HuffPo Hypocrisy

No one expects every liberal to agree on every issue. But when they say one thing at one time and the opposite at another, that's hypocrisy. The can't even agree with themselves from 2009.  This time the hypocrisy is about the importance of jobs.

Huffington Post contributor Isaiah J. Poole opines today that jobs should be priority #1.

Jobs should be the first order of business of the 112th Congress. But when the new, Republican-led House of Representatives goes back to work on the week of January 18 its first agenda item will be the repeal of health care reform. Notwithstanding the labeling of their action as the "Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act," not one job will be created or saved by the House vote. (Likewise, there is no substance to the claim that the health care reform law is "job-killing.")

The focus for both parties will then quickly turn to budget-cutting and a showdown over the lifting of the debt ceiling. Absent from the discussion would be the most important action that Congress could take this year: a multibillion-dollar program of direct spending on jobs, one that would immediately put people to work on the myriad jobs that need to be done, from paving streets to staffing public libraries.

One could argue that perhaps some liberals are finally getting it. Where was this discussion when the Democrats were ramming the health care bill down America's throat? Oh yeah, liberals were too busy cheering or egging the Democrats on. They were willing to neglect 10% unemployment to get their health care reform passed.  Now that it's hopefully peaked and retreated a bit closer to 9% (again, for now), suddenly it has become what needs the focus of America's Congress.  That's just because the Congress is now controlled by Republicans.  In other words - leave the new 2300 page law alone! We passed it despite the wishes of the people, so just let it stand and look after what we neglected, would you?

Jobs was never issue number one when the recession was at its bleakest moments.  The ARRA was not about jobs, it was about the liberals' pet projects.  What happened to all that shovel ready talk from the President?  Oops.  And health care reform was never about jobs, despite the ravings of Nancy Pelosi.  Democrats simply missed the boat on jobs.  Obama claimed it was his number one priority (one of many), but in reality they dropped the ball. Now that they are out of power, claiming jobs is priority one is disingenuous.  Poole's argument is simply one of convenience, and I'm sure on some level he knows it.

As an aside, it's interesting how Poole casually tosses out the "there is no substance to the claim that the health care reform law is 'job-killing.'"  It isn't? You can't just say that without backing it up.  How?  Where?