The National GOP “Pledge” – Contract ON America Rehashed with Vague Promises?

Do you ever get the Feeling that we Americans are like “Sitting Ducks” because of, and during Election Year Politicking?

Yogi Berra once said, “it is Deja-Vu all over, again!” – Well, the National GOP has just come out with their “Pledge to America”, reminiscent of the GOP’s “Contract with America” of 1994 . . . which some viewed more like a “Contract ON America” . . . because the GOP were swept into office with massive promises and pledges but engaged in Gridlock and at one point froze the Federal Budget so the government could NOT operate under President Clinton…with John Boehner (R) Ohio front-and-center, both times.

Now it seems that after being the “Party of Nope” vs the “Party of Hope” the GOP wants to be swept into office with “Promises, Promises, and more More Promises” and gain control of the Congress, and eventual goal of being swept into the Presidency in 2012 by blocking President Obama, similar to when the GOP also took over the Presidency in 2000-2008.

Evidence of this being more VAGUE PROMISES is evident especially when you consider that the “new” national GOP “Pledge” document represents “an updated version of the 1994 ‘Contract with America.’  That much shorter, 10-item document, [WITH SPECIFIC BILLS ATTACHED TO EACH ITEM] that would be passed with a Republican victory, was rolled out on the steps of the U.S. Capitol and signed by GOP members of Congress and candidates.”

So in the past, the GOP WAS ABLE to come up with SPECIFIC Bills to be Clearer to the American People, but NOW they CAN’T or WON’T , and come up only with Vague Promises . . . so why would the GOP choose NOT to be clear and transparent with the American people?

Is the National GOP afraid Americans might see this as GOP GERD, and a reminder of the recent failed policies?

I imagine a “Double-finger Cross” behind the back, and a happy National GOP smiling face . . . well, at least someone is smiling!

.

But, I say our National Issues are too great to be playing election year politics, and giving us empty and vague promises – to both parties and candidates give us some SUBSTANCE TO VOTE FOR!!!

.

Apparently the Nantional GOP “PLEDGE” plan steers clear of specifics on important issues, such as:

1)  HOW will the GOP “put government on a path to a balanced budget.”

2)  The GOP omits altogether the question of HOW to address looming Deficits in Social Security and Medicare, which account for a huge portion of the nation’s soaring deficit, instead including a VAGUE PROMISE: “We will make the decisions that are necessary to protect our entitlement programs.”

2a)  The NATIONAL DEBT is about $66 TRILLION, including TOTAL UNFUNDED LIABILITIES, of a Total annual US Economy of $14 Trillion – With about $46 TRILLION of National Debt composed of Social Security and Medicare, especially important as 75-80 million baby boomers start retiring (which some started these year).

2b) HOW will the $46 TRILLION of UNFUNDED Social Security and Medicare be PAID For? Will  the GOP be honest with the American Public and say that they WILL EITHER PAY FOR IT or that THEY WILL NOT PAY For It…or will there once again be delayed “smoke and mirrors” similar to what they did with the Bush Tax Cuts (see below).

3)  GOP promises to make Bush Tax Cuts permanent, ADDING SIGNIFICANTLY to the DEFICIT.  If these tax cuts were so good why were they NOT originally made permanent?

Because when budgets were forecast into the future by the Bush Administration and GOP led Congress of 2000-2006, they were forecasting GREATER REVENUES  coming in because they ASSUMED Bush Tax Cuts were EXPIRED after ten years with NO RENEWAL . . . which now after 10 years we find was a DELAYED “smoke and mirrors” and accounting gimmickry, because now the GOP wants to implement them permanently.

4)  HOW WILL the Additional Massive Deficits of about $800 Billion from making the “Bush Tax Cuts” permanent be paid For? I think we need to provide permanent tax relief for Middle Class Americans, who are the ones hurting the most, and also to Small Businesses who are consistently the engines of job growth.  But I don’t think we need to extend them to Wealthy Americans.  Some may call this “Class Warfare” – a typical slogan thrown about, but even former President Clinton who has done well financially, and other Millionaires and  Billionaires say they are okay and will continue to do okay financially even if these tax cuts are not made permanent to them.

CLICK Here to read Article on the “Pledge” by Washington Post:

.

5)  Why is the GOP Silent and not Propose  anything for OUT OF CONTROL Military Spending?

For example in the biggest expansion of the US military, Defense spending rose FROM  UNDER $200 Billion in 1980 to about $400 Billion in 1992 (Reagan and Bush Sr. Admins); and with a slight decrease under President Clinton to around $371 Billion.

Then there was another Massive INCREASE from a little less than $400 Billion to close to $800 Billion from about 2001-2008 when Bush and GOP were primarily in power…and still up there under Obama because of the continuing two wars that were started with Bush…with IRAQ being a “War of Choice” and Afghanistan a “War of Necessity”.

CLICK  HERE for US Military Spending GRAPH and Historical Tables:

.

5A)  At a certain point UNCONTROLLED military spending, can make our country LESS SAFE, especially if the USA spends MORE than ALL of the COMBINED WORLD military budgets.

CLICK HERE FOR Newsweek article on DOD Secretary Gates “A War Within” of Sept 20, 2010, and what he intends to do before he leaves office, If he Can.  He talks very frankly “about the challenge he faces in forcing what Eisenhower called the ‘military-industrial complex’ to adjust to the new budget realities.”

.

5B)  CLICK HERE FOR “WAR IS A RACKET” by Marine General Smedley Butler – Two Time Medal of Honor.

.

Francisco “Paco” Barragan

Orange County, CA