So as to escape Rick Perry's shine and keep themselves on the front page (wow, Mitt Romney), the Republican presidential field (minus a few) really showed out in last night's debate. The Jerry Springer-like cheers from the crowd really underscored the spectacle that presidential debating has become, with so much emphasis on who "won" and who "lost." Aside from all the Pawlenty-Bachmann scrapes and Ron Paul distinguishing his anti-war position (and how), what really stands out?
The moment you see above, when every single Republican presidential candidate on the stage refused a hypothetical budget deal that contained $1 of taxes for every $10 of spending cuts. Steve Benen puts that in rather stark perspective:
Let’s note for context that in March — just five months ago — Republicans on the Joint Economic Committee released a report on deficit reduction. In it, House GOP officials outlined their ideal cuts-to-revenue ratio, and concluded that “successful” attempts at deficit reduction meet this goal: “85% spending cuts and 15% revenue increases.” Roughly speaking, that’s about a 5-to-1 ratio in Republicans’ favor — and this is what GOP officials characterized as their ideal earlier this year.
And yet, as of last night, every Republican running for president believes a 10-to-1 ratio simply isn’t good enough. What’s more, as the video shows, the crowd of Iowa Republicans roared with approval.
10 to 1, especially in this instance, is not just a win. It's a rout. And it's still not enough. Ezra Klein made a good point that last night was less about differences in opinion than about "fealty to (Republican) policy," and took the scorecard mentality so many apply to political debates and flipped it on its head:
A world in which the GOP will not agree to deficit reduction with a 10:1 split between spending cuts and tax increases is a world where entitlement reform can’t happen. It’s a world where the “supercommittee” fails and the trigger is pulled, and thus a world in which $1 out of every $2 in cuts comes from the Pentagon. It’s not a world that fits what many in the GOP consider ideal policy. But it is a world in which none in the GOP need to traverse the treacherous politics of compromise...
The losers in tonight’s debate were anyone who wants to see the sort of compromise necessary for the political process to work, and anyone who has been convinced that they can achieve their goals simply by restating their convictions. As for the winners? Well, I didn’t see too many of those.
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I keep waffling back and forth in my anger/praise of Obama over the way he handled the Debt ceiling situation.I believe he was either incredibly weak or incredibly brilliant.The jury is still out,but what he did do by putting the big 3 on the table first was to force the republicans even further to the right,because no matter what he does they will call him a socialist.So In order to maintain that stance they now have to attack everything most Americans hold dear such as Social Security,Medicare and Medicade.If This was intentional by Obama it was brilliant strategy,showing we the people who these greedy hate filled really are.Im just not 100 % sold that Obama isnt just another sellout.If It was intentional I have to believe more is coming and ultimately it could destroy the republican party from the inside,splintering the party into 2 or 3 new partys.Wouldnt that be the greatest thing since sliced Bread?
I have never been a terribly emotional person,but lately I find myself throwing things at the TV when the news shows the assinine comments these people make.They obviously dont give a damn about the country,only the corporations who own them.I hope to god that enough zombies wake up and see what theyre trying to do ,If not Ill be stocking up on Rice and Ramen,and pulling every dime out of the economy before I cant.Scary crap
The way he handled BP during the Deep Water Horizon disaster was absolutely weak. As was his extending the Bush Tax Cuts for two years for far less than that in unemployment insurance extensions. As was his discarding public option and single payer in healthcare reform. As was his adoption of the Republican's framing of the importance of deficit reduction over job creation, his siding with the Republican with union stripping by freezing the pay of federal public employees.
I'd vote no confidence if I could. He might be as smart as we were lead to believe. But I think he is either an abyssmal horse trader, or its not my interests he is actually representing. I could never trust a president who provided the Bush/Cheney Administration and their cronies with protection. This he has done. Not good!
Not another Texas Rublican running for president.
God have mercy on us all!!!!!