The current economic meltdown started when the housing bubble burst last year.
So why isn't the economic stimulus bill largely about that?
It wasn't at all about the housing crisis until Georgia Sen. Johnny Isakson stepped in.
The Republican with a background in real estate convinced his colleagues in the Senate last week to add a tax break for homebuyers of up to $15,000 to the stimulus bill.
It's amazing that such a provision had to be retrofitted into the bill. But thank the heavens that Isakson was there to do it.
Isakson's proposal was such a no-brainer that it was passed without dissent in the sharply divided Senate.
Great leadership has also been shown by South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint. The Republican -- one of the first to oppose the ultimately failed nomination of Tom Daschle to head the Department of Health and Human Services -- proposed stripping the stimulus bill of all government spending proposals and replacing them with tax cuts for the people. His proposal was easily defeated by a chamber that is hellbent on spending. But DeMint's approach -- getting more money into the economy for people to spend -- is the right one.
We also wish folks in Washington would listen to South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, who has been stalwart in his opposition to the very kind of corrosive spending that this "stimulus" bill represents.
"It's a package that will balloon deficit spending, and I think we're getting to the tipping point in regard to the value of the dollar," Sanford was recently quoted as saying. "We can go too far in running the printing presses. We really risk trashing the dollar and undermining every bit of stimulus or so-called stimulus that's been implemented to date.
"I just think it has a lot of deficiencies. I think it's going to make the problem bigger and longer.
"If you look at the history of the Great Depression, it was brought about, in fact, by government policy that made the problem much bigger than when it started. I think we're headed down that same road, unfortunately."
Leadership isn't about telling people what they want to hear. And it's not about extolling what our country can do for us. It's about doing what's right, preaching individual responsibility and sacrifice, and showing the way toward a collective responsibleness. And it's certainly not responsible to leave yet another $1 trillion in debt to our progeny.
All of that seems to be lost on most of our leaders in Washington.
Most. But not all.
The Augusta Chronicle ©2010 Morris Communications, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Todays Dems cringe whenever the JFK quote "Ask not what your country can do for you, rather, ask what you can do for your country" is played on tv or radio. Destroying this country's economy is the wrong path to pursue. Socialism doesn't work.
Lindsey Graham is looking good in all this. He is one of the few who can confront the Dems.
I disagree Riverman1. Lindsey Graham is Bob Dole reincarnated. Captain Capitulation. His idea of compromise is to adopt the far left's approach to everything.
Sen. Johnny Isakson(RINO,Ga) is a turncoat and should join the SOCIALIST party where his heart really is. Johnny the Socialist is owned by SPECIAL INTEREST. We need a real REPUBLICAN to run against him, remember that Johnny and Saxby voted FOR the Wall Street Bailout while all 9 of our REAL REPUBLICAN Congressmen voted against it. South Carolina is lucky enough to have Jim Demint while we are stuck with RINOS like Isakson and Chambliss.
Not every conservative/Republican in SC voted for Lindsey Graham. "CC" is more than descriptive for 6 more years!
Republican need not fear. The new RNC chairman, Mr. Steele has promised to remake the republican party. We look forward to his leadership for many years. HELLO! HELLO!
We do need leaders. But more importantly right now we need new leadership. Everyone currently in congress has dirty hands. Either they have voted yes on the Obama pork platter, supported the Bush failed bail out or were quiet while Fannie Mae & Frddie Mac soaked up all of these sub prime loans. Every single elected official who supported any of this needs to be voted out of office. If this country truly wants change, let's give it to them. If you're worried about losing all that experience, where was that fear in this last presidential election?
People who listen to Governor Sanford deserve what they get.
I agree with GaValues. You could carve better senators out of a couple of rotten bananas.
Johnny Isakson is a Republican. It isn't PC to commend Republicans, whether they deserve it or not.
PT, your all-inclusive comments are most times off the mark. I don't cringe when I hear JFK's quote. I have served my country for 21 years and a couple of wars. What, may I ask, have you done for your country? Please stop saying what all Dems do, say, etc., because you don't know all of them and couldn't pick one out from a Republican in a lineup.
This is what a real Economist thinks of Johnny the Socialist's idea..Both our Senators are owned by special interest.. We need to find a CONSERVATIVE to run against Johnny...
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/09/opinion/09krugman.html
Where has the AC been? The liberals hate Lindsey Graham and are slamming him bigtime after he confronted Obama. That's good enough to earn my respect. He is becoming the focus of the Democratic hatred. There are comments on national political boards that Graham should be arrested because he "threatened" Obama. Unreal. We need editorials taking up for Graham.
You're right DMac 357. I shouldn't say "all" Dems. I shouldn't even insinuate "all" Dems. But, you see, the problems is that even those that don't like the JFK quote vote exactly like those that claim to like it. I do recognize a conservative Dem...Zell Miller. I recognize a moderate Dem, Joe Liberman. Have I named all of the oddballs in the party? And I would be able to pick out a Dem in a line up of Repubs, he'd be the one on the left.
Come on folks, Graham confronting Obama is the national lead story. We all, including the AC, need to get behind him even if he has been a wimp in the past. I am amazed that he wasn't mentioned in this editorial since he is a key player.