The GOP's Deafening Silence on the Economy

The last several weeks have been interesting, and quite entertaining.

Obama's DHHS announced that religious owned institutions, who employ and serve people regardless of their faith, will be required to provide contraception to employees via their health insurance plans for zero co-pay.

And the right wing goes berserk.

Not just a little nuts.  Full on, frothing at the mouth, end-of-times looney tunes.

Rick Santorum is propelled to victory in three consecutive primaries.  Santorum, Mittens, Newt, Fox News and AM hate radio all trumpet this ridiculous (and non existent) "War on Christianity."

I don't really blame them.  They have to do this to placate their base. Their tired narrative demands that Obama be portrayed as a  liberal ubermensch, an  arch secularist who deflowers virgins and dines on the unborn.  Big government, tax and spend and weak on defense are also required.

Obama has proven this laughably false with a 2013 budget that reduces the deficit by $400 billion in one year. He's pushed to extend payroll tax cuts.  He's made superlative use of the military in Libya and in taking out bin Laden and al Awlaki.

It leaves the right in a pickle.  It doesn't make a difference to Limbaugh, Hannity or their ilk, they'll lie right to your face.  Hannity said this week that if Obama had had his way, bin Laden would still be alive. This flies in the face of logic, reason, and sanity.

But anyway, Santorum, Romney and Gingrich have been hurling contraception red meat to the right wing base.  It's particularly funny that this brouhaha is being fueled not by Catholics themselves (58% support Obama's measure), but by their self appointed mouthpieces.  While the GOP has been busy demonizing the President over this IMO trivial matter, it's left a huge gap in the candidates' running narrative.

What about the economy?  What about jobs?  What about the housing market?  What about the debt and deficit republicans claimed were their real issues?

This is spookily reminiscent of Rachel Maddow's exposure of the Tea Party as the social conservative fanatics they are.  In 2010, they got elected on a platform of smaller government and lower taxes.  What voters got were 80+ anti abortion bills and open war against unions.

It's even more telling that this week Obama unveiled a $25 billion settlement with mortgage lenders to help ease the housing crisis.  Admittedly his jobs bill went nowhere but again, where were the republicans?

The GOP's contraception freak out combined with their utter silence on the economy paints a picture of a party woefully out of touch with the country.

But oh the steak tartar.