TheG.O.P.'s Pledge / The same old line

Once again the battle between the Republicans and the Democrats is rearing its ugly head.  The latest travesty comes from the House Republicans who have issued a ‘Pledge to America’, an attempt to play on the feelings and fears of the uninformed masses.  This ‘Pledge’ has all the familiar points that the Republicans love to trot out when election time draws near; taxes, the deficit and how the Republicans are going to save the American people from the reckless and elitist  Democrats.  If it wasn’t so sad it would be funny.  The author of The G.O.P.‘s Pledge  argues very convincingly that the Republicans’ ‘Pledge’ is another attempt at political posturing that offers no real solutions and serves only to polarize an already deeply divided country.  The writer contends and I agree that while the document says nothing earth shattering in the way of innovative ideas, that it is irresponsible and destructive in such a tenuous time.  The author systematically goes through the document pointing out many of its flaws and the impossible promises made by the Republicans.  Promises to lower taxes and reduce the budget deficit at the same time, which has never happened and never will, are treated thoroughly if a touch derisively.  Clearly the author is not a Republican, or if he is he is deeply disturbed by his party’s rhetoric. I would hazard to guess however that he is a liberal writing mostly for other liberals.  He intimates that he finds it ’hard to believe that even the most disaffected voters will be taken in’ by the Republicans manipulations.  His tone of ridicule is not one would take if one was attempting to change someone’s mind.  However, his logic is sound and he makes many good points, pretty much systematically going through the document and arguing it.  He talks about how many of their pledges for change have already been implemented and also argues that the current economic crisis we have has been inherited from the Bush era of cutting taxes for the wealthy and ‘reducing’ government spending.  How anyone can promise to reduce government spending and support the war at the same time is a mystery.  What this article really emphasizes in my opinion, is the lack of new ideas in the Republican party and their blatant manipulation of the truth.  Unfortunately for us all, the same thing can be said with equal honesty of their opponents the Democrats.