The coming Republican civil war

[John81]

KUHNER: The coming Republican civil war
OBama-GOP compromise splits establishment from Tea Party
By Jeffrey T. Kuhner
-
The Washington Times
6:09 p.m., Thursday, December 16, 2010

The tax deal has exposed major divisions within the Republican Party. It has triggered deep fissures in GOP ranks - especially among many potential candidates for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.

Establishment Republicans have embraced the deal. They argue that letting the George W. Bush-era tax cuts expire would threaten the nascent recovery and even could plunge the economy into a "double-dip" recession. It is bad policy and bad economics to impose massive tax increases during an economic downturn. This is the argument being made by the congressional GOP leadership, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. They have aligned themselves with inside-the-Beltway Republican elites - and against the Tea Party.

There is, however, a growing populist rebellion against the package. Rush Limbaugh has come out against it. Tea partiers are upset. Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana - likely GOP front-runners in the 2012 race - have announced their opposition. The reason: The deal heaps even more onto the mounting national debt.

They are right. The GOP tax deal, which was hammered out with President OBama, will cost nearly $900 billion. It is too expensive; no responsible conservative should support it. The package does more than temporarily extend the Bush tax rates. It also has something for almost every constituency: gimmicky expensing deductions for business, a one-year cut in payroll taxes for middle-income and working-class citizens, extended earned-income and clean-energy tax credits to satisfy the poor and environmentalists, and continuation of jOBless benefits for the long-term unemployed for another 13 months - a disguised form of welfare. Hence, it amounts to another massive stimulus.

Moreover, the estate tax will be set at 35 percent, excluding the first $5 million. Democrats want 45 percent after $3.5 million. Republicans are touting this as a significant concession. It isn't. Confiscating 35 percent of a dead person's estate - whether more than $5 million or not - is not a victory. Rather, it represents a win for big-government liberalism, legitimizing Uncle Sam's reach even into the grave to ensure that income accumulated over a lifetime is taxed not once, but twice. It is state-sanctioned theft. There is only one proper rate: zero.

The package is fiscally reckless and immoral. The greatest threat facing America is the skyrocketing debt. Everything else - the war on terror, Afghanistan, the economy, securing the border, health care, abortion, gay marriage - is insignificant if the country goes bankrupt. This is the reality of dysfunctional Third World states: Debates on issues are irrelevant because changes cannot be implemented effectively. The countries lack the capacity to do so. That's what runaway deficits eventually lead to - the destruction of national cohesion.

Washington is drowning in red ink. The bailouts under the Bush administration, Mr. OBama's trillion-dollar budget deficits, OBamacare, out-of-control entitlements and the nearly $1 trillion stimulus have put America on the path toward financial insolvency. In several years, the country will reach the tipping point: Total national debt as a percentage of gross domestic product will exceed 100 percent. That is Greece. No country has ever come back from those fiscal depths.

The Tea Party movement seeks to rein in public spending and roll back the federal leviathan. It is the revolt of the adults - people who understand that governments, like households, must balance their books. Republicans campaigned on upholding the core values of Tea Partiers - slashing spending, curbing deficits and reducing the debt. Yet, when confronted with their first major challenge, most of them reverted to their old Beltway habits: Let's make a deal.

Taxes, especially on income and business, should never be raised in a recession. In fact, they should be cut to stimulate economic growth and jOB creation. Calvin Coolidge in the 1920s, John F. Kennedy in the 1960s and Ronald Reagan in the 1980s all permanently slashed income tax rates across the board. The result: The economy boomed and tax revenues substantially increased.

In the current package, the tax rates are not permanent and there are no offsetting spending cuts. The deal is therefore not paid for. We are - again - mortgaging the future of our children to satisfy the needs of today. We have become the selfish generation.

Republicans should have waited until early January, when the 112th Congress will be sworn in. With a large majority in the House and bolstered numbers in the Senate, the GOP would have been in a stronger position to negotiate a far better deal - perhaps one that could have phased out the death tax, pushed for longer extensions on the tax rates and, most important, insisted on deep spending cuts to make it deficit-neutral.

Congressional GOP leaders refused to do that because compromising with Mr. OBama is easier - and politically less risky - than governing responsibly. Establishment Republicans are not fools. They can see what is happening across the Atlantic. Throughout Europe, austerity measures have sparked riots, strikes and protests. For example, Britain's minority Conservative government has been facing a wave of street opposition to its budget-slashing measures. Spending reductions are painful. They cause social unrest and are deeply unpopular - at least with some segments of the electorate. That is why Republicans often talk like Barry Goldwater but act like George W. Bush. It takes courage to implement fiscal discipline.

The OBama-GOP compromise signifies the betrayal of the Tea Party movement - and of the American people. A reckoning with reality cannot be avoided. We are going broke. We can no longer afford expensive entitlements, massive stimulus programs or phony tax deals. There's no more money.

[HappyChristian]

I don't like this tax nonsense. But, really, is anyone surprised? We still have the lame duck Congress in session...they're gonna vote for things we don't want, just like they have for the last 2 years (and back).

[JerryNumbers]

I don't know, maybe never enough of our congressmen will ever totally stand together to balancing our budget.

Our politicians are hooked, addicted to, spending, and to many of them may fear what will happen if they really cut spending.

Yet I think they can cut spending without having a major effect on this nation, yet I don't think enough of them want to, for they fill their own bank accounts when they are spending.

This man plays down the importance of abortion, that is he plays down the importance of following God's ways. To him it seems they are things more important than God just as most politicians do, and most Americans.

[1Timothy115]

Another case of "the whole nation being sick from head to foot."

Everyone in this nation wants to be rich.

Yes, there are lots of secular ideas about how to run the country but, God will be the judge.

[John81]

I don't think he's trying to downplay the importance of abortion or the other things, but to point out that if we only focus on these things while allowing the country to go so deep in debt that the economy and nation collapses, it won't matter what we accomplished (or not) in those other areas because we will have no country.

If we were to tackle the sin of abortion and the sin of massive national indebtedness at the same time, we could perhaps save the lives of millions of babies as well as prevent the country from collapsing so the babies would continue to be safe.

Of course most politicians don't really care about the sin of abortion or the sin of massive national indebtedness. They are mostly concerned with getting what they can for themselves and their families, staying in power. They don't worry much about the future they don't think they will see.

[JerryNumbers]

I might add, American and every other country in this world is on a course of destruction, and no one can do nothing about it. For those who have Jesus, they have a wonderful hope, those that do not, all they have to look forward to is doom. That is why we Christians are suppose to proclaim the Gospel to as many as possible.

[John81]

Yes, and we would be wise to do as Adrian Rogers once preached upon and that is to prepare ourselves for persecution. Not what we in America sometimes call persecution today, but all out persecution of those who truly follow Christ.

Will we Christians take the time now to lay aside everything weight and sin that hinders us and to pursue Christ and holiness in Christ with great passion and zeal for His glory and honour, and thus will we be prepared to stand solidly for Christ when the day of great persecution comes upon us...or will we continue to pursue comfortable "American Christianity"?

[JerryNumbers]

Most of us do everything possible to prevent having any persecution. And many of those who have it, take it to court and seemingly not to happy at all that they were worthy to sufferer for the Lord.

[John81]

So true! And yet Scripture is clear that if we are true followers of Christ we WILL suffer persecution. We are told we should rejoice when we suffer persecution for His sake.

If we face no persecution, if we are loved by the world, are we really following Christ?

[JerryNumbers]

So true! And yet Scripture is clear that if we are true followers of Christ we WILL suffer persecution. We are told we should rejoice when we suffer persecution for His sake.

If we face no persecution, if we are loved by the world, are we really following Christ?

It seems that the world loves Billy Graham and the smiling preacher down in Houston.

[John81]

It seems that the world loves Billy Graham and the smiling preacher down in Houston.

Yes, and for good reason, they preach a soft Gospel, or no Gospel at all. Their message is a comfortable message. Sad.

[Bro Jim]

Taxes, God told Israel that their king (Saul) would require 10% and that would be slavery. Our tax rates are 30% +/-, sounds lie triple slavery to me. We have a citizenry that has learned that they can vote themselves government monies. Over 50% of this nation gets monies from the government, (ave. gov. worker $79,000 per year), ave American $40,000. Don't jive to me.

When was the last time you lost your jOB because you are a Christian? Let alone be whipped, stoned, or thrown in jail for your Christianity. Most Christian won' admit to it because they are afraid what people will say or the will be laughed at. Or maybe they will expected to act like a child of God.

I think like our guns, we had better start holding on to our KJB until the pry our cold dead fingers from around them.

Yep, I pretty radical about my Christianity. Contend not contentious about the faith. Eph. 6:13

[JerryNumbers]

Plus, many of our government workers makes more after retirement than they did while serving in public office.

The retirement plan for government workers is one more thing that's breaking our cities, states, and federal government, not to mention their salary is already to high.

[John81]

One day the sheep and goats, the weak and the steadfast will be separated here in America.

As our pastor has said, if a professing Christian today won't stand up for Christ for fear of being laughed at, will that stand any taller when real persecution comes?

We Christians have a window of opportunity (how long will it be open to us?) where we have the chance to get serious about being true followers of Christ. Will we use this time to read and study the Word more...commit more of the Word to memory (one day we may not be allowed to have a Bible)...give more time, talent and money to spreading the Gospel...involve ourselves more in our church and their ministry...setting aside serious prayer time...drawing ourselves every closer to Christ...

OR, will we Christians continue to pursue comfort and ease and be caught near totally unprepared when real persecution comes our way...

OR, the Lord returns...will the Lord find faith when He returns? Will He be pleased to find us actively following Him or saddened to find us lounging on the sofa watching secular TV?