Please explain . . .

Would someone please explain to me what the Republicans are talking about when they say "we are closer to Socialism than we have ever been before. 2012 is our last chance to stop it."

Yes, I know it's what they've figured out is going to be the rallying cry to try to defeat Obama, and all the GOP wannabes are outdoing each other trying to shout it the loudest: "The sky is falling, the sky is falling !!!"

But at some point, when they face the Democrats instead of other GOP henny-pennys, they've got to face the fact that there is no substance to what they're saying. (Well, no, they won't. They'll just keep saying it and hope enough people blindly believe them.)

In the worst economic crisis since the 1930s, the federal government bailed out some banks. But it was Bush's Treasury Secretary that started that. And Obama did NOT nationalize the banks, even temporarily, even when some economists were advising it. Instead, they have bounced back to huge profits and huge CEO compensations, even while job recovery is agonizingly slow. This is NOT socialism. "Corporate welfare" is faring much better than safety net assistance for workers.

Maybe they're talking about "ObamaCare." But a Socialist health care would be a single payer, government-run program. That's not what we have. Our health care reform is no more socialist than Bush's prescription drug benefit for seniors.

No one has a stronger strangle hold on our legislative process than Wall Street and the corporate lobbyists. That's why we can't enact decent regulatory processes and why Obama can't get a confirmation for the one person who stands a mile ahead of anyone else in qualifications to run the new consumer protection bureau. Because she is serious and fearless about protecting citizens instead of banks and credit card companies.

So let's hear something besides slogans and buzz words. They have nothing positive to offer. They can only win by hyping fear and anger. The old "social issues" buzz words aren't working so well anymore. So now it's "Socialism." It's just a slogan. But it's effective, and we have to expose the lie.

Ralph