Let's Do the Math

Let’s do the math. Many people were shaking their heads when Obama last week announced that his top priority is now the deficit. After a full year of profligate spending, he suddenly decides that the deficit is (or will be) a problem. Is the president schizophrenic? No. There is a plan. Obama is doing exactly what he said he would do: re-distribute America’s wealth.

He has appointed - not one, but - two commissions to study the deficit. No doubt, they both will declare that the only way to solve the deficit problem is to raise taxes (on everybody). Obama will declare to the nation that the findings of these commissions make tax hikes inevitable - that it would be absolutely irresponsible for him to ignore these findings - that the U.S. economy would simply collapse without tax hikes. Even Republicans would have to go along with it if they wished to escape the wrath of the American people for a collapsing economy.

Seems a plausible argument, never mind that increasing taxes is certain to keep job creation and, hence, sustained economic recovery at bay for decades to come. Though, the president could claim (as he does) that, without his policies, jobs currently held were actually ‘saved’ (by him) and that the overall economy would be even worse.

Republicans must resist the temptation to focus on the deficit. They must focus on growth. Taxation, even at present levels, kills growth. And growth is the only bullet we have left to keep our economy from totally collapsing.

Republicans must keep in mind Obama’s priorities which do not include job creation or saving our economy. His ultimate aim is to re-distribute the wealth of America; to take from those who have traditionally had and give to those who have not. This is the socialist model that has historically consistently failed wherever it’s been tried.