GOP blowhards offer nothing but obstructionism to problems
By Chip Forrester • March 11, 2009
The Tennessean
As I said in my recent acceptance speech for chairmanship of the Tennessee Democratic Party, I will not let attacks by the Tennessee Republican Party go unanswered.
For too long the Republican Party has had carte blanche to distort economic truths, spread racist falsehoods and go unchallenged in these blatant lies.
Now comes Republican Chairwoman Robin Smith (Tennessee Voices, March 7) condemning President Barack Obama and other thinking Democrats for launching attacks on the fervent, right-wing, talk-show ideologues of her party, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and even local blowhards Phil Valentine, Steve Gill and Michael DelGiorno.
The obvious point she misses is that, after eight misguided years of her president's disastrous economic and war policies that have left our nation in economic ruins, her party and these right-wing blowhards offer no solution to these problems except obstructionism — only three Republicans voted to support President Obama and Congress as they offered a plan to help save our country's failing economy.
And while her right-wing, elitist and extremist mouthpieces rail against the president and Democrats — providing no solutions, no vision and no answers — Democrats have stood up, however an imperfect solution, with answers to our nation's worsening economic crisis.
I've said that fair and honest policy debates are on the table for discussion. That is what we do in a democracy. However, shrill attacks that offer no solutions but just more of the same will not go unanswered.
Chairwoman Smith, you have become a "one-note" tunesmith. Your mantra has become nothing more than launching baseless attacks on those who are navigating us out of a crisis your president got us into. You tell us nothing about how you plan to help families who have lost their homes, factory workers who have lost their jobs as industries shut down, and single mothers who cannot afford health care for their children.
Once again, you have shown how bankrupt Republican economic policies have become and how little your party contributes to desperately needed solutions.
Now, when you are ready to talk about those issues, I'll meet you anywhere, anytime for civil, honest, open discourse in the tradition of our Founding Fathers, who grappled to forge the new nation they envisioned.
Somehow, I think I might be waiting a long time for your answer.
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Chairwoman Smith, blow me.
