Analysis: Rising inequality puts Republicans in tough spot

Or, as Tx. Gov. Goodhair says, "..oops".


(Reuters) - The growing chasm between America's rich and poor puts Republicans in the uncomfortable position of defending the wealthy at a time when most people are falling behind.

It is a position they will likely defend through the November 2012 election, with President Barack Obama poised to attack them at every turn for blocking a proposed tax hike on millionaires.

While a weak economy could easily sink Obama's re-election bid, siding with the rich may prove the Achilles heel for Republicans.

"We want to protect and respect the right of every person to work hard and take a risk -- and reap the rewards of that risk," Senator John Cornyn, who is leading the Senate Republican campaign effort, told the Reuters Washington Summit this week.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/09/us-washington-summit-inequality-idUSTRE7A87VM20111109

...which is their strongest issue. At this time, my GOP congressman is claiming he never signed the Grover Norquist "no tax pledge". Their messaging is failing.

Corporations have limited the income of the middle class since 1985 (or so).

In the past 10 years we have deregulated many businesses and the costs have
not risen slowly, they have risen 20% - 50% at a shot. (example:Delaware
deregulated power without attracting any competition. They raised my electric
bill by 57%. Four years later they ask for the state to give them money because
they are installing new "smart" meters that will allow them to read meters remotely.

The middle and lower class have been scared into saving everything they can
so that they can retire at some time before they die at their desk. So they
spend little money and the recovery is sluggish.

Look back in the dark ages. The people had little money and the king and his royalty
were the only ones not left toiling in the fields or working a trade for 16 hours a
day in order to survive.

That's the direction we're heading. You want to see recovery? the wealthy are going
to have to help somehow! And it didn't help that they sent all those jobs to other
countries just to make more money. Now that they've sucked up the extra income we
have a middle class that has limited spending power.