House Speaker John Boehner must feel like Lord Cardigan after “The Charge of the Light Brigade.” He puts together a coalition of Republicans and brings President Obama’s string of victories to a screeching halt. It was messy, it was ugly, and it was a collision that resulted in a less than optimal result, but it was victory and it tasted sweet to me. If you have any doubt whatsoever just listen to the wailing, weeping, and gnashing of teeth on the left. However after being pelted with insults and attacks from the left his TEA movement “allies” made him feel like General George Armstrong Custer at the Little Big Horn.
President Obama signed the bill in private in the Oval office. Compare that to all of his previous signings. No ceremonial pens, no grinning gang of socialist goons looking over his shoulder. No victory lap. The President walked out to deliver yet another immature and petulant speech about “fairness” and “sacrifice.” He lost and he knew it and there was nothing he could do about it.
Republicans (particularly those with ties to the TEA movement) are being called “terrorists.” The democrats (socialists, progressives, liberals, whatever) have completely flipped out. That is superb news. However the bad news is that we have a faction on the right that has flipped out too. To listen to some of the feedback and angst (primarily from the politically naive TEA movement) you would think that Boehner lost. That is utterly and completely absurd.
If your new Congress critter told you that he or she was going to go to Washington, turn everything upside down, and teach them all a lesson – well they learned something very valuable in the last eight months. James Madison and the gang developed a method of government that is resistant to that kind of thing and they did it on purpose. What you saw from January 2009 to November 2010 is about as fast as the system can move. It required a unique set of circumstances created by democrat majorities (indeed “super” majorities) in the House and Senate with a democrat in the White House. Further, it required a group of people in charge who had no regard for our laws, our traditions, or the will of the American people. That hasn’t occurred since the days of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. In that regard it was an anomaly that is unlikely to occur again in our life time.
Even if Republicans (an I pray they do) recapture the White House, increase their hold on the House of Representatives, and flip the Senate to red – our regard for law and Constitutional principles will likely restrain us from the excesses of the Obama regime in executing the American Rescue Plan. In short – this is going to take time and a lot of effort on the part of everybody to fix. It isn’t going to get fixed overnight no matter what anyone thinks.
Elections are the answer right now. Send Boehner and McConnell reinforcements.
Amigo,
ReplyDeleteYou know that we are on the same team however please explain how giving zero 2.4 trillion without cuts is a win.
The left is angry that the deal did not include tax increases. The right is pissed that it did not include cuts.
Both sides are attempting to polish a turd.
Something tells me that we aren't going to come together on this. I think that there are two issues here for you to consider. First - the possible, and second the context.
ReplyDeleteIf you hold onto the belief that raising the debt ceiling was unnecessary - then we can't agree. I hated it, I didn't want it, but I've already explained why it had to happen. In that arena Tim "Tax Cheat" Geithner and the Gambler-in-Chief were willing to take a huge risk that Boehner (and quite frankly Harry Reid) was not. Boehner was right this time. I would have preferred a smaller increase - but no increase wasn't in the cards.
The possible - While we might be able to devise a scenario that eked out additional cuts there is no realistic plan where Obama and Reid would have bent to having Boehner and Republicans dismantle the Socialist State that Obama has set up. In attacking this deal - just cruise all the rants - no one has a rational idea of what could have happened. We can argue a matter of degrees but this result was going to be pretty close to the best we could do. We have a Republic - even Obama is being bent to that reality (finally). Just because the TEA movement helped win a bunch of elections (they helped loose a bunch too) doesn't give them carte blanche to do whatever they want in Washington. Even goofy Rand Paul is getting that message.
Context - Obama rang up an impressive string of victories and he's had his way with the United States for too long - even if you call this deal a draw - Obama was stopped and in spectacular fashion this week. Republicans might be trying to "polish a turd" but the Democrats (Socialists, Progressives, Liberals, whatever) are frothing-at-the-mouth furious ---- there is a lesson in that response as well.
You and I are looking at the result and I am choosing to see the glass half full while you are choosing to see it half empty (actually to make the analogy fit this situation you are ignoring the water in the glass altogether).
What you guys wanted was simply impractical given the strength of the opposition AND the governor on the government that is written into the Constitution. James Madison may not have approved of the result - but he would have approved of the process.
Democrats irresponsibly gambled with the lives and livelihood of 310 million Americans. It's time for you to consider what would have happened had Timothy Geithner and Barack Obama been the ones deciding on the 60% (or less) of payments that were going to be made starting next week. That (not 'default") would have been the practical result of failing to raise the debt limit.
You are being unrealistic. Every time Boehner has gone into battle with Obama he has done better. Give him some credit.
CS,
ReplyDeleteThe hero in the white hat (Boehner?) rode hard to catch the runaway stagecoach. He got there just before it went over the cliff. He was unable to stop the horses, so the coach went over the cliff slower, but it still went over.
The cut of our credit rating is THE best chance we have to save our country. The budget has to be cut, and cut now, or it will be all over. Speaking from experience, you can come back from a credit downgrade, but coming back from a catastrophic house fire is impossible. You always lose things that are irreplaceable when you burn down the house.
Well said. One of your best in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteThank you TV.
ReplyDeleteH-Nox and 10th,
I thought that I would make an award to the one of us who had used the best metaphor. 10th had the inside track with the mental picture of mighty steeds heading for a cliff - but he lost as the stagecoach didn't actually plunge over the cliff. Who stopped that? Well it was Boehner and Cantor oddly enough.
Barack Obama ultimately was completely irrelevant to the entire process. He may as well have been a rubber stamp.
Dial back on the hyperbole. Be happy in victory.
Can't do it, CS. If it was a victory, it was like Giap at Dien Bien Phu. Too many casualties to call it a victory.
ReplyDeleteBut in the greater sense - Giap did win. The French left.
ReplyDeleteHow about lemmings jumping off a cliff in unison, wondering of course why, but they just can't get off-script because it might offend someone?
ReplyDeleteNo one on either the right or left wants to touch entitlements and freebe shit because it might offend the electorate.
We might start small like "free cell phones" for welfare recipients, or maybe free laptops for shool kids that end up in the pawn shop by 3 pm the same day they were handed out, or maybe welfare recipients with multiple names. How about cutting off billions for foreign aid to countries that could give a shit about us.
It's a start, it adds up.
I could write a book. Instead the GOP is doing a victory dance because they FINALLY cornered zero on non-cuts. Big friggin deal.
In the meantime football is on track, the Chinese have degraded our credit rating and calling for a world currency, and zero is still an asshole.
Next week the treasury begins printing a shitload of currency backed by collateral that we don't have causing comodity prices to hike worldwide, stocks take a crap, employment is falling worldwide, the administration is calling anyone who voices descent terrorists, and no one gives a shit... the band plays on.
Have a nice day.
Something about not being able to see the forest for the trees is appropriate here - but I don't think that we are coming together on this one.
ReplyDeleteOne of us is staring at a tree. We will find out which one.
ReplyDeleteBTW, I have searched for any article on why the debt deal was a win. So far any of them echos that the GOP stared down zero.
Big deal.
I am prepared to be convinced. So far, nada.
You aren't trying very hard - from today's "The Hill" - my first Google hit - quoting your hero and mine Congressman (LTC) Allen West (R-FL)
ReplyDelete“Who knows what can happen later? I feel pretty good,” said Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.), a Tea Party-backed freshman who supported both Boehner’s initial proposal and the negotiated agreement."
The Daily Caller: A victory for Reagan Republicans
ReplyDeletehttp://dailycaller.com/2011/08/01/a-victory-for-reagan-republicans/
Giving chaiman Zero 2 trillion isn't in the interest of the American people especially when he pulled 237 billion out of it the very next morning and will be going on a bus tour on our dime to hit up key battlegound states...to talk about jobs...yeah right!
ReplyDeleteHe got 2 trillion that he WILL spend and leave office while we're left to pay his tab.
Still not buying it, CS. The credit rating will be cut again, and we will have another long, drawn out debate that, as per congressional mandate, will amount to nothing. This "victory" is ringing hollow because we have seen this same BS again and again. Lord, save us from ourselves.
ReplyDeleteWe are officially at an impasse.
ReplyDeleteAmigo,
ReplyDeleteIt looks like it. After watching the Sunday morning news propaganda shows I remain unconvinced.