The GOP’s new plan: Hit Dems from the left

[DonViejo]

On Social Security and now immigration, House GOPers are trying (and failing) to sneak up on Democrats' left flank

BY ALEX SEITZ-WALD

Earlier this month, while progressive groups were slamming President Obama from the left on his decision to include a cut to Social Security benefits in his budget, the man responsible for getting Republicans elected to Congress .. .also hit Obama from the left. The move was surprising, considering that the vast majority of Republicans disagreed with Rep. Greg Walden, the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, and John Boehner even said said so publicly.

Walden’s move was understandable, though. He’s in a bit of a predicament: On one hand, Republicans want to reform (i.e., cut) entitlement programs, but on the other, Walden needs to get Republicans elected to Congress and the public hates the idea of cutting Social Security. What’s an NRCC chairman to do? Go with the poll numbers, and forget your party, apparently.

So now, the NRCC is trying the trick again, but this time on immigration — another issue where hard-liners in the GOP are out of step with the public. A website the committee set up to attack Colorado Democrat Andrew Romanoff jabs him for “lik[ing] to waste taxpayer dollars almost as much as he likes the strictest immigration laws in the nation he passed as Speaker of the Colorado House.”

Indeed, Romanoff helped pass “several bills that Democrats call the toughest in the nation,” as the AP reported at the time. But the NRCC hit runs into trouble once you finish reading that sentence from the AP: “… and Republicans say don’t go far enough.” Even though the state’s Republican governor signed the bill, “Republicans said the legislation still left glaring loopholes, including allowing benefits for minors.” And this was 2006, long before Arizona’s SB-1070 and its copycat laws in Alabama, South Carolina and elsewhere. Since then, the GOP moved further to the right on immigration while Romanoff moved left, even earning jabs for flip-flopping.

full article
http://www.salon.com/2013/04/23/the_gops_new_plan_hit_dems_from_the_left/

[Politicalboi]

1. I'm glad they are telling us what to expect

Is this another shoot yourself in the foot 47% moment.

It's not too hard to fool idiots who think Obama told them "they" didn't build their own business.

[zipplewrath]

2. Well god knows we've left 'em alot of room over there

I'll be amazed if they can figure out how to do it. But if they do, we've left them alot of room on our left. Heck EISENHOWER could approach us from our left these days.

[blkmusclmachine]

3. More 11-Dimensional chess. Win by losing.

Who could have seen THIS comin'?