Poor choice, Tom

It was sad—but not surprising—to see that Rep. Tom McClintock of Roseville broke ranks with other area members of the U.S. House to vote against the compromise “fiscal cliff” bill that the U.S. Senate put forward.

No, we didn’t like that bill particularly well—it was just a whole lot better than the alternative, which was a Congress-led dive into a second wave of recession.

Unfortunately, McClintock doesn’t seem to have been paying attention: The Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthy not only failed to keep a recession at bay, but most economists also now acknowledge that tax cuts for the wealthy don’t have any effect whatsoever on the economy other than to make the wealthy even wealthier. The real driver of economic growth is money in the hands of the people who are going to spend it, and that means the working and middle classes.

We have, in the past, acknowledged that McClintock seemed to make decisions based on principle. Now, we have to ask: What principle could possibly justify deliberately triggering the economy to worsen when it’s still in early recovery?

The only answer we can come up with is that perhaps, to some Congressional representatives, pleasing the ultra-wealthy and keeping their campaign coffers full might be more important than the welfare of the entire country. And that is a truly frightening thought. Take note, residents of Congressional District 4.