The Voice of Young Conservatives Blog

Americans are a forgetful and forgiving people.

It’s pretty much built in our DNA. Not too long ago Michael Vick was slaughtering dogs, now people root for him like he’s an underdog. Kobe Bryant was once accused of sexually assaulting a hotel employee, now he’s one of the most popular sports stars on the planet. Mike Tyson wasn’t just accused, but was convicted of rape, then upon release, bit off part of another boxer’s ear, and yet fans will still anxiously await his cameo in this summer’s The Hangover 2.

To say we have short memories is an understatement. We have tweet-length memories. After 140 characters, I’ve probably forgotten about it.

But even with our perpetual willingness to forgive and forget, the Democrats latest attempt to pull the wool over our eyes has us saying “really?”

Take Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Just last month, Reid was pushing for a clean vote to raise the debt ceiling, saying “We don’t have to attach anything. It’s a debate.” In fact, Reid said that he hoped any debt reduction proposals would move as “a separate piece of legislation” because such measures have “nothing to do with attaching it to the debt ceiling.”

Republicans realized how irresponsible this was. Americans overwhelmingly want any increase in the debt ceiling to be tied to spending reductions and procedural reforms. So they called Harry Reid’s bluff.

This week, Senate Republicans announced that they force a clean debt limit vote, free of any spending reductions, programmatic cuts, or reforms. If Democrats wanted to show the people that they were content to spend like usual, then so be it, this would be their chance.

Realizing that many Democrats actually care enough about the deficit (or at least the politics behind it) to not vote for a clean bill, Harry Reid was forced to do a bit of backtracking. Despite his earlier call for a clean vote he now called such a vote “irresponsible” and said it would send “a terrible message to the international community.”

C’mon you didn’t expect us to forget that, did ya Harry?!?

But Harry Reid wasn’t alone in his underestimating the collective memory power of voters. Almost every Senate Democrat has done the same thing. Take a look at some of these statements from Democrats praising President Obama’s budget as a “wise” and “responsible proposal”:

• Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY): “This is a responsible proposal . . . I belive this approach should have bipartisan support.”
• Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE): “The President’s budget is an important step forward”
• Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH): “…a responsible framework that balances economic growth and the need to address the deficit”
• Sen. Bill Nelson: “I personally think that the President’s budget is a step in the right direction”
• Sen. Kent Conrad: “The President’s budget gets it about right in the first year”
• Sen. Max Baucus: “The President’s budget…strengthens our economy”

The love fest could go on forever, but I think you get the point – Democrats were nearly falling over themselves in the rush to gush over the President’s budget.

Yea, well that all went down the drain. Last night the Senate voted on President Obama’s budget proposal. It went down in flames, being rejected by a vote of 0 to 97. Yes, you read that right. The President’s budget received zero votes. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Squadoosh.

On both occasions Democrats are hoping you would forget. Forget, that not even they believe the words that are coming out of their own mouths. It’s a clever tightrope they’re trying to walk – talking a big game on to placate liberal voters, while voting with a dose of moderation to show everyone else their sane. But you can only ride a one-trick pony so far before Americans catch on to the fact that you’ve let politics supplant any sense of principle.

Sure Americans may be forgetful and forgiving. But it appears Democrats have confused that with stupidity.