Humor: Republicans, in command, offer a sweeping agenda

Even with their dominating 41-59 control of the Senate, the GOP graciously offers to let the Democrats join the bipartisan coalition.

Sen. Mitch McConnell, now in charge of the American agenda

U.S. Senate

Sen. Mitch McConnell, now in charge of the American agenda

As their party now controls the Senate with an insurmountable 41-59 minority, Republican leaders yesterday presented their legislative agenda for 2010 and asked Democrats to join them in crafting non-partisan solutions to nation’s problems.

Jobs, jobs, jobs is the Republicans’ highest priority. Their Shelby stimulus plan would create 125 jobs by funding $40 billion of earmarks for two projects in Alabama. In a conciliatory gesture, Sen. Shelby (R-AL) would also release his blanket hold on Obama nominees, thus putting at least 70 more people to work.

The second part of the Republican jobs plan is tax cuts for America’s wealthiest. “We must change the incentives,” Republican Leader Mitch McConnell argued. “With taxes so high, most of the unemployed see no reason to get a job. Moreover, as we have proven before, tax cuts by themselves create jobs.” McConnell pointed to the Bush tax cuts that resulted in over 800 new jobs in catering bat mitzvahs for daughters of hedge fund operators. Sen. DeMint (R-S.C.) added that that enacting Republican social initiatives — the prohibition of gay marriage, abortion, and reality-based thought — would create millions of jobs.

In addition to the jobs plan the Republican legislative program comprises:

Deficit reduction. Republicans would both finance their tax cuts and significantly reduce the deficit by eliminating government waste, fraud, and inefficiency. Asked for specifics, Sen. Kyl (R-AZ) proposed reducing expenditures in The Department of Waste by $40 billion, cutting the Department of Fraud by 37 percent, and a placing job freeze on the Department of Inefficiency. Sen. DeMint added that enacting Republican social initiatives (above) would reduce the deficit.

Education. Tax cuts for America’s wealthiest are the cornerstone of the Republican’s education program. “We must change the incentives. Why bother to get educated if you have to pay taxes?” Sen. Cochran (R-Miss) asked.

To improve education, Sen. Cochran also proposed the establishment of The Bible Corps to teach Young Earth and Creationism in public schools. “We now have scientific evidence that the earth was created 3,000 years after the Chinese started brewing alcoholic beverages,” he revealed. “Students need to be exposed to these facts.” Sen. DeMint added that enacting Republican social initiatives — the prohibition of gay marriage, etc. — would improve education.

Bank Regulation. To prevent another bank meltdown and bailout, the Republican plan would prohibit banks from lending to poor people. “Democrats started this whole mess by allowing banks to make mortgage loans to poor people. We won’t let this happen again, ” Sen. Cornyn (R-TX) promised. In addition, the Republican plan would limit the bank risk by lowering taxes paid by bank executives. “It is Economics 101,” Sen. Cornyn explained. “The higher the tax, the more risk they have to take to keep the same after-tax income. High taxes, not the free market, are to blame for the banking crisis.”

Sen. DeMint added that enacting Republican social initiatives...

Health Care. “Everyone agrees American has the best health care system except for its uninsured,” Sen. Chambliss (R-GA) maintained. “So let the uninsured die off and not trouble the rest of us.” According to Chambliss, the Republican health plan will also help close the deficit, improve education, and solve the unemployment problem. “If all the uninsured died tomorrow, Medicare and Social Security would become solvent; our schools would rid themselves of their worst students; and unemployment rates would plummet.”

Sen. DeMint added that....

Democrats were undecided as to whether to embrace all, or only parts, of the Republican plan. “The math is brutal,” Senate Majority Leader Reid (D-NV) observed. "They have 41 votes so we have to go along with most of it. If we don’t, they will label us radical abolitionists in the 2012 election." Abolitionists? Sen. Reid explained, "Since the majority of the Senate Republican delegation come from former slave states and territories, it looks like they won the Civil War.”


Topics: Politics

About the Author

Steve Clifford writes humor for Crosscut. He is the author of the recently published political satire, Fools and Knaves. In his unhumorous life, he was CEO of King Broadcasting and once played a role in saving New York City from bankruptcy.

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Comments:

Posted Sun, Feb 7, 1:31 p.m. Inappropriate

Steve,
It took a lot of courage to publish this in Seattle.

Skeptical

Posted Sun, Feb 7, 3:26 p.m. Inappropriate

That Mitch McConnell feller, he bold. His pose looks like one he would'a done 40 years ago if he'd known then that nude centerfold republicans would get elected. He knows why an obelisk gets the women all sweaty.

Wells

Posted Sun, Feb 7, 7:09 p.m. Inappropriate

The above might take a lot of courage to publish in any of the "red" states (e.g., Wyoming) or "red" areas (e.g., Eastern Washington). In Seattle, it's a sobering, but true reminder of the hammerlock the 41 Republican Senators have over the nation's agenda; Senator Shelby is single-handedly holding up the appointments of the administration. Two of those Senators are from Wyoming, representing about 250,000 voters apiece, or together representing less than the City of Seattle! I think this quote was incorrect: "Everyone agrees American has the best health care system except for its uninsured,” ---wasn't it ""Everyone agrees American has the best health care system except for those who have mediocre or no coverage, unlike us members of Congress..."???

bricsa

Posted Mon, Feb 8, 6:09 a.m. Inappropriate

Back to removing comments? How progressive of you. Merely pointing out that Clifford's humor is usually met with a resounding thud draws the deletion by the editorial staff, or perhaps it was the mention of one goat related article that Crosscut published.

Cameron

Posted Mon, Feb 8, 10:01 a.m. Inappropriate

Great work, Steve! I hope this reaches Sen. Reid, the President's handlers, and the 58 other wee, tim'rous persons of Congress who have allowed this travesty.

George Bush, having lost the presidency by half a million votes in 2000, proceeded to act like Ronald Reagan following his landslide.

The Democrats, give the biggest margin of victory since the Clinton years, have dithered and dawdled and failed utterly to convert their advantage to meaningful policy change.

Seneca

Posted Mon, Feb 8, 10:41 a.m. Inappropriate

"Steve Clifford writes humor for Crosscut."

If you ever publish some, I look forward to reading it.

The core of satire is that it must, at some level, have a hint of plausibility. This piece succeeds as a satire of liberal political humor. Maybe it was ghost written by John Carlson.

dbreneman

Posted Mon, Feb 8, 11:17 a.m. Inappropriate

Actually, this piece was halfway funny, which makes it the best humor piece I've ever read in Crosscut. (Sorry Crosscutters, but being funny is just not your strength.)

J.R.

Posted Mon, Feb 8, 6:13 p.m. Inappropriate

Amen

afreeman

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