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.
Is it possible that McConnell has just announced to a listening public that the “landing will be at Calais”?
It’s true. Just heard McConnell himself on the radio. He says we can’t let the whole world think we are not going to honor our debts.
Rush just praised him this morning and also on his website for standing up to Obama. Wow, is this is true, Rush is going to burn him at the stake tomorrow.
It is a question of playing politics vs. providing actual leadership and governance. It is a brilliant political move. It robs Obama of the continuing ability to put forth nothing but platitudes and forces his party to put forth plans and vote for and continue to own the debt and economic woes.
It is a disaster in leadership. It basically says that the Republicans are accepting that this is solely a political game and are refusing to rise above it, regardless of the consequences to the country and regardless of the need to fight for what is right. It truly is a cynical way of looking at the country. As always, the Republicans are banking on the fact the the voters will care more about image than which party tried to do the right thing by leading.
“He would be required to couple each request with a corresponding set of spending cuts that exceed the dollar amount of his sought-after debt limit hike. These cuts would be of his choosing alone. The first pair of requests would come prior to the August 2 deadline. It would be for roughly $700 Billion. The next requests, for $900 Billion, would come in the fall, and the final tranche (also for $900 Billion) would be scheduled for summer of 2012 — in the thick of the campaign cycle.”
From another article. So which is it? Couple with cuts or not?
This proposal makes it verboten to raise taxes. No matter what. It’s a paradox for obama. Good Lord!
IT’S A PROPOSAL! It hasn’t been brought to the floor. The House has to consider it even if it was...and even if it passed in the Senate. What is the matter with you guys???
Calais absolutely.
Do you believe the media will report the story accurately when doing so won't suit democrat political goals?
Do you think any clever plan by the GOP can succeed without one of both of these elements?
On the other hand, do you not believe the GOP will live up to their end of the bargain whether or not the results are what they originally intended?
Agree with your last part, but I don’t think this is a brilliant political move.
Obama could care less about adding more debt- in fact he’d happily do so- and in the future all he’ll do is demagogue away about how it’s those evil Republicans that want to take all those benefits away from people. The Republicans will be right back to where we are now- ensured by a trap that was supposedly set for Obama.
“This proposal makes it verboten to raise taxes. No matter what. It’s a paradox for obama. Good Lord!”
Has not raising income taxes stopped Obama from piling on $5 Trillion in debt in two years?
I am for it. It would be great. The start of a new party. Sign me up. I am sick of the GOPS and RATS.
Do not ever go in to a Cave. You will not be able to tell when the walls are going to collapse. You will be caught in a cave in.
I get it. This is like...Take my wife...Please.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2747524/posts
As debt-limit negotiations consume Capitol Hill, Sen. Jim DeMint (R., S.C.) urges Republicans to be cautious. “The president is a magician,” he says in an interview with National Review Online. “He has been using sleight of hand. This is not time for Republicans to find compromise, we have to figure out how to stop him.”
“WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO STOP HIM.”
Do the math.
Q. How do you raise the debt ceiling without cutting spending MORE than you raise the debt ceiling without new taxes?
A. You can’t.
“He’s got 40% of the vote locked up.”
Wrong. The last poll showed that 30% of Americans will definitely vote for the rolling-in-slop Chicago pig. That’s down from 37% last month.
He’s got the 50 IQ black racist moron vote and the batshit, ding-dong crazy fruit loop vote. That’s 30%, and there ain’t no more.
Quote: “Do you think the democrats are negotiating honestly and will stand by an agreement that doesn’t suit their political goals?” A: McConnell’s plan isn’t a negotiation. It ends the negotiation with a “you want to raise the debt limit, you do it but we wash our hands of it. They want it, they own it and can’t blame Republicans as they have full power to raise it.
Quote: “Do you believe the media will report the story accurately when doing so won’t suit democrat political goals?” A: Do they ever report anything accurately? Did they report the Tea Party movement accurately last election? Question in return, you honestly believe that the media still has credibility?
Quote: “Do you think any clever plan by the GOP can succeed without one of both of these elements?” A: So why try anything as no matter what is tried it will ALWAYS be a fact that 1) democrats never negotiate in good faith and 2) the media will always cover for them.
Quote: “On the other hand, do you not believe the GOP will live up to their end of the bargain whether or not the results are what they originally intended?” A: The GOP does not have to do anything. That is why it is being called the Pontius Pilate solution, e.g. McConnell and the Republicans wash their hands of it and let the dems own it.
What I do think is that it is purely political and a failure of leadership. We want leadership and not political games.
“http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2747521/posts
There is a HUGE stick with this carrot. HUGE.”
“But not without the exacting a substantial political
price from the president and his allies in Congress.
They will own the debt ceiling hike. Period.”
Read my last post, please.
I hope you’re correct, but I think Baraq’s hard core supporters comprise:
Welfare clients
Union members
Govt employees
Idiot liberals
Minorities
Illegals
Dead voters
I see him with 40% no matter how bad things get.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.