Yes. Thank you for stating the truth succinctly.
Just what do the House Republicans think they can realistically get done?
They control half of Congress. It takes all of Congress, both houses, plus an Executive signature, to enact legislation.
Compromise, in this case, is NOT a dirty word. Take what we can, keep the pressure on, and take both houses next November. That’s all we can realistically hope for.
But realism doesn’t seem to be a word these people understand.
The American Dream has been killed by incremental socialism, and the ability of the left to seduce the American people with promises of something for nothing. They have won to date because they think long-term. A properly drafted constitutional amendment with no current spending cuts is an extremely difficult instrument for Democrats to vote against because there are no immediate cuts they can demagogue. Voting against it will just look irresponsible to a fickle electorate that wants a balanced budget conceptually, but shies away from the tough decisions necessary to implement it. An amendment eliminates that problem.
If ratified, it would give us a command of the long-term high ground we've never had. It's the Manhatten Project of fiscal discipline.
Sure, it would be nice to get immediate cuts, and to have it balance sooner. But getting those votes will be tough. So give the RATS the painless way to claim they're fiscally disciplined by giving them a clean amendment with no immediate consequences. The absolute beauty of getting such a resolution through the House and Senate is that the state-level ratification debate would occur in 2012, and would be a huge boost for conservatives. And of course, Obama couldn't veto it, but might waste a whole lot of political capital in trying to oppose it.
No no no no NO! The House Republicans DO have the power. They have veto power over EVERYTHING. They have the power of NO. That is the power they have, and unfortunately the man in charge isn’t one that seems to be good at saying NO.
Take what we can? That’s NOTHING! NOTHING. Barack ain’ gon’ never let things go back ta bein’ like they wuz. You can be sure of that. I mean to say, things are changin’. It don’t take a weatherman to know which way the wind blose.
With a $T increase, Debt to GDP ratio will go from 67% to 73%. Historically, economies start grinding to a halt at 90%. Maybe Boehner’s getting his advice from Greece.
Compromise, in this case, is NOT a dirty word.I guess what angers people like me is not merely compromise - but that they are compromising with themselves and not Democrats. And, I am not angry yet, I am waiting to see how they listen and respond to a very plugged in and well-informed base. Second, all these House members ran on a platform of holding the line on spending now, not 1-2 years from now.
Realistically, the debt ceiling is precisely all the GOP needs to get substantive cuts (not everything it wants, mind you). They don't have to have the Senate or the Presidency. But they do not want to really use it. They want to threaten to use it, but they have not convinced the other side just yet that they will really use it if they have to. Heck they have not even convinced their own side that they will use it.
All this drama by the Prez and we find out through back channels he has been telling bankers the truth - the same truth many here have been saying - that he will never default and there is plenty of money to service our debt.
This is demonstrable validation that the GOP indeed has the leverage to force a real plan and let the Dems and O face the choice of [a] real cuts phased in over 10 years but structural changes - CCB - or [b] immediate cuts in spending of nearly 40%.
The GOP needs to understand that the Dem plan is the same regardless of what happens: [a] if the GOP caves and does not cut and/or raise spending, they hammer them on their broken promises, GOP loses the tea party and conservative base, they talk about how draconian the phantom cuts are that the evil GOP forced all to endure, and they employ the shrillness of all hell breaking loose for the next 15 months. And, btw, the Dems who are facing annihilation next election will actually win. [b] If the GOP caves only a little and gets some cuts and no tax increases, then the Dems demonize the cuts to their base and to moderates in the shrillness of all hell breaking loose for the next 15 months. And, the Dems lose some, perhaps the Senate, maybe a little more in the House, and most likely the Prez. [c] If the GOP leverages the debt-ceiling and gets very deep cuts and no tax increases, then the Dems demonize the cuts to their base and to moderates in the shrillness of all hell breaking loose for the next 15 months. The GOP base is no less determined to get rid of Prez O, and they are solid behind the leadership and party. Dems will face a 40% ceiling on popular vote, and will lose in every political strata once again all across the nation (except CA, of course). This, coupled with the last election, will cripple the Democratic party into political oblivion. They will fracture, and it may take many, many years for them to restructure their coalition.
There will not be one iota's difference in the shrillness and unified utter hell breaking loose response the Dems muster if we cut $1 or $1T or $6.2T or more. So, why not go $6.2T or more? Why not compromise from position [c]? Go big or go home, GOP.