2012 09:00 AM EST
Beware of Dems bearing gifts
Romney, Ryan, O'Reilly and other GOP hypocrites are lying about the role of politics in American life
By Joan Walsh

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Romney and his friends are being intentionally deceptive about the role of politics in people’s lives. We come together to do what we cannot do alone. Throughout American history, that has involved a widening realm of protection and insurance for poor, working- and middle-class Americans – until the GOP convinced a majority of people (particularly whites) that it was all going to minorities, and they began voting Republican.

How can it be wrong to give the “gift” of guaranteed healthcare, if the American people so choose? And we did so choose by reelecting President Obama. Is it really some kind of skeezy gift to change immigration policy? Or reduce student loan debt? Or share the costs of contraception, as well as childbirth, which have traditionally fallen on women but which benefit everybody?

And how can it not likewise be a “gift” to cater to the wealthy for generations, slashing their tax rates as well as larding our tax code with special breaks that only accrue to the top 1 or 2 percent? Those are the gifts the Republicans have been giving to the rich, especially since the Reagan era.

snip//

But as president, Obama rediscovered the power of delivering for his base – and there’s nothing wrong with that. African-Americans, Latinos, women, the young and gay people voted for him – and they got some policies that made their life better. That’s what’s supposed to happen when you win elections.

Romney is a sore loser. But make no mistake: He was ready to deliver gifts to the wealthy donors on that call had he won. Does he think we’re stupid?

[tanyev]

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