Jul 31 2011
Emerging Debt Deal Is Totally Unacceptable – House Should Reject
I noted on Friday that the Tea Party and GOP stalwarts in the House were not only winning the debate in DC, everyone outside the DC bubble (akin to Get Smart’s Cone Of Silence above) knew that the debt limit forcing function now hanging over the DC elites has never been, nor will ever will be, a more powerful incentive to reign in government growth, waste and incompetence. I wrote:
The point the DC insiders are missing is this: the current round of BS is just another round of kick it down the road! All these promises of future cuts, commissions, triggers and amendments mean nothing if they are simply going to be echoes of what we see today (and have seen for decades).
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Boehner, Reid, Obama and all the talking heads better get something straight right now. We The People are not fooling around and we are not stupid. If you cannot get some real cuts passed now, then it will not happen later. Knowing this, we might as well let the Debt Ceiling Limit be the Sword of Damacles over the heads of DC, starting now. What those inside the DC bubble completely miss is that everyone outside the beltway watching this knows there is more pressure on them now than any future trigger or amendment or commission can leverage. And they are still failing.
If the Political Industrial Complex wants to avoid a truly serious consequence to business-as-usual, stop screwing around with vacuous plans and mythical future actions.
Now that some form of the grand compromise is emerging, we see another ‘epic fail’ in the making:
The formation of a special Congressional committee to recommend further deficit reduction of up to $1.6 trillion (whatever it takes to add up to the total of the debt ceiling increase). This deficit reduction could take the form of spending cuts, tax increases or both.
This special committee is the stupidest part of all the lame compromises coming out of DC. It does two things. It leaves the decisions to old-time, long-in-the-tooth insiders who long ago lost their connection to Main Street America. It also mutes and sidelines all those small-government House freshman who were voted in last year. They will have little to no voice, even though they are the new messengers from a frustrated and fed up electorate.
As I said, if not now with default hanging over their heads then when? This delaying game is just business-as-usual. Make the cuts NOW. Don’t wait, don’t play games, don’t waste millions on BS media propaganda.
And note there still could be tax increases. This is just another surrender to the far left to give them more time to try and sell their failed policies. The GOP should be ashamed of itself.
But there is more bad news in this DC disaster:
A debt ceiling increase of up to $2.1 to $2.4 trillion (depending on the size of the spending cuts agreed to in the final deal).
They have now agreed to spending cuts of roughly $1.2 trillion over 10 years.
We are running deficits of $1.4 trillion a year, and all they can do is cut this down by less than 10%? This is why this is such a lame solution, it does not reign in spending. We raise the ceiling by $2.4 trillion for promises of magical cuts ten years out. Do these fools in DC think we are that stupid here outside the beltway?
This is just another waste of time, another round of promised future better behavior, while nothing fundamentally changes. Look at these stupid promises from a completely dysfunctional Congress:
The special committee must make recommendations by late November (before Congress’ Thanksgiving recess).
Congress is required to produce an annual budget and spending bills. It has not done so in 3 years! Who is dumb enough to believe this time Congress will do its duty when it has failed on 3 years of budgets and a debt limit correction? These fools are only capable of missing deadlines and responsibilities, not meeting them.
Even more stupidity:
If Congress does not approve those cuts by December 23, automatic across-the-board cuts go into effect, including cuts to Defense and Medicare. This “trigger” is designed to force action on the deficit reduction committee’s recommendations by making the alternative painful to both Democrats and Republicans.
Right now there is supposed to be painful consequences if Dems and Reps don’t act – and they are still not acting! The ultimate stupid promise from serial promise breakers. America is watching and what we see if a bunch of clowns acting like spoiled children, incompetent to the extreme.
If not now, never. So it might as well be now. Instead of delaying the pain any longer, we might as well take our medicine now. Vote ‘no’ on any compromise that requires future promises and limits the voices of newly elected representatives. Both are a clear sign of DC bumbling – again.
Update: Ed Morrissey asks if the DC Elites can sell this bag of crap – I seriously hope not. Ed Morrissey thinks there is a pot of gold in this stinker:
However, the added McConnell wrinkle is interesting — and potentially a big win for Republicans. Essentially, Republicans get to claim credit for the cuts while laying blame for the debt increases on Obama. If they “disapprove,” Obama will veto the disapproval and end up owning all of the political baggage for the debt-ceiling increases. That’s a steep price to pay for Obama just to protect himself through the next election …
Basically this ‘solution’ allows the President to increase taxes and spending all he wants – all the Congress gets to do is vote “I don’t agree”. This political game is devastating to the American People. It is we who will be taxed and our generational debt increased. We pay for Obama’s liberal zealotry. And Obama has not indicated he cares one iota how bad is policies are seen by us poor rubes.
Enough damn games!!! This trickery is not worth the price. Kill this thing.
The people are speaking and we are being called terrorists because of it by the MSM.
NO more back room deals they have not been getting us anywhere.
The ONLY place this should take place is full and open debate on the floors of congress after all that IS their job.
They hide behind closed doors and like thieves in the night, literally, pass mamouth bills that we the people have no chance to see and no time to digest.
This was the plan from the beginning, gin up a crisis, wait till the last second and fleece the bill payers again.
The Democrats are actively working to spend us, our children and theirs into socialism.
They danced and laughed and hi-fived when the stimulus slush fund passed and proclaimed capitalism dead.
The Repugs are either not aware of those whom they make these deals with or are so cowed they think they have to go along to save their precious jobs. We have very few Patriots in DC.
The Presidency is there for the taking, when an articulate spokesperson puts themself forward and shouts at the top of their lungs just that which you wrote AJ the masses will listen.
Oh, they will face ridicule, threats, and character asassination by the Presstitutes but they will have a winning message and We The People behind them.
Where are these patriotiuc candidates? Is thier just one who will step up. By their silence they show they are not worthy of the trust and the job.
I hope a true Patriot steps through the breech and has the guts, like Rubio, like AJ above, to throw this mess in the faces of the panderers and thieves and leave the oppostion beaten and bloody on the floor.
Otherwise our only choice and duty as a citizenry is to refuse to play anymore. Refuse the beast the fruits of our labors. Take our tax dollars away and go galt, under the table and off the radar and starve the beast that consumes us.
The business community is doing just that by hording assets and refusing to hire or invest.
Speaking of Rubio yeah he gets it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32YcTsKUdfQ
If we’re gonna elect another president, at least make it someone eligible. as in “natural born citizen”.
I can see the Dims passing this in the Senate, but I sure can’t see the Repubs passing it in the house. It’s a total sell out.
Passing this fraud would be a complete nullification of the last election.
Redteam, nullification of the last election and marginalization of the Tea Party is just what the Dims and Establishment Repugs WANT!
They cannot acknowledge the successes that the Tea Party won else they must change their big spending, big governement ways.
Rove was the first volley when he torpedoed ODonnell because the far left RINO he pushed lost. Same happened in Alaska and to Sarah in the months following.
Any establishment types defend her over the Tuscon accomplise to murder charges?
Krauthammer has attack Sarah as unserious and uncurious and not ready, cause the status quo must be maintained to maintain their insider status and keep their consulting/analyst fees flowing.
They really seriously misjudge the mood of the people who pay the bills and make the country work.
The media may downplay the Tea Party and the Repugs may try to marginalize us, but the results of the last election speak for themselevs and if this travesty of a bill built upon the shell of Boehenrs already weak offer the last election will look like a cakewalk for the two party game players compared to 2012.
Throw ALL the bums out. Look for primary challengers now. Throw your hat in if you have to.
The Lyin kING just annouced tax increases are going to be a part of the commission.
How about the Bush tax cuts? Let them expire when the current CR runs out in 9-11?
“built upon the shell of Boehenrs already weak offer ” , add (passes)
above
Credit to Krauthammer I just saw a clip of him giving the Tea Party credit for changing the debate from the Lyin Kings wish list of alternative energy projects to debt and spending calling Obamas plans from Jurassic Park.
Credit to Charles today who sees the Tea Parties role as framing the debate.
dhunter, very good summary. I fairly well agree with most of what you said.
I have been an admirer of Krauthammer, but lately he is displaying too many tendencies toward supporting the establishment.
Rove is in over his head. Can’t believe anything he says.
Sarah isn’t ready? After Obama, there is no one unqualifed.
He has been and will continue to be the biggest disaster ever to usurp the oval office. He has to be led to the bathroom.
Bush tax cuts expire 9/12? or 11/12?
Someone have the answer?
Probably 10/12 since October is the beginning of the Government’s Fiscal Year and all budget related legislation runs from Oct – Sept
Obama’s life as the president of the United States is really controversial. Some hate him and some like him very much and I think one of those who doesn’t like him that much is the U.S. Congressman for Colorado, Doug Lamborn, who was recently on a radio talk show discussing working with the president, the economic climate and the debt ceiling discussions. In the interview, the Congressman called the President a name which many were offended by. I found this here: Congressman calls Obama derogatory name. How Obama would properly respond to this is being watched by everyone specially his critics.