Column: The GOP's phony pledge to America

They’ve “pledged” to exclusion.

Minority leaders in the House unveiled their post-election platform last week called the “Pledge to America,” detailing goals after their presumed takeover in Congress.

In this 21-page article, conservatives’ demands stretch toward the elimination of the remaining TARP and stimulus funds, the repeal of health care reform and the re-establishment of “traditional marriage.”

The “Pledge” is exactly what this country does not need, as these ideas only reestablish the ignorance we had throughout the last decade.

To be clear, America is not the dominant force it used to be. We lost this role during the Bush administration.

And though President Barack Obama has tried to improve our image, we have to realize this man can’t do it alone.

The TARP and stimulus plans were passed because we were in an economic crisis. And do we not remember the TARP was a bi-partisan effort?

House Minority Leader John Boehner, Rep. Eric Cantor and 89 other Republicans supported this measure alongside their Democratic counterparts.The stimulus, because it didn’t carry the Bush brand or because it immediately followed the 2008 elections, did not see such compromise.

Battle lines were drawn and instead of saving jobs, and the GOP chose to ignore American need. Then, in a bold move, the Obama administration chose to reform the country’s health care system.

With the continuing “no” strategy, only one Republican of the 435 members of the House and not a single Republican in the Senate supported the measure.

What could have been considered as the most successful, bi-partisan step forward for the nation proved to be another fall back in American politics. With the “Pledge,” John Boehner, Rep. Mike Pence and the rest of the Republicans are feeding Americans lies.

Cutting the administration’s legislative progress will kill any hope for a full economic recovery.

Employment will spike and cause yet another recession. Americans will be continuously denied from life-saving health care. The idea of the modern American family will be tarnished by culturally outdated morals.

Progress is needed because this country has lost its identity.

If anything, the stimulus should have been larger. Health care should have carried the public option ,and though “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was blocked (by yet again, the GOP), sexual identity should have lost its relevance decades ago.

America is about inclusion. It’s the foundation of our country. It’s how this recession was finally put to its grave. And it’s how the country came to be what it is today.

The “Pledge to America” is an excluding ideal, polarizing our overall identity as Americans.

If you think this election doesn’t matter, then think again.


E-mail: dreander@indiana.edu