Eugene Robinson is one of the group-think columnists at the Washington Post. Like E.J. Dionne, he is an utterly predictable proponent of big government. So it won’t surprise you to know that he wants taxes to go up and he’s a big fan of Obama’s class-warfare agenda.
He’s also a very partisan Democrat and wants the GOP to lose. Again, that’s not exactly a stunning revelation.
So when someone like Eugene Robinson starts offering advice to the Republican Party about tax policy, a logical person instantly should be suspicious that he’s actually trying to advance his own ideological and partisan agenda.
An obvious analogy would be me giving the Alabama coaches some advice as they prepare to play my beloved Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday night (“hey, Coach Saban, you should have your quarterback play like he’s left-handed…that surely will surprise the Georgia defense…oh, and have your secondary and D-lineman trade places…I’m serious, that would be a brilliant strategy…I only want what’s best for you guys”).
In this spirit, Mr. Robinson wants the GOP to abandon the no-tax-hike pledge.
…we’re seeing the first signs in years that on the question of taxation — one of the fundamental responsibilities of government — the GOP may be starting to recover its senses. …the anti-tax pledge never made a bit of sense. …Grover Norquist…has dangerously loopy ideas about the proper size and scope of government. …Republicans who signed the pledge — and who now find themselves in a box — have only themselves to blame. …They pretended it was possible to provide the services that Americans need and want without collecting sufficient revenue.
In other words, a columnist who wants bigger government and a stronger Democratic Party is telling Republicans to raise taxes.
And he’s not alone. Some Democrats have openly admitted that their top political goal is suckering Republicans into a tax hike.
So if you’re a Republican, there are two possible reactions to Robinson’s column.
“Where’s Bob Dole when we need him?”
1. “Gee, Eugene is a swell guy to offer this advice. He really cares about my best interests, so I’m going to tell Grover to get lost and then I’m going to vote to give my opponents more money so they can create more dependency and make it harder for me to win future elections! I bet Chris Matthews will praise me for being a statesman.”
2. “Hmmm, let’s think about this. My opponent wants me to do X and I can see how doing X will be good from his perspective. Since my IQ is above room temperature, I’m going to explore doing Y or Z instead.”
For most of us, the answer is obvious. But, then again, there’s a reason the GOP is known as the “Stupid Party,” which is why the modified cartoon in this post showing Charlie Brown, Lucy, and a football is so appropriate.
“The DC cesspool isn’t bad once you get used to it”
But that’s not completely fair. Some Republican do the wrong thing with full knowledge and forethought. These are the politicians who perhaps came to Washington many years ago thinking it was a cesspool, but they’ve since learned to work the system and now they think it’s a hot tub.
P.S. This post is based on real-world analysis. Yes, there are hypothetical scenarios where even I would agree to a tax hike, but they’re about as realistic as the possibility of me throwing five touchdown passes for the Bulldogs on Saturday (hey, I have still have four years of eligibility!).
P.S.S. Here’s another example of a Washington Post columnist offering self-help suicide advice to the GOP.
[...] Mitchell adds some common sense to the conversation. Mitchell points to a column by leftist Eugene Robinson where Republicans are advised to fold. [...]
GOOOO DOGS!! Sic em!
I like Robinson’s quote that taxation is “one of the fundamental responsibilities of government”. Responsibility? Let’s say it this way: we could not find an easy way to tax ourselves, so we invented government to do that for us. Seriously, who would tax us if we didn’t have government? The private sector couldn’t do it.
If I only had a brain…
” the question of taxation — one of the fundamental responsibilities of government”
Ugh. Makes me ill.
[...] The No-Tax-Hike Pledge Is an IQ Test for Republicans [...]
I have written over 37 letters to Speaker Boehner and several to the Senators and Representatives from Arkansas in Washington. If the conservatives would just block the debt ceiling increase then they could Obama to do whatever they wanted him to do but they don’t have the backbone to do that. (Many of the conservatives are married to the big defense budget too.)
An attention-grabbing discussion is value comment. I think that you should write more on this topic, it might not be a taboo topic but generally persons are not sufficient to speak on such topics. To the next. Cheers
Nah, I say give the Dems the tax hikes they want — on Dem constituencies. Hollywood. Govt lobbying firms. And, if they really want to hit the rich: the non-profit sector. What’s Harvard doing with that billion-dollar endowment, anyway?
[...] Glenn Reynolds linked and Dan Mitchell said: This is an IQ test for the GOP. I hope they [...]
Sarah Palin focused on the moral aspect instead of the intellectual. She said to the GOP elites who have been preaching the ill effects of raising the taxes and are now rethinking their position, “Politicians — were you lying then or are you lying now?”
“Come into my parlor,” said the spider to the fly.
You torture yourself too much Dan. You should simply ignore the views of people like Robinson and Marcus. In fact, you should not read the Washington Post unless you have to. It is a predictable read afterall….
The Republicans should call BO’s bluff. Let the Democrats negotiate a deal with themselves and then the Republicans should vote Present, and make it clear that Obama and the Democrats own this.
Why do u think the republican presidential is hone in boston now?
U need to try living ur life in service to others above ur desires
The republicans in office now are a sad bunch for any one to follow
Yes i think more govt is needed good example the financial garbage of a few years back
The housing debacle
When u have trouble getting money for stsrtup of a buisness who do u run to?
I will alwsys b in the political party that strives to better conditions for all
Hey children, we just had an election. The candidate who wanted to raise taxes won. Your guy? It turns out that he could count on 47%. Poor Mitt Romney. Poor wingnuts. Eat it, chumps.
Jim, your insight-fulness is amazing. Thanks for adding so much to the discussion from your liberal perspective. Can you please explain how raising an estimated 80 billion from the “rich” is going to close those $1.4 trillion deficits each year?
[...] Michael Ramirez is unmatched. Here’s his latest gem, making fun of gullible and brainless [...]
[...] The statist agenda of ever-growing government requires more money going to Washington, which is why I think that proponents of limited government should do everything they can to block tax increases. [...]
[...] The statist agenda of ever-growing government requires more money going to Washington, which is why I think that proponents of limited government should do everything they can to block tax increases. [...]
[...] The statist agenda of ever-growing government requires more money going to Washington, which is why I think that proponents of limited government should do everything they can to block tax increases. [...]