The Tea Party movement is pretty much dead, so now you have to ask “Why did Republicans abandon conservatism?” Whether we are talking about Washington D.C. or Montgomery, it appears no one cares about conservatism. Republicans seized control of the entire government in Washington D.C. and proceeded to pass a budget deal that eliminates the debt ceiling until March of 2019 AND remove the threat of a government shutdown as a weapon to constrain spending. On Saturday, the Mid Alabama Republican Party held a Gubernatorial Forum with four candidates for office and I noticed something:
https://twitter.com/TheDaleJackson/status/962350007176351746
Why this matters: This is not to say that Gov. Kay Ivey, Mayor Tommy Battle, and Evangelical pastor Scott Dawson are not conservative, but they didn’t even say the word. In 2010, Republican candidates in Alabama and everywhere else bemoaned Democrat control and the reckless spending that comes with it. Democrats were, in fact, “tax and spend liberals” who were driving up deficits and attempting to raise taxes, now it appears Republicans are trying to outspend them.
The details:
— Former President Barack Obama added $9 trillion to the federal debt.
— Deficits under Obama decreased dramatically as Republicans took control of the House in 2010 and trended downward until FY2016.
— The latest budget deal is expected to push deficits over a trillion dollars for the first time since FY2012.
— Congressmen Gary Palmer (AL-06) and Mo Brooks (AL-05) were the only Alabama Republicans to vote against the budget deal.
Dale Jackson hosts a daily radio show from 7-11 a.m. on NewsTalk 770 AM/92.5 FM WVNN and a weekly television show, “Guerrilla Politics,” on WAAY-TV, both in North Alabama. Follow him @TheDaleJackson.
