Will Republicans Who Opposed Stimulus, Take Credit and Control Congress In 2010 Like 1995?

[Median Democrat]

The behavior of Republicans in Obama's first year seems eerily similar to that of Republicans in 1993 when Republicans voted against Bill Clinton's stimulus bill, and claimed that it would explode the deficit, deepen the recession, and lead to unbearable tax increases:

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Of course, Republicans condemned Bill Clinton's bill while taking credit for the economic growth that followed, and subsequently captured Congress.

Today, the mainstream media is gushing with fawning comparisons of Cantor to Newt Gingrich as though that were a good thing. You also have Republicans opposing the stimulus, but taking credit back home for its benefits:

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/251/story/62181.html

/snip

GOP lawmakers tout projects in the stimulus bill they opposed

WASHINGTON — Rep. John Mica was gushing after the House of Representatives voted Friday to pass the big stimulus plan.

"I applaud President Obama's recognition that high-speed rail should be part of America's future," the Florida Republican beamed in a press release.

Yet Mica had just joined every other GOP House member in voting against the $787.2 billion economic recovery plan.

Republicans echoed their party line over and over during the debate: "This bill is loaded with wasteful deficit spending on the majority's favorite government programs," as Minority Whip Eric Cantor, R-Va., put it.

But Mica wasn't alone in touting what he saw as the bill's virtues. Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, also had nice things to say in a press release.

Young boasted that he "won a victory for the Alaska Native contracting program and other Alaska small business owners last night in H.R. 1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act."

One provision would have made it harder for minority businesses to win contracts, and Young explained that he "worked with members on the other side of the aisle to make the case for these programs, and was able to get the provision pulled from the bill."

Yet later in the day Young — who recently told McClatchy that he would've included earmarks, or local projects, in the bill if it had been permitted — issued another statement blasting the overall measure.

"This bill was not a stimulus bill. It was a vehicle for pet projects, and that's wrong," he protested

/snip

So, will the rule, fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me apply again? It seems like we are off to a bad start, since very few media outlets are calling the Republicans on the fact that their dire predictions of economic doom in 1993 turned out to be entirely false. Of course, Republicans would probably just blame the current recession on Bill Clinton's 1993 stimulus bill.

[Baltoman991]

1. Don't think so

this time. The right has been really going after all things Democrat since they lost in 2006 and they're still getting beat in big numbers and I think it's all due to more folks tuning out the MSM and dialing into the internet more and more.

[FreakinDJ]

2. 1993 was the Explosion of "Right Wing Talk Radio"

Will America be so easily duped again

Look at Air America going by the way side
Look at the Censorship already applied to the Airwaves

In my opinion - unless the 21st century version of the Fairness Doctrine is enacted - YES

FDR has his detractors much the same as Obama is fgacing them now The original Fairness Doctrine was enacted in 1938 for a very good reason. Even the photographers FDR had sent out to capture the face of America in Depression at the time were challenged by the Republicans. They just plain don't like the TRUTH

[Median Democrat]

3. Disagree Slightly - The Media Is Even More Corporate and Right Wing Than 1993

The media has grown even more conservative overall, and even liberal radio stations are often inundated by right wing callers simply spouting off GOP talking points. This afternoon, for example, I was listening to a liberal radio station, yet most of the callers were so-called "independents" who simply repeated talking points, but could not really explain them when asked.

Since 1993, media has become much more concentrated and corporate:

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As a result, the majority of media is controlled by just six large conglomerates, thus if anything, it has become easier for the GOP to inundate the American public with their talking points.

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[FreakinDJ]

5. No disagreement here - Folks don't know the extent of cencorship

going on already - plain and simple it is not being reported.

A lot of folks here at DU merely think it is like what Bill Clinton experienced during his term and more of what Hilary described as a conspiracy. In fact there is corporate imposed Cencorship going on Now.

You can't talk about Evolution
You can't talk about Opposing Points

The Senate Republicans during FDR's term did every thing they could to prevent those photos (we now call history) from being taken

Now the Corp Media is doing every thing they can to bring down Obama's popularity

[Median Democrat]

7. THE Taboo News Story - The Corporate Bias Of The Media

Media relies on corporate sponsors for money. Does the millions of dollars in adverstising revenue effect the objectivity of the news media?

You will never know, because this question is taboo. In other words, Fox News will run a story on liberal bias in the media on a weekly basis, but you will never hear a major media outlet question whether the millions of dollars it receives in advertising revenue effects the objectivity of its news coverage.

Thus, you have this constant myth of a "liberal" media being promoted while the truth remains suppressed.

[NYC Liberal]

4. No. Democrats had been in control of the House for 40+ years.

The "change" theme worked for the Repugs then. Now the opposite is true - the Repugs have been in charge and there is no way they are getting back control so soon.

[Name removed]

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