Bipartisanship cures amnesia

It has not taken long for the Republican talking heads to forget recent history. The most recent Republican in the White House, George W. Bush, inherited a record federal budget surplus that he burned through in two terms, leading to the record deficit that President Obama inherited.

As president, Bush campaigned for an overhaul of the prescription drug formula for senior citizens, an honorable act had he funded it. Then he led us into two wars which were financed “off book.” Long before the election of 2008, the U.S. economy was in the tank on the verge of collapse.

Now to hear the Republican partisans clammer about all this, you would either have to believe they expected the new president to fix an eight-year disaster in two years, or you would have to conclude they have amnesia. It is long past the time that citizens should expect the rhetoric to end and for the job of working together to begin.

I expect the leaders of both parties to work in my interest and in the interest of my neighbors. As long as every issue is laced with vitriol that cannot happen.

The Republicans face an interesting choice. If they continue to obstruct every effort to work together on efforts to stimulate the economy and create jobs they may reap a political windfall in 2012. They also will extend the misery of millions of Americans in an economy wrecked during the Bush administration.

On the other hand, I am hopeful of bipartisan efforts to make things better for us all. Fixing the economy would tell a story for both parties that neither would be tempted to forget two years from now.

Bob Hill

St. Charles