Harris and Hatred at a Steakhouse

Andy Harris spoke at a meeting of Americans for Prosperity, the right wing organization sponsored by the billionaire Koch brothers, which I attended in Grasonville August 31, and was billed as a “town hall.”  The immediate impression one takes from these myopic gatherings is the hatred the AFP and Harris have for Barack Obama and taxes, in no particular order.  The AFP and Harris are absolute in their belief  that there will be no compromise, spending increases or taxes in any form.  They roundly criticized the President’s jobs speech, a week before its delivery.  They are committed to opposing Obama under any circumstance. 

There were no questions from the AFP on the preserving the Bay, other than to defund the organization trying to save it, the EPA.  Harris delights in comparing the U.S. to Greece, as he does in most of his speeches and gatherings.  Never mind that the population of Greece is only 11 million, 30 times smaller than the US, and has a  2010 debt to GDP ratio of 144, compared to 62 in the US.

Ironically, Ronald Reagan was mentioned and is revered by the AFP and Harris as the consummate conservative.  After Reagan cut taxes in 1981, the economy tanked, unemployment skyrocketing to 12%.  He then worked with Democrats and signed the highest tax increase in history (TEFRA) in 1982, followed by increases in the federal gasoline tax and federal payroll taxes, among 11 tax increases in all.  This was compromise among adult legislators, and a realization that spending cuts had to be offset by revenue in any serious attempt to reduce the deficit.

Committed to preserving tax cuts for the richest Americans, AFP and Tea Party favorite Harris will have none of this, and are not Reaganesque by any measure.  Six Democrats attended the AFP Grasonville meeting, by invitation, surrounded by an all-white audience of about 100.  Unmitigated by Harris, we were referred to as “deceitful” , and Harris kept pointing derisively at the “MSNBC” table, his own invention.  Hardly conciliatory or adult behavior. 

These events accomplish very little substantively, but serve to galvanize Independents and Democrats to ensure that Harris is a one-term Congressman.  We will be out in force in 2012.