Austerity Is a Political Loser for Either Party

Washington Republicans, with their obstructionism and worship of austerity as the answer to all of our economic ills, are creating an opportunity for the Democrats to offer a more appealing alternative (if they're not too lame or bought off to seize the initiative). By giving the country nothing to think about except budget cuts and shredding the social safety net the Republicans make it pretty easy for Democratic politicians to draw a contrast. They've become what the former Republican vice president, Spiro Agnew, might call "nattering nabobs of negativism." Even a minimal "vision" of an America that can still accomplish something would appear to be far more uplifting than the austerity...