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Mitch McConnell Just Proposed the “Pontius Pilate Pass the Buck Act of 2011"
Redstate ^ | 7/12/2011 | Erick Erickson

Posted on 07/12/2011 2:23:28 PM PDT by Qbert

Mitch McConnell is right now talking about making a historic capitulation. So fearful of being blamed for a default, McConnell is proposing a compromise that lets Barack Obama raise the debt ceiling without making any spending cuts at all.

Consider sending McConnell a weasel as testament to his treachery. His address is 601 W. Broadway, Room 630, Louisville, KY 40202 and the phone number is (502) 582-6304.

McConnell’s idea is to make the debt ceiling automatic unless Congress, by a 2/3 vote blocks the increase. Oh yes, he put a salve on it by dressing it up in tough talk that, to quote the Wall Street Journal, “[a] ‘eal solution’ to U.S. fiscal problems isn’t possible as long as President Barack Obama remains in office.” So since no “real solution” is possible, McConnell proposes to go Pontius Pilate and wash his hands of spending, blaming Obama while doing nothing himself.

Here is how the plan would work.

In a nutshell, the President would get to raise the debt ceiling three times in the next year at several billion bucks a pop without making any spending cuts unless two-thirds of both houses of Congress disagree. In his press conference, McConnell says he would not give the President “unilateral authority to make spending cuts on his own,” but this plan would allow the President to raise the debt ceiling pretty much automatically.As the Politico notes,

Senate Republicans are actively pursuing a new plan under which the debt ceiling would grow in three increments over the remainder of this Congress unless lawmakers approve a veto-proof resolution of disapproval.

In effect lawmakers would be surrendering the very power of approval that the GOP has used to force the debt crisis now. But by taking the disapproval route, Republicans can shift the onus more onto the White House and Democrats since a two-thirds majority will be needed to stop any increase that President Barack Obama requests.

Yes, instead of putting the burden on the White House, McConnell would make it damn near impossible to block a debt ceiling increase. We’ve seen this before. The House once had the Gephardt rule that required the debt ceiling vote be attached to a more popular measure so members of Congress could escape a tough vote.

Consequently, the debt ceiling has gone up to $14 trillion without Congress ever having to make a tough choice about debt.

And now Mitch McConnell wants to make it even easier by allowing Congress to go through a dog and pony show of feigned cuts that never get cut while allowing escalation of our national debt. So much for accusing Barack Obama of smoke and mirrors.

2014 cannot come soon enough to destroy the political future of this weasel.

———————————– Editor’s note: I decided to make the title less incendiary.

Consider the Associated Press’s headline right now: “GOP Leader McConnell proposes giving Obama new power for automatic debt limit increase”

Updated again: Changed to title to something less incendiary. I still encourage weasels be mailed.

UPDATE: Some of the most willfully ignorant and willfully naive McConnell supporters are coming out of the woodwork to say this is not *the* plan, but a contingency plan if *the* plan can’t be agreed to. So let’s get this straight: if Democrats won’t agree to make spending cuts, we’ll fall back to the contingency where they get to raise the debt ceiling without making spending cuts.

That’s not a contingency, that’s handing the Democrats a silver platter.


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events; US: Kentucky
KEYWORDS: debtceiling; debtdeal; debtlimit; gopigs; judas; judasparty; mcconnell; mcconnell4mcconnell; mitchmcconnell; moderates; stupidparty
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1 posted on 07/12/2011 2:23:30 PM PDT by Qbert
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To: Qbert

Credited with a default is more like it


2 posted on 07/12/2011 2:25:36 PM PDT by yldstrk (My heroes have always been cowboys)
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To: Qbert
UnF'ing REAL if the GOP does this - This guy breaks it off in our A$$'s on healthcare and we turn around and now suggest we are going to give him another blank check to increase our debt / spend money......This cannot really be an option. There is no way this trail ballon gets past tomorrow afternoon.

This is WORSE than having the balls to stand up and VOTE for it. Fk I have more respect for the left, in this case.

3 posted on 07/12/2011 2:25:57 PM PDT by SevenMinusOne
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To: Qbert

This has to be the most insane thing I’ve heard yet.


4 posted on 07/12/2011 2:27:42 PM PDT by Cementjungle
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To: Qbert

Hey Mitch ,,,,GO to HELL!!You Filthy Traitor!


5 posted on 07/12/2011 2:27:53 PM PDT by Cheetahcat ( November 4 2008 ,A date that will live in Infamy.)
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To: Qbert
So let’s get this straight: if Democrats won’t agree to make spending cuts, we’ll fall back to the contingency where they get to raise the debt ceiling without making spending cuts.

That’s not a contingency, that’s handing the Democrats a silver platter.

McConnell is the poster boy of the Washington ruling class. These guys all stick together, and they will never allow a restraint on federal power.

6 posted on 07/12/2011 2:28:18 PM PDT by Thane_Banquo
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To: Qbert

Mitch McConnell needs to be making a historic resignation.


7 posted on 07/12/2011 2:28:18 PM PDT by Enterprise ("Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities." Voltaire)
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To: Qbert
I guess McConartist thinks that you can't lose your marbles if you give 'em all away.


8 posted on 07/12/2011 2:29:55 PM PDT by VictoryGal (Never give up, never surrender! REMEMBER NEDA)
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To: Qbert

NO! Just awful.


9 posted on 07/12/2011 2:30:33 PM PDT by ColdOne (I miss my poochie... Tasha 2000~3/14/11)
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To: Qbert

They PAID the POS Off, has to be the reason,NO sane person could do this!


10 posted on 07/12/2011 2:30:48 PM PDT by Cheetahcat ( November 4 2008 ,A date that will live in Infamy.)
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To: Qbert

No doubt Mitch has been bought and paid for.


11 posted on 07/12/2011 2:31:02 PM PDT by Huskrrrr
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To: Qbert

There is nothing in this article that matches anything he has said in the last few days or on his senate web site.


12 posted on 07/12/2011 2:31:18 PM PDT by svcw (democrats are liars, it's a given)
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To: Qbert

Anyone still trusting the GOP leadership to do the right thing is still living in fantasy land. As another poster said the establishment is all about amassing wealth and power for themselves before the good of the country...the people.


13 posted on 07/12/2011 2:31:44 PM PDT by DouglasKC
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To: Qbert

Outrageous!


14 posted on 07/12/2011 2:32:21 PM PDT by 9YearLurker
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To: Qbert

This is the last straw this guy needs to be primaried. I didn’t believe this when I first saw it. This is what is godamned wrong with establishment Republicans and the political class. They are so damn deep in the mess they can’t even see the lay of the land. This is going to fly like a lead balloon with a nuclear payload.


15 posted on 07/12/2011 2:32:21 PM PDT by Maelstorm (Better to keep your enemy in your sights than in your camp expecting him to guard your back.)
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To: Qbert
McConnell = COWARD.

Kentucky voters: Vote him OUT.
16 posted on 07/12/2011 2:32:36 PM PDT by Shannon
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To: Qbert

This is the bad news. The good news is Sarah will run, maybe as an independent. I’m getting my checkbook ready.


17 posted on 07/12/2011 2:32:36 PM PDT by Linda Frances
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To: Qbert

http://mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=PressReleases&ContentRecord_id=5819f616-f203-41bd-bd32-1523fb078416&ContentType_id=c19bc7a5-2bb9-4a73-b2ab-3c1b5191a72b&Group_id=0fd6ddca-6a05-4b26-8710-a0b7b59a8f1f


18 posted on 07/12/2011 2:33:01 PM PDT by svcw (democrats are liars, it's a given)
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To: svcw

The very last thing we want is to give the boy king the ability to make discretionary cuts. You want financial armageddon, let him decide where to make the cuts.

This is nothing more than political grandstanding from the GOP while the Liar in Chief threatens seniors with their SS checks.

I am SICK of RINOs.


19 posted on 07/12/2011 2:33:12 PM PDT by kozanne
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To: Linda Frances
The good news is Sarah will run, maybe as an independent

Well that pretty much guarantees Baraq a Clintonian plurality win. He's got 40% of the vote locked up.

20 posted on 07/12/2011 2:34:09 PM PDT by nascarnation
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