Thom Hartmann reminds us what the “two Santa Claus Theory’ is. (9:30) 

Apparently the original video of Jude Wanniski speaking before a group of Republicans telling them how they need to kill the “Democratic” Santa Claus of social security, medicare, medicaid, and food security by creating an alternative Republican Santa Claus who doles out tax cuts to the wealthy.

Thom Hartmann explains the concept of the two Santa Clauses. He also expounds on the strategy Republicans have been using that is aimed at bankrupting the government that is aimed at drying up funds that are used to fund the “Democratic Santa Claus” programs.

But obviously Republicans have never been in a position to pull the trigger on outright demolition of the “Democratic Santa Claus” programs. Plus those programs are so popular that even they know that destroying them would be political suicide. 

Republicans have been trying to kill the Democrats “Santa Claus” since the 1970s. Their strategy was to drive the country so far in debt that Dems would have to eventually make cuts to the core programs of SS, Medicare, Medicaid and SNAP or outright kill them. The other part of the strategy was to drive up the debt by strangling revenue.

They strangled the revenue with major cuts to taxes for corporations and for the individual wealthy, plus cutting taxes on the capital gains and inheritance. The final strangulation comes with cutting any enforcement of tax laws for the rich. Therefore even if the rich owe taxes, nobody is going to make them pay them. Auditing them calls for highly skilled auditors and MAGAs have cut the IRS down to those who are only able to audit the working class.

The Big Ugly Bill is their way of forcing the confrontation between the corporate backed MAGA Santa and liberals more rational and compassionate “Santa”. It so reminds me of Superman and his opposite Bizarro from my pre-teen comic book days.

However, MAGAs with the second coming of Donald Trump, under the guise of fiscal responsibility, have decided now is the time to start killing off the programs of the “Democratic Santa Claus” by taking a chain saw to some of the health care programs. 

There will be no comparable cuts from “Republican Santa Claus” programs. Republican Santa Claus programs consist almost entirely of tax cuts for the wealthy. In the current showdown the MAGA congress and Mr. MAGA president himself will be cutting massive funds that will end access to health care for at least an estimated 11 million people or the equivalent of nearly four Iowas while giving huge tax advantages to the wealthy.

It may come as a surprise but the programs of the Republican Santa Claus are hugely unpopular. For some reason almost all Americans see it as truly unfair that poor people will die in order for the rich to get the their tax cuts. This is not the America they learned about from their parents, their schools, their friends and the media.

The fact that millions will suffer so the rich can have more is about as anti-American as any idea that has ever been floated in this country. Yet, a major party is on the verge of doing just that.

Tip of the hat to http://all-hat-no-cattle.blogspot.com

If the Big, Bad Bill (also known as the OBBBA) passes you can bet your bottom dollar that it will only be the first in a series of similar bills that will chew huge chunks out of the rest of the Democratic Santa Claus programs. The rest of medicaid will be defunded. Social Security will be privatized with billions invested in Wall Street. Medicare will be dismantled and privatized. Nothing will be off limits.

If you believe that we can re-elect Democrats and they will be able to rebuild what Trump has destroyed, think again. Will our next elections be free and fair? Remember one of the reasons that we are in this current situation is because of Republican voter suppression at the state level.

Also remember that the amount of money that the rich can pour into our political races is unlimited, Elon Musk bought his way into the government with $290 million dollars in “donations” to Trump. He also sought to buy a Supreme Court justice seat in Wisconsin with millions in “donations.”

Allegorically, we are about to have a cosmic battle between the Democratic Santa that fosters programs to help all the people with programs that funds programs that make sure everyone’s basic needs are met versus Republican Santa that funds more and more wealth for the rich with funds stolen from those who have little.

Please call your US senators and tell them that the OBBBA is bad for you, bad for them and bad for America.