The GOP's Rising Star Has A New Face But He Retains The Same Zombie Ideas

The president's state of the union speech was less than Paul Krugman had hoped for.  The GOP selected a fresh face to make the rebuttal to Obama's speech.  Marco Rubio has a pretty face, but his speech included many ugly ideas.  He rehashed many of the ideas that are dear to the heart of the GOP base, but refuse to die despite the evidence against them.  That is why they are called zombie ideas.  Zombies are the living dead.  Therefore, it is impossible to kill them.  Rubio told his audience that the financial crisis was caused by government policies.  Apparently, the origination of bad mortgages that were packaged into securities and sold to investors by Wall Street banks, that misrepresented their quality,  had nothing to do with the financial industry.  Republicans have been lying about the financial crisis for the last four years, and they will continue to lie as long as their base  prefers lies to the truth.  Rubio also told his base that government spending was out of control and that the GOP is the party of fiscal responsibility.  The ghost of Ronald Reagan was also evident in his speech.  Reagan's election campaign included a plan for a balanced budget amendment to the constitution.  Reagan proceeded to cut taxes and increase spending after his election, but the resulting budget deficits have been forgotten.  Its still a good idea, however, for Republicans to be supportive of balanced budgets when they are provided with a pulpit.  Rubio was provided with an opportunity that he could not refuse.