Posted on 07/21/2011 1:21:59 PM PDT by iowamark
RUSH: We're so happy to have with us the Speaker of the House, John Boehner. I'm glad that we had a chance to talk to you here, Mr. Speaker, because people are confused with all of these leaks as to what's going on.
SPEAKER BOEHNER: Well, Rush, there is no deal. No deal publicly. No deal privately. There is absolutely no deal. Our focus --
RUSH: Are you talking about a deal, though?
SPEAKER BOEHNER: Pardon me?
RUSH: Are you talking about a deal in secret?
SPEAKER BOEHNER: Our focus right now is getting the Senate to follow us in the House and pass cut, cap, and balance. I believe that we've got to act to prevent a default and to prevent a downgrade of our nation's credit rating, and the best way to do that is to enact cut, cap, and balance. But let me be clear: I believe that is the best course of action. I've said all the way along that we've gotta keep the lines of communication open. That's why Leader Cantor and I have talked with Mitch McConnell. We've talked to Nancy Pelosi. We've talked to the president. We talked about fallback options if in fact cut, cap, and balance does go down; and I do think it's our obligation to have a fallback plan if that doesn't work.
RUSH: Well, but that's what everybody is worried about: What is the fallback plan? A congressional aide is out there today saying that the deal's been struck. He's unnamed, he's on Fox, he's saying, "It's $3 trillion of cuts with no tax revenue." National Journal says three trillion in cuts with "insignificant" tax revenues. So a lot of people out here are of the opinion that Obama is the one who ought to be caving. He's the one that doesn't have a plan. He's forcing you to compromise with yourself. He's done great damage to the economy, and people want it to stop.
SPEAKER BOEHNER: I understand. I'm concerned about the nation defaulting on its credit rating. I'm concerned about us not doing anything about our debt, which will cause our credit rating to fall -- and which then would mean everybody's interest rates go up. I think that's irresponsible. Frankly we've had looked at a half a dozen fallback plans. None of which, none of which, are all that appetizing. That's why we continue to support cut, cap, and balance.
RUSH: So you're convinced that a default would make us unable...? We were to be unable to service our debt if there's a default?
SPEAKER BOEHNER: I'm concerned that we're getting into uncharted territory that could wreak great havoc on our nation, and I don't think it's necessary to get into that unknown zone and take the chance -- and I, frankly, believe that we've gotta find a way to cut our budget deficit, cut our debt, and balance our budget.
RUSH: Why is it not Obama's responsibility to do that? He's the one that's put us in this position.
SPEAKER BOEHNER: It would have been nice if the President would have put a plan to the table months ago, but the President has refused to put any plan on the table. It's obviously been driving me right up a wall.
RUSH: He wants you to take the heat for whatever happens.
SPEAKER BOEHNER: Yeah, but I think at the end of the day he knows that he's the commander-in-chief, he's the president of the United States, and HE will take the heat.
RUSH: Well, a lot of people are concerned that you are his lifeline to reelection and that that's how he sees you, and that if he can get you to act in any way that can be portrayed as a cave that he wins, and that's what people are deathly afraid of.
SPEAKER BOEHNER: Rush, I'm trying to do what I taught my kids to do; the same thing my parents taught me to do: You do the right things for the right reasons, good things will happen.
RUSH: All right, Speaker Boehner thanks much.
SPEAKER BOEHNER: Thank you, Rush.
RUSH: I wish we had more time, but we don't. Thanks very much for the time here. END TRANSCRIPT
I have higher standards, and remain underwhelmed.
Boehner sounds like he will agree to any deal he can get the votes to pass.
Yeah. Rush sounded a bit skeptical of Beohner.
Unfortunately San Fran Nan plays for the other team. Obama must be grinning from ear to ear at being able to go up against Boehner.
202-224-3121
I agree.
I contacted Boxer and Feinstein already.
I too heard it. Pure lawyer/politician talk. I needed a bath afterward.
“unknown zone” — Where does Boehner think we are now?
Now this thread has become a Rush bashing thread. I’ll ignore you bashers. I have been listening to Rush since he started talking about making a movie about Desert Storm and wanted to cast Molly Yard as Jabba the Hut. I’ll just ignore your opinions as I am sure Rush does.
More than a little, perfect timing for boner, the show ended.
When you have a Republican House but a Democrat Senate and a Democrat president, I understand that a compromise may be the best you can get. And wouldn't raising the debt ceiling, temporarily, and just enough so as to avoid default--IF you can get with that NO increase in taxes ("revenues" in Obamaspeak) and REAL cuts in spending--would that not be an acceptable compromise? I could live with that. But to give in on tax increases and to not really cut spending--then I would call that a Republican cave-in. We'll see what happens.
He is probably up to the task as he sees the task. He thinks that in the interests of the American people he has to cave to the Democrats. A fatal flaw in Republican character is the subconscious belief that the Democrats are the rightful rulers of the land and Republicans exist to temper the excess of the Rightful Rulers a little bit.
Actually it sounds like a good deal just for the howls it will engender on the far left.
And if we get real CUTS then it is amazing that we have convinced a far-left radical liberal President to do so... I really don't have much complaint.
The Republicans in the House who think of themselves as Real Republicans will follow Boehner. Those who think of themselves as free people will not.
OK well said “There has to be a line of what s unacceptable, and failing to make real cuts and instead raising taxes is one.”
I hope they hold out.But the republicans’ actions in the past have made me gunshy.
The problem is not increase in taxes. That is just another way to slow the economy further and reduce revenues further. The problem is the spending power. It has to be cut off. The ceiling has to be reached and no way around it be found. Raising the debt ceiling puts off the necessity of doing something about entitlements. That is the most important thing to the mugabe. Enacted spending cuts as part of any deal are nothing at all. They will be ignored and exceeded very quickly as these teapartiers morph into Washington pols. And they WILL morph into Washington pols. We have to get that ceiling rock solid and it has to be reached so that the administration has to make real cuts, not just the ephemeral pretend cuts of a deal.
One word from Rush and Specter would’ve lost the primary to Toomey. Instead, Mr. “I Don’t Have Guests” brought Specter on the show. It was sickening.
Boehner is not lying. He is not saying anything at all.
Cheers!
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