Republicans had their chance

U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers is already criticizing Obama’s economic stimulus package in her latest electronic newsletter. I do not trust her, a Republican, to make such criticisms.

Republicans held the office of the president for 12 of the final 20 years of last century. In those years they increased both our deficit spending and the national debt to proportions that were unheard of before them. Then, President Bill Clinton, a Democrat, not only eradicated deficit spending, but created a revenue surplus. If that had been allowed to continue, we could be paying off our national debt now.

Instead, the next president, another Republican, managed to create a deficit that not even his Republican predecessors could imagine. Because of him, the majority of our national debt is owed to a country which has been our political, philosophical and ideological enemy since World War II.

I find Ms. McMorris Rodgers’ party insulting. On the basis of Mr. Obama’s party’s track record, let’s not criticize unless a part of his plan fails. Then, let’s hold off until we find out if he is both able to learn from his mistakes and correct them, like he claims to be.

Art Seaton

Spokane