Robin Hood Republicanism?

Creator's Syndicate via SFGate ^ | 2/27/9 | David Sirota, Creators Syndicate Inc.

[SmithL]

Only months after the 2008 primaries, most Americans probably don't remember Mike Huckabee or Ron Paul. But that doesn't mean the conservative populism they championed during their campaigns for the Republican presidential nomination is as fleeting as their dark-horse candidacies.

Since rank-and-file House Republicans began criticizing October's Wall Street bailout, a growing faction of the GOP has been channeling the country's rage at Corporate America with us-versus-them rhetoric and appeals to economic patriotism. And they are getting help from a Democratic Party whose actions often imply subservience to Big Money.

Recall that the majority of House Democrats voted to ratify the bank bailout, and the majority of House Republicans opposed it. Recall, too, that Democratic Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner is pushing to throw more no-strings-attached cash at Wall Street, while Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., makes headlines with calls to nationalize the banks.

Conversely, when Republicans tried to prevent bailout and stimulus money from subsidizing job outsourcing, Democrats blocked their amendments and President Obama criticized such "Buy America" laws.

Now, Newt Gingrich is trying to capitalize on the contrast, insisting that the GOP can recast itself as the party of the little guy. Summing up his thoughts during an analysis of recent Democratic legislation, he said: "If, in fact, it's terrific for Citibank and GM, but bad for small business, then it's an elite bill - it's not a populist bill."

To be sure, there is a vaudeville quality to all this.

[SampleMan]

Robin Hood took from the illegitimate government, not the merchants and smiths. Remind as many liberals of that as you can.

[songtitle]

OT:

Specter introduces bill to overturn Bush embryonic stem cell ban

http://www.stem.com/articles/2009/02/policy-embryonic-stem-cell-bill-reintroduced-in-us-senate/

[Kansas58]

Newt is RIGHT on this one!
Just look at the OVERALL contributions, of Financial, Insurance and Real Estate firms, to politicians:

http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/sector.php?txt=F01&cycle=2008

Then, go to the companies that really caused all of this, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Lehman Brothers, Countrywide, and we can trash the Democrats who ran these companies, and the Democrats in Congress who took the PAC money and protected these companies!

Yes, the government and ACORN FORCED banks to make bad loans. However, The institutions that are in the most trouble did not resist the pressure very well.

The general public thinks that Wall Street is a Republican strong hold. Nothing could be further from the truth!

It is entirely possible to be a true capitalist, and be totally against many of these corporate Democrats!

[eclecticEel]

Paul is a populist now? I think he’d take that as an insult. Us vs. them rhetoric is not the ticket; principled opposition to bailouts and stimuli is.