|
| “
|
Anything
can happen, but it appears the GOP is on the verge of pulling off a
political victory that may be unprecedented in American history.
Republicans may succeed in using the threat of a potential outcome that
they themselves acknowledged would lead to national catastrophe as
leverage to extract enormous concessions from Democrats, without giving
up anything of any significance in return.
Not only that, but Republicans — in perhaps the most remarkable example
of political up-is-downism in recent memory — cast their willingness to
dangle the threat of national crisis as a brave and heroic effort
they’d undertaken on behalf of the national interest. Only the threat
of national crisis could force the immediate spending cuts supposedly
necessary to prevent a far more epic crisis later. [WaPost's
Greg Sargent]
|
” |
It is admittedly fun to
listen to the anguished bleating coming from the left. Rep.
Emanuel Cleaver, chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, said
early reports of the new deal appeared to be “a sugar-coated Satan
sandwich.” The thing is, Liberals are by virtue of the very DNA
that makes them Liberal, unable to comprehend economics.
Never have, and never will. So they, along with some non
Liberals, viewed this as another action fought over losing or gaining
face. But what did the Dems get for
sure? Well, they wanted the debt ceiling
raised through the 2012 elections. Harry Reid said that was
non-negotiable.
| “
|
It guarantees
the debt limit will be hiked by $2.4 trillion. Immediately upon
enactment of the plan, the Treasury will be granted $400 billion of new
borrowing authority, after which President Obama will be allowed to
extend the debt limit by $500 billion, subject to a vote of disapproval
by Congress. [TPM]
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|
WIN.
What Republicans won is entangled in words like:
| “
|
That
initial $900 billion will be paired with $900 billion of discretionary
spending cuts, first identified in a weeks-old bipartisan working group
led by Vice President Joe Biden, which will be spread out over 10 years. |
” |
Going into
negotiations Speaker Boner was concerned that "discretionary" cuts
would come at the expense of the military. and he took that off the
table. Evidently Mitch McConnel gave it back, so now up to
one-half will come out of the military's hide.
LOSE
What did the Country get for sure?
It's still early, and God knows I only got a C in Econ 244, but it
appears we got institutionalized indebtedness and insolvency.
Mommy
and Daddy sold the kids for a weekend in Acapulco.
There is a different view however ...
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In the win/loss computation, I count Defense cuts as a win. The Defense budget is bloated, and we have too much being bought that we don't need. For instance, we have eleven or so carrier battle groups, ready to refight World War Two, and that's a few too many. Much of the military is geared for massed battle in Europe, which will not happen. We are fighting three wars that we don't need to be fighting, at huge expense.
ReplyDeleteWhile we look for places to cut in other areas, there is nothing wrong with making sensible cuts in Defense as well.
Yes, it's hard to see the win in all this, unless it is maneuvering for a better position to fight from later in the election cycle. For the life of me, I don't understand why Boehner doesn't tar the bad guys with something as simple as "It's the spending, stupid."
ReplyDeleteCasca
The actual count the money win, not there, but the psychological "perception" of a win is there. In politics perception is no small thing. The very avoidance of the words "raise taxes" in the bill and statements about avoiding the raising of taxes is causing the "progressives" (rat commie bastards) to scream when it would be best for them to just make nice and wait to rape the taxpayer later like they usually do. There is fear and panic amongst them perhaps because they won't be able to get the pay off money from the government fast enough to "protect" their ass..ets.
ReplyDeleteHe must have studied under Bush - who never recognized a bully pulpit when he tripped over it.
ReplyDeleteThe victory in the equation is the fact that the Tea Party completely led BHO and Boehner around by the nose for several weeks and illustrated their weakness as political leaders.
ReplyDeleteThey let BHO and Boehner know who the new sherrif in town was.
I expect more good things to come from an electoral standpoint in 2012.
molonlabe28 ur correct - this is the only bright spot from my vantage point. The nation's last and best hope is a resounding victory by teapartiers in 2012.
ReplyDeleteWho lost? I did. So did everyone else that pays federal taxes.
ReplyDeleteDamn them all and may they suffer for their folly.
Yes I am quite sure the Dems (hack, spit) will cut only the fat from the defense budget....I am also sure I look a lot like Brad Pitt.....
ReplyDeleteWe didn't take a head off the hydra this time, only a bit off it's tail, but it's a start.
ReplyDeleteYou're right off course, listening to the Lefties squeal like pigs is satisfying and proves we did a little damage. I wonder if there are any still left that dismiss the Tea Party as an insignificant, tiny, overrated group or pawns of the GOP. That really should be dispelled now.
Annoyed White Male
ANyone who thinks that this was a win for our side has been drinking from the kool-aid pitcher again. Tax inceases on the way, actual budget cuts = ZERO and the nitwh gets another $2,400,000,000,000 in slush funds to pay off the unions, drones, and leeches.
ReplyDeleteemdfl