By Mark David Blum, Esq.

So now in the final moments of the 2006 election cycle, Republican tacticians have switched the focus of discussion away from their failed foreign policy onto the economy. Pointing to a robust stock market, low unemployment figures, and other financial indicia, the party of Big Government and Big Spending is marketing itself as being healthy and necessary for a growing economy. Americans are hopefully not buying into this latest round of Republican lie slinging.

At the time of the 2000 election, when our current President was the Republican nominee and had just been appointed President by his pals on the Supreme Court … the Stock Market was hovering around 12,000, unemployment was the lowest in history, there was no deficit, there were billions in budget surpluses, and major progress had been made toward cutting the national debt.

Then came President Bush and six years of Republican domination.

For the first five and a half years, the stock market crashed, jobs by the millions disappeared and went over seas, oil prices went through the roof, Americans were living in economic malaise, and we went into so much debt that each of our grandchildren now owes almost $30,000.00 before they ever take their first breath of air.

Now, after all these years, things are finally starting to return to where they were before the Republicans took over. In doing so, you can hear them crowing from coast to coast on how great is the economy and how they deserve credit for it.

I agree. Republicans deserve full credit for the current economic disaster. They ruined our economy. Because now we are showing signs of healing, they want Americans to believe that in fact, they have worked wonders.

George Bush and Republican economic policies have been a colossal failure. So what if unemployment is the lowest its been in five and a half years. Six years ago, it was lower. How pray tell, can Republicans proclaim progress?

After six years in office, how too can they brag out the strength of the housing or stock market when both markets are barely at the levels they were at back in the last century. In true value, the market may be showing 12,000 but it should be showing 14,000 had the President and his party not spent us into oblivion.

Braggart Republicans also want us to see the budget deficit being cut in half as being a joyous event. With due respect, the last President not only ended deficit spending and balanced the budget, but left in his wake billions of dollars in surplus. Republicans pilfered that money within months and now almost a decade later, we are now billions in the Red.

Does anybody remember how life has been these past years for employment? Remember the outsourcing scandals? How many millions have lost their jobs and are now working below their capacity and desire? Millions more have simply disappeared from the job search lists. The economy has shifted, manufacturing is down, auto companies are failing, and American industry (other than the prison industry) is collapsing all around us. Republicans want us to note their achievements on employment. We do.

As Tony Snow, White House Press Secretary said at a briefing … you cannot look at the events of the day as a snapshot. Instead we are called upon by the White House (at least in Iraq) to consider events as they have transpired over time. Applying that same logic to the economy, we come to a very simple conclusion ...

Destroy the economy for five and a half years and then spend a few months shoring up some nice numbers, and then sell the populace that you have done them wonders. After so many years of economic misery and a nation depressed by war, manufacturing bright spots to distract voters is the Republican game. By way of example … imagine I hit you on the head every day with a hammer for five years. Then one day stop and then tell you that I am your friend because I am not hitting you any more on the head with a hammer. Will you love me? Republicans want you to love them because the pain has subsided and the “Hammer” is under indictment.

Iraqis are no longer the only people being shelled by Republicans. We here at home have become the latest suckers in their economic game. We are being lied to and taken down the road of complacency. Challenge them. Demand answers. Do not support the Party of Borrow and Sorrow until such a time as they come clean and tell the truth about how they really handled the economy. The Republican abysmal economic record is matched only by their foreign policy failures.

Remember how once upon a time, the slogan was, “it is the economy, stupid”. Nowadays, under Republican domination, … it is indeed a stupid economy.