R is for Reckless

Springboarding off of Governor Dean's statements below, I think there is a very powerful meme against the tax cuts, one that expresses what we want in a simple, practical fashion.

Any responsible adult knows that when you get a pay cut, you simply cannot spend as much. You need to conserve money for the basics, your children, health care, upkeep in your home, college funds for your kids...you simply cannot spend frivolously at their expense. That is what our President is doing. Tax Cuts are a bonus, something for good times. We cannot have them, however, when schools are closing, when health care is becoming unaffordable, when jobs are being lost and roads are deteriorating and law enforcement agencies don't have the money to protect. The President will tell you not to worry, that even in these lean times you can have both a tax cut and a perfect society. But I'm not going to lie to you. When times are tough, it doesn't matter if you're a country or an individual, you have to tighten your belt and take care of what is truly important. Politicians will tell you that we can have everything, I will tell you that until we get this economy back on its feet, we have to be fiscally responsible. The President is not doing that, I will. I'm Howard Dean, etc.

I think the responsibility versus recklessness meme is one we want to play up. Bush has a frat boy storyline waiting in the wings for him, we want to play the responsible adult thus forcing him back to frat boy-ness. Americans know (and polling data backs this up) that tax cuts don't stimulate the economy and aren't the right course of action right now. I don't think we have to make this about the "soul" of the party, I think we have to make this about balancing the checkbook and bringing the same prudent practices to the Government as we employ in our own homes. Plus, if Dean wants to come across as "more" than a politician, telling hard truths and articulating a clear, positive, but REALISTIC vision for dealing with them is the best way to do that.

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