So quite recently Mitt Romney announced that fighting poverty and income inequality was the theme of his new quest for the White House. Many of us laughed (I did) given the campaign he ran in 2012.
But tonight on 60 Minutes both John Boehner and Mitch McConnell solemnly announced that income inequality is a major issue. They went on to point out that its gotten worse in the Obama years. This was an interview done only minutes after the state of the Union speech.
Talk about hutzpah, for years the GOP has done everything they could to make it so. That's what "supply side" or "trickle down" economics does. They still have no answers, their mantra remains "cut taxes and regulation."
This is all a bit astonishing. But consider, Romney, Boehner and McConnell would most certainly not be saying these things unless polling was telling them they should. If they can hear it then I most sincerely hope the Hillary Clinton camp can hear it.
My transcript of the pertinent segment:
Obama (on video): Our Deficits cut by two thirds, a stock market that has doubled, and health care inflation at it's lowest rate in 50 years. That's good news people!Pelley (to McConnell & Boehner): If unemployment has fallen to 5.6%, gasoline prices are down, the stock markets are up, the economy grew by 5% in the third quarter, that's the fastest rate in more than a decade, you don't congratulate the President for that?
McConnell: Look things are getting better but the point is, who is benefiting from this? This has been a top of the income recovery, ahh, the so called 1% that the President is always talking about have done quite well, but middle and lower income Americans are about $3000 dollars a year worse off than when he came to office.
Pelley: Is income inequality a problem in this country? Is it a problem Republicans want to address?
Boehner: (enthusiastically) It is! And frankly the President's policy's have made income inequality worse!
There in a nutshell is what the 2016 Presidential Campaign should all be about. Voters aren't happy with the current circumstances, they want something done, Democrats should loudly be saying what they will do and make Republicans do the same. It's a new FDR moment.
When you have Romney, McConnell and Boehner channeling Elizabeth Warren something is up. This is no accident.
Quite clearly they know they have a problem because none of these guys would have been talking this way only a few months ago.
I dearly hope the Clinton folks are paying close attention.