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Ellen Belcher is the Dayton Daily News opinion pages editor. She writes about state government, education, the environment, higher education and all things Dayton.
Martin Gottlieb is an editorial writer and columnist for the Dayton Daily News opinion pages. He focuses on the political process itself and does such national issues as war, the economy, taxes and Social Security, as well as a hodge-podge of local and state issues.Home > Blogs > A Matter of Opinion > Archives > 2009 > April > 14 > Entry
Paul Leonard: Tea-baggers still fighting election
Tax-time 2009 has brought with it a little political twist this year. Cheered-on by such notables as Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, and Joe The Plumber, Republicans are gathering in various American cities (Dayton included) and depositing tea bags into bodies of water.
Glenn Beck and Fox News have been relentlessly promoting the parties in the past few weeks.
Apparently, the act of “tea-bagging” is intended to be a symbol of past revolutionary spirit in America, and a protest against Washington’s spending priorities. Local organizer, Rob Scott, a University of Dayton law student, was quoted in a recent Dayton Daily News story saying, “People are disgusted and sick with what’s going on in government right now and the amount of money being spent by our current administration and the past administration.”
Mr. Scott hasn’t been reading the national polls lately.
Americans are, so far, giving our President’s approach to stimulating the economy a vote of confidence. This is not rocket science. If spending by consumers (who buy what business makes or does) has slowed dramatically, and businesses are no longer buying from their suppliers, and are laying-off workers in an effort to balance their bottom-line and remain viable, the government by process of elimination becomes the spender-of-last-resort.
George W. Bush did the Republican Party no favors when he realized only late in the game that his tax cuts were not getting it done and government spending was the last good idea. This coming from the president who accumulated more debt in his presidency than all presidents before him — combined. America’s last balanced budget was achieved under President Bill Clinton. “W” managed to wipe that out in his first term.
Republicans have little or no credibility when it comes to handling a domestic economic crisis — thanks to two of their least-respected national leaders: Bush and Herbert Hoover. And, although it’s much too early to get giddy about the direction of our economy, last week’s turnaround at Wells Fargo Bank (a bailout recipient) and the recent jump in the stock market seem to be slowly rebuilding Americans’ confidence. If that continues to happen, the consumer will begin spending again, there will be a demand for goods and services from businesses which will start buying supplies again, and people will eventually go back to work.
It’s going to be a long-time before we’re out-of-the-woods. Democrats and Republicans alike, especially in the Congress, are going to have to learn to be much more disciplined with any new tax revenues. The president and those who have supported the stimulus-spending approach have promised us that the current programs offered by government are like ‘priming the pump.” Spending now will yield more growth in the form of new revenues later. The key for government is to learn how to spend and save at the same time — just like most American families have to do.
The Fox-News-promoted tea-bag parties will be amusing and, probably, a one-day story. Unfortunately for Republicans, the gatherings are likely to look more like tea-bag tantrums by those who are still having a hard time accepting the fact that Barack Obama — and his direction for government — are with us for at least four years. Thank goodness!
As a matter of fact, I am willing to bet that the new White House puppy is likely to get more news coverage this week than our imitation revolutionaries.
Permalink | Comments (24) | Post your comment | Categories: Economy, Guest Columns, Miami Valley Politics, National Politics
Comments
By Malaclypse the Elder
April 14, 2009 2:10 PM | Link to this
Mr. Leonard seems to mistake this growing phenomena for a Republican whine-fest. This is more than a lost election. This is the reaction of the past eight years and obviously the comming years to rampant and irresponsible government spending. Some Americans are tired of spending money with no thought of the future consequences. Mr. Leonard would be advised to pay more close attention to these rallies and perhaps give some more thought to their meaning and the results of massive taxation and spending.By TRS
April 14, 2009 2:22 PM | Link to this
Spoken like a true liberal…and pretty naive as well. Mr. Leonard said “the key to government is learning how to spend and save at the same time”. I would defy anyone who can find such a model for it does not exist. It seems to me Mr. Leonard is simply wishing for the impossible. The best examples of the Obama economic model are the states of California, Michigan and New York. As Dr Phil would say, “how’s that working for them”? It is indeed naive to believe that the Federal government can do as suggested. While Mr. Leonard is quick to point out Hoover and Bush, he conveniently eliminated LBJ who began the printing cycle of money (which we are doing at a record rate now) and Jimmy Carter whose policies brought us huge insflation, big interest rates and an even worse economic time than now. A few months down the road, after the one time stimulus “primes the pump”, the Dems have put nothing in place that stimulates permanent growth. A likely scenario down the road - the spending spree they are on and the lack of increased revenue will most assuredly require tax increases just like in the states mentioned, not to mention cap/trade “fees”, inflation and other such things which will dramatically increase consumer outlays. Those dreaded “rich” people will be sitting on the sidelines or investing elsewhere because they do not trust the heavy government involvement in the economy. Like it or not, the rich have a way of avoiding taxes and are good at it. The “soak the rich” crowd will soon find out that there are not enough rich folks to pay for all this and to whom will the Democrats turn? Why to the “new rich” - the middle class. History has shown that the more revenue needed, the more people become rich. At the end of the day the government will have sucked the economy dry of all its money, printed it to compensate bringing about inflation and those “tea party” folks won’t look quite as out of it as Mr. Leonard portrays. Don’t believe it? Take a look at the 60s and 70s. The American people are supportive of Mr. Obama now but the “tea party” folks are setting the table for the future when the Dems loose their “creditability”. I don’t wish any of this to happen but history has proven itself to be cyclical and whenever mankind thinks they can break the pattern it generally comes back to bite us.By Jackass348
April 14, 2009 2:26 PM | Link to this
Paul… With all due respect sir, you have been out of the game way too long. Your opinions listed above proves just how people like yourself, both democrat and republican, are out of touch with reality! Instead of putting my “teabag” in the fountain on the Square tomorrow night, it would be more appropriate to bounce it on your forehead!!! Dont you have some silly civil case to file in the local courthouse?By You need tea bagged
April 14, 2009 2:39 PM | Link to this
It’s not a Republican or Democrat rally.It’s about where the country is heading.President Obama has tripled the previous President’s spending in just 80 days Bush spent 1.1 trillion in 8years.Obama 3.3 in 80 days or so.It’s our tax paying dollars for more social programs.By George
April 14, 2009 2:41 PM | Link to this
That’s it. Now I am convinced that Paul Leonard has been fired from his professorship at WSU and is now auditioning for the fill in host spot on Kieth Olberman’s show. Claiming that national polls are justification for Obamas socialism is simply intellectually vacant. The last CBS “national” poll that showed Obama’s approval rating in the sixties sampled 18% more Democrats than Independents and Republicans…another example of the left wing media throwing integrity by the wayside in order to justify the disastrous policies of their precious Obama. The tea parties have the big government, tax and spend, and then spend some more Democrats scared-and they should be. Is it November 2010 yet? Real Americans are ready to vote.By Key
April 14, 2009 2:44 PM | Link to this
Just because you write a blog doesn’t not mean you’re correct in fact you have twisted facts.Obama spent more than “W” in just 80 days as apose to 8 years and that’s just one fact you lied aboutBy joe_mamma
April 14, 2009 3:16 PM | Link to this
Mr. Leonard’s logic regarding the government stepping in as the spender-of-last-resort explains a lot about the continued economic dominance of the Soviet Union and Cuba.By Robert
April 14, 2009 3:24 PM | Link to this
YNTB: Where did you get you numbers? FOX Propaganda Channel? When W took office the national debt was abour 5 trillion and we had surplusses that were driving the debt down. At the end of W’s 8 disastrous years the debt was more than 10 trillion and he left a current year deficit of 1.75 trillion. We don’t need to be tea bagged. You need to get educated.By Tea Time
April 14, 2009 3:35 PM | Link to this
I will be downtown tomorrow night and as previous posters have mentioned this is not a partisan event. I was frustrated with government spending well before the Obama administration came into office.By Philman
April 14, 2009 3:38 PM | Link to this
Hey Paul why don’t you look at the top 5 states leading in unemployed, and states with highest DEbt. Wanna bet what party there Governor belongs to, and by the way Arnold is not a Republican.By LInda
April 14, 2009 3:55 PM | Link to this
That is funny, I voted for Obama, but I am going along with friends who also voted for Obama. I may have liked the Obama I voted for,but I certainly do not agree with all of this spending. The stimulus and pending budget were the icing on the cake. When my hard earned tax money goes to those who sit and home and have kids out of wedlock - I have had it. The decrease in the minimum income to qualify for the “child tax credit” is total wealth redistribution. My wealth to them!By RAW
April 14, 2009 5:45 PM | Link to this
Mr Leonard: Why did you not come right out and say what you really mean? I think what you really wanted to say was that we are mad about an African-American being elected president. You can cover that assertion up by pummeling Bush just like every other liberal with a public forum. Nothing could be further from the truth. If Barak Obama supported policies with which I agreed, he would not only have my vote, but my unwavering support. The reality is, however that his policies political ideologies in stark opposition to my own. That being said, if you would listen to our viewpoints rather than dismissing them as trivial, you might find that there is some common ground with which to work. I, for one, have not been satisfied with the growth of government over the last 10 to 15 years that includes the Bush years. That is really what this event is all about. Sure there are those crying foul about the election, but the overwhelming majority of participants will be crying foul about the intrusion of government where it does not belong, as limited expressly by the Tenth Amendment to the US Constitution. Gov. Perry (TX) announced today that he is providing unwavering support to an initiative in the Texas legislature to reaffirm the soveriegnty of that state’s ability to govern itself without undue interference from the federal governement. This administration and this cogress are walking a fine line with their spending and governing policies. Statements made today in Texas were not so dissimilar from those made by South Carolina in 1861 when it dclared its cessation from the United States. The cause for their statements was reprehensible, their is not a true American alive today that would justify institutionalized slavery as a cause to assert state’s rights, but the principle remains the same. The federal government was never intended to take on the role that it has assumed in the modern era. I realize that we live in a different world with a global economy, and yes the federal government does have jurisdiction in international matters, but business now and business at our founding operates under the same principles, sell products and services and make profits. Nothing has changed except the scale to which this can be accomplished in the modern-era. The federal government needs to remeber its place in the framework of our original laws.By DALE 78
April 15, 2009 4:36 PM | Link to this
Ilove these whiny teabaggers.They never cared about deficit spending before .Who was the last republican to run even a balanced budget ? You would probably have to go back to Pres Eisenhower. So what we spend money now and repay it later .By John
April 16, 2009 8:45 AM | Link to this
Why doesn’t the DDN have an anti-big government voice explaining what the Tea Party was all about? Why is a has-been Democrat from Dayton telling everyone what the rally was really about? Was he even awake during it? The rally was for the awake people in the country: Republicans, Democrats, and Independents. And Libertarians too.By Old Croney
April 16, 2009 10:23 AM | Link to this
How long should we put up with an over blown, overspending government? Should we wait until our currency is totally worthless? What will life be like then? Eventually, all those who buy US debt will realize we can’t pay it back — ever. That’s what this tea party and all the others across the nation was about and anyone who thinks is Rep vs. Dem or just anti-Obama just doesn’t get it.By Pat
April 16, 2009 1:07 PM | Link to this
Paul “I always spent your money when I was in office” obviously agrees and would have voted for the stimulas package . He obviously supports bailing out failing companys, bailing out individuals who applied (and lied) for mortgages everyone knew they couldn’t afford. He obviously has more faith in big government than I do. Mr. Leonard also forgets that the democrats have been in office for 2 terms and makes no accusations toward them. Maybe he also forgets the last time democrats held the house, senate and presidency. Yes it was the Carter Administration and we all know what a disaster that 4 years was. I think the first person he should point the finger at is Barney (Elmer Fudd)Frank.By HREdux
April 18, 2009 8:32 AM | Link to this
Obama should say the money is all going to the Defense Department instead of for stimulating the economy. TEA brains have no problem dumping ungodly amounts of non income-producing tax money (think Iraq’s $614 billion, and counting) into the coffers of the military and the pockets of the Cheney-Halliburton and Halliburton wannabe defense contractors, nor do they note the massive and well-documented waste and mismanagement that personifies the DoD. Where were these pseudo patriots a year ago? Quietly riding the gravy train, of course.By Bob Tharpe
April 18, 2009 9:58 AM | Link to this
Paul, Paul, where have you been getting your information from? MSNBC? Phil Donahue? All one has to do, especially in this age of the internet, is dig a little for data that should educate you a bit about tax policy. Post 9/11, with the economy frozen in place from shock, 2 moves, one public, aka known as the Bush tax cuts, and one private, the move by GM to offer 0% financing, provided a lift that got the country back into takin’ care of business. Since you are presently out of circulation with time on your hands, please do review the flow of revenue that began to pour into the government coffers at a record pace. If you are getting paid for these opinion pieces you crank out, you could at least make an attempt to be factual, seeing how it’s quite apparent that you choose to be a partisan. Respectfully, Bob TharpeBy Paula
April 19, 2009 12:48 PM | Link to this
Leonard was right about one thing in which he states that OBama’s puppy will get more press than the tea bag rallies. But how sad is that? That goes to show you what the bias and liberal media is reporting across this country.. It is funny how Leonard is comparing Obama’s record to that of W’s - he must have forgotten what a sad shape he and his boss Celeste left this state when their term was up! The Republican, George Voinovich, had to clean it up! Leonard then went home only to get slaughtered in a Democratic Primary.By DJM
April 19, 2009 7:54 PM | Link to this
Since the TEA gathering represented all of about 5% of the voting public in the tri-county area, they’ve been given far more ink and air than they ever deserved. It would be fun, however, the next time the TEA brains meet, for a DDN reporter to try to get any of them to define socialism, communism, or even capitalism. Better yet, try to find that Speak Up Einstein who wrote that the U.S. has a “capitalistic form of government.” That would satisfy the norm for this group. BTW, was “Resident’s Heads” among the criteria for the Forbes “empty” survey? If so, maybe Dayton got off easy.By Neonmoon
April 20, 2009 10:03 AM | Link to this
DJM, Let’s just analyze socialism for now and please, a list of countries that are thriving under it….I’m waiting….By Claudia
April 21, 2009 1:52 PM | Link to this
Refresh my memory: Who the heck is Paul Leonard?By Disgusted
April 22, 2009 3:49 PM | Link to this
Among Mr. Leonard’s worldly knowledge is he honestly going to claim that he didn’t know that by calling the Dayton Tea Partiers “tea-baggers” he was using a sexually explicit and derrogatory term?By Bob3
April 22, 2009 8:27 PM | Link to this
Please keep thinking this Mr. Leonard, PLLLLLEEEEEAAAAAASSSSSEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!