What to do about the economy? How do we solve the credit crisis? What do we do about outsized compensation schemes on Wall St. that encourage bad risks?
These are the questions the Obama administration is trying to answer. The GOP pretty much doesn’t like the administration plans. And for much of the debate over the last few months, the GOP hasn’t been pressed on what alternatives they have to offer. Maybe that’s because when you ask them, they avoid an answer.
Watch the video below from about 2:30 on. To their credit, both CNBC journalists yesterday try to get a GOP alternative, but Sen. Jeff Session (R-Ala.) does a little side step.
Then again yesterday on 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. guest host Ed Schultz asked Sen. John Barasso (R-Wyo.)
SCHULTZ: Well, Senator, when you take a look at the numbers that are out there, the president seems to be playing pretty loose with a lot of tax dollars. But what‘s the Republican plan for fixing this? If we don‘t do this private and public partnership, if we don‘t invest to get these toxic assets off the books for the banks, what other plan could there be?
BARRASSO: Well, you want to have accountability, you want to have oversight, you want to have transparency. That‘s what was lacking in that first $700 billion bailout last year. But I‘m concerned about the entire budget, which is what the president was talking about Saturday in his radio message.
I say, focus on the economy. It‘s the economy, Mr. President. It‘s not all of these other things of rebuilding and redoing health care and education and energy and the environment.
You have two jobs, Mr. President. One is the economy, the other is to keep us safe at home. And I say focus all your attention on the economy. Don‘t deal with this big budget which we‘re debating this week in the Senate, which to me spends too much, taxes too much and borrows too much.
Schultz then lets him off the hook. See any alternative plan there? Of course not. Which gives any Dem the first retort to any criticism. Unless you have a better plan, shut up Repugs.