Associated Press
House GOP leaders are still struggling to lead their caucus.
Congressional Democrats and Republicans have been expected to have plenty of arguments in 2012, but the budget process was expected to go relatively smoothly. So much for that idea.
Just seven months ago, the parties agreed to spending levels for the upcoming year, as part of the debt-ceiling negotiations. With those figures already locked in, the most contentious part of the budget was already addressed. After all, as far as everyone was concerned, a deal's a deal.
This week, however, we're finding that rank-and-file House Republicans no longer like that deal, and are pushing GOP leaders to renege on it.
Conservatives are pressing House Speaker John A. Boehner (Ohio) and other GOP leaders to slash 2013 agency budgets below levels set during last year's debt-limit showdown, arguing that the deal did too little to curb spending.
While that move might impress tea party voters, it would put them at odds with Democrats and even Republicans in the Senate, who are eager to get through the summer and fall without another nasty spending fight that could shut down the government five weeks before voters head to the polls.
Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) had a lengthy meeting behind closed doors yesterday with Republicans on the House Budget Committee, urging them to honor the agreement the parties reached in August. By all accounts, the Cantor-led meeting resolved nothing -- GOP members still intend to ignore the bipartisan agreement and submit a budget resolution with spending levels below the agreed-upon levels.
Sahil Kapur reported yesterday, "[E]ven though Senate Democrats are all but certain to reject those levels, one veteran House conservative indicated that the GOP is indeed prepared to pick the fight anyhow."
The result of this is -- you guessed it -- a possible government shutdown in an election year.
At this point, the story is arguably still in the "keep an eye on this" phase. Republicans on the Budget Committee are apparently waiting for some baseline estimates from the Congressional Budget Office before deciding how to proceed, and those numbers won't be available until next week.
Still, the fact that GOP lawmakers are even thinking about ignoring their party leadership (again) and rejecting the bipartisan budget deal is causing a fair amount of consternation on the Hill.
Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) told the Washington Post, "If House Republicans walk away from the agreement their own Speaker made less than a year ago, then they will show that a deal with them isn't worth the paper it's printed on.... Republicans are playing with fire here, and I urge them to not cave to their most conservative members and to stick to the budget levels we already agreed to last year."
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But how do Democrats on the Hill convince the public that they're not the bad guys -- or that the President could do anything about it? After all, Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reily, and Rushbo (if he's still around) will tell us that -- and the American electorate is not very informed.
That's a valid concern, but it's worth remembering that Congressional approval levels seriously tanked as a result of the debt-ceiling fight year, and if I remember the polling correctly, the Republicans got most of the blame. With this being a big election year, Democrats should be able to get their message out there. So will the Republicans, but the Republican brand is badly eroded, even with many Republican supporters, and the Republican primary fight isn't helping. So I'm not all that certain how effective the right-wing noise machine is anymore. From budgets to unions to women's reproductive rights, the message that the GOP is off it's hinges is starting to seep through.
I don't believe the people are as foolish as you suggest. As a percentage of the population, Fox's and Limbaugh's audience is quite small, and it appears to me that the rest of us are getting increasingly sick of them.
(Full disclosure: I live in a large East Coast city, and have little contact with folks in the Confederate States.
While Fox's viewership as reported by the ratings agencies is relatively small, polls consistently show that ~70 of republicans only trust Fox for news. I have never been able to reconcile the numbers (~10 million versus 70 million) but the polling results are startlingly consistent and demonstrate that Fox's influence is overwhelmingly on the right.
I would love to see Steve and Rachel do an investigation of the polling versus viewership numbers, btw. They baffle me.
I have to agree with monk and angel, this may benefit Democrats in House and Senate races. Though I was born in the South, we moved soon after so I too have no idea what's on their minds. Their are still a sizable amount of "conservatives" in the Bay Area but I know their hearts aren't in the Presidential race, and it shows! I hope of course, a new showdown pushes the GOP and its insanity finally, off the cliff.
MeddlingMonk: if you zing over to PolicyMic.com you'll find that the Republican (and Libertarian/Paulbotian/Austrian Economics) noise machine is alive and well and churning out talking points with dispatch.
The real problem isn't that Southerners (yes, I saw that, hell's littlest angel) or Fox viewers or people outside Megalopolis aren't educated or don't pay attention to politics. Every 4 years, EVERYBODY pays attention to politics.
The real problem is 2-fold: 1) our 24/7 news cycle insists on having SOMETHING SENSATIONAL to lead off the top of every hour...and let's face it, there isn't always a 50 car pile-up on I-95 when you need one. So, because all stories eventually get the celebrity/sensational treatment; all stories are cheapened and devalued. It's the Crying Wolf syndrome.
2) Everyone thinks he/she knows more about policy than they actually do. This includes older, white TPers and younger, multi-ethnic Millenials. If you engage someone on any issue and start asking questions: "Where do your opinions and beliefs COME from? What are your sources? How did you arrive at those decisions?" you find that almost NOBODY can tell you honestly that they've done anything but make a snap judgement based upon minimal input...not much more than you do when you decide which shampoo to buy.
I was merely saying, Carolina, that I am insulated from Republicanism's last bastion by a thick, comfy layer of commies, darkies and queers, so my perspective may be overly optimistic.
Monk - I think wvng is right - ratings may say 10 million but I think Faux News influence is massive. I think that it is probable that 10 million watch on a certain day, but a lot of people just watch it once a week or so - and that is enough for Fox's campaign of mis-information to get through but not enough to count in the ratings. My anecdotal evidence is personal but scary - in central Missouri EVERYONE I knew watched Fox "News". Now I live in Indiana and again EVERYONE in my neighborhood watches Fox. Also, they all have no grasp at all of ANY facts about ANYTHING - so you can't even carry on an intelligent conversation with them. They're all really nice, sweet people - and totally misinformed. Also - They'll stop what they're doing to help pull your car out of a ditch (see - nice!), they all go to Church and read the bible - but if you're dying of cancer and don't have health insurance - you're on your own (they read the Bible but don't understand it - in my opinion). Even if - as in the Affordable Care Act - 30 million more people can be insured and it won't cost them a dime.
People are busy with their lives and don't want to spend the time to search for facts or truth and besides, where do they find facts? Google political facts? They don't want to spend the time to find facts and they shouldn't have to.
The major problem is MSM. They are not news anymore. They are 24/7 political bull@!$%# and for the most part, promote the tealiban half-truths and lies with no pushback.
When ClusterFaux can go to court and win the right to out and out lie because they are entertainment and still say they are fair and balanced news, we have a big problem with this system.
Never said it wasn't. I only question whether it will continue to be as effective as it has in the past. I see signs that it may not be, but am willing to admit that I am wrong if (for example) Romney walks away with the women and working-class whites this November.
We all may have to revise our ideas about how effective the right-wing media will remain, including me. Check this out. This isn't from a political site, it's industry.
And then there's this from the Washington Post. Even with the right-wing media so dominant, information damaging to Republicans does get around. It may take awhile, but things trickle out.
There are two general possible outcomes to current political/media trends that I can see. The first is that this is just a blip, the Democrats will find a way to extract defeat from the jaws of victory, and things will continue as they have for the past three decades. Or, a tipping point of some kind has been reached, and events will slowly topple over into...some other direction that I can't foresee.
So, has Speaker Boehner handed over the reins and said something to the effect of, "OK, boy, since you wanted to run the House so badly, you just go right on ahead and do it..."?
" Every 4 years, EVERYBODY pays attention to politics."
True, Carolina, but they do not start on Jan 1.
The Unwashed Masses do not tune in until we celebrate the Blossoming of the Yard Signs in mid summer. And the water cooler debates begin at the same time the pennant races heat up- i. e. Labor Day.
Until then, it is just us rabid folk without a life who click here several times a day.
What I find hilarious is that Cantor has clearly been gunning for Boehner's job from the beginning, and for all that Rachel covers about how bad Boehner is at being speaker, every indication is that Cantor would be even worse.
He probably can't even sing.
MM: LOL!
I am surprised that people haven’t realized what Christianity really is, especially if they have read the gospels beyond the bible. It is really an evolution, because Jesus got rid of everything that was to be followed and the Apostles couldn’t understand that they could now think of new ways to do things. That we as people could seek out knowledge to find answers and solutions for a better world. This has been way too much of the problem where church’s have remained stagnate and refuse to change because of some made up concept that they created many years ago. And the whole point is that as we gain more knowledge we evolve to something better. Perhaps that is the whole point of Jesus’ comment about the blink of God’s eye is a thousand years, it was an evolutionary moment where we could finally realize what it is to be a Christian and that we evolve to something better. Not back to what would cause despair on the people, but to seek that knowledge to solve problems in a better way. And no one can deny that Jesus also was very much for the equality, rights, and freedom of all people.
You are overlooking the parable of Jesus that is the inspiration of the prosperity gospel. Jesus taught that it is easier for a camel to fit thru the eye of a needle than for a poor man to go to heaven.
I hope that is sarcasm.
The reality is that there is no connection between these sick people and Christianity.
However religion isn't the issue being discussed.
The Republican Party is trying to fall off the edge of the world. Obviously they don't have a shred of decency, honor or viability. They don't give a tinker's dam for the people of America, they only want to get rid of the imaginary President Obama they have created for their fundamentalist base. I would accuse the people who agree with them as stupid and ill-informed, but the people I know are well educated, doing research and will still vote for the Republicans because they either are so far into banning abortion or defeating President Obama out of their hatred for him they will vote in any way possible that they are totally ignoring the facts to accomplish that end.
That is what is frightening to me.
Definitely sarcasm.
@grama - Sadly "religuluon" is a part of it because of the fundamentalist base that supports the GOP against their (& our) own best interests. I've read statistics that show many of the tea-potty have college education - so while being book smart, they're not able to translate that "intelligence" into "common sense, an ability to analyze reality, nor do they have discernment". Many of them may also be "afraid" and fear generally over takes reason.
What frightens me is their inability to move past that fear and actually pay attention to something other than FAUX NOISE, and their inability or stubborn refusal to realize that they're voting for the very people disenfranchising US all!
I agree, Zora.
I was shocked the other day to receive an email from a "friend" screaming about the threat of SHARIA LAW again. I didn't take the opportunity to tell her that I am much more concerned about FUNDAMENTALIST CONTROL than I will be about any form of Sharia Law taking over our country. I just didn't want to waste any more time or effort trying to get any form of reason into her. These poor, frightened souls are living in a hell that we can't understand and they can't get out of.
Thanks for your response!
sadoldvet--it was a RICH man who could not get into heaven--or were you being sarcastic.
The reason so many people hate Obama is that they fear change and Obama promised change. He has not been able to get the kind of change he wanted and that most of us who voted for him wanted, but that is because the Republicans have blocked so much.
Conservatives do not want change; they want to keep i.e. conserve the status quo. Change is a threat.
I would agree with you, bf, except for the fact that they are more than willing to change issues to get their noses into our private lives, to limit our voting rights and to determine what medical provisions we should be allowed to have, and to force us into their religious creeds, not to mention helping their corporate sugar daddies to run our country from the background.
When they start whining that they want "their country back", they mean that they want us all to be forced to go back to the pre-sixties. Really!!!!! The worst is that they are willing to use any method to fool the unaware out there to do that. How do you consider yourself a "christian" when you are willing to lie, cheat and steal to oppress others?
It is honestly beyond me.
A deal is a deal unless you make a deal with the devil and then it is revokable.
Every good repuknican will assure you that Obama and the democrats are evil incarnate and that any deal made with them is per se invalid.
John Boehner's devastating intransigence on ending obscene tax cuts for the rich is hurting America and going against the will of the American people. Voters overwhelmingly want tax hikes for the wealthy and action by Congress to close tax loopholes that let corporations earning billions in profits to pay a negative federal tax rate. House Republicans are perversely transparent in their attempts to protect the corporate elite that funds their political operations. http://www.sunstateactivist.org
As opposed to the less transparent efforts from the senate repukes and corporately owned democraps to protect the elite that fund their campaigns!
in Other News, those earth tremors felt all up and down the eastern seaboard were the Founding Fathers rolling in their graves.
Congress' approval rating with the American people -(10%)- is now lower than North Korea-(13%). . .
It is only the current low interest rate environment that is preventing Washington from becoming the next Greece as shown here:
http://viableopposition.blogspot.com/2012/02/ben-bernanke-finally-wakes-up-and.html
If interest rates rise to 4.5 percent, the average of the past 12 years, annual interest owing on the current debt will reach a rather frightening $720 billion or three-quarters of revenue gleaned from individual income taxes.
As America’s self-appointed Leader Of Our Nation (LOON), I am proud to announce my candidacy for President of the United States under the banner of the BLOCK Party (the Bunch of Looney Old Citizen Krackpots). Read the official announcement at http://voiceoftheloon.blogspot.com/. View my campaign web site and learn more about the Campaign to Restore American Prominence (CRAP) at http://barnes4prez.com/.
Best
always
Ron
Barnes
they are economic traitors agains this country. how many more examples must we see before folks finally GET THAT?
A deal is indeed a deal, unless you happen to be a conservative Republican, or that fictitious South Park character, Eric Cartman - "Whatever, whatever, I do what I want!"
The narrative is beginning to turn negative toward those who would herd culture-wars to corral the American electorate into voting against their own interests. FOXNEWS, Rush, and the Koch Bros. are becoming the story-line more frequently, and not so much in a positive way!
Tell a friend: A vote for a Republican is a vote for misery! -Kevo
This is no longer hyperbole. They are positioning to turn their backs on public safety needs and services out of personal ignorant arrogance. God spare their souls for the consequences and costs they invite.
Time for the uber rich to take their turn and kick in a bit ($) as citizens sacrifice for country. A majority of them appear ready to join the national effort and help.
Ah the party of 'values'. MY question is when did they decide that telling the truth and standing by their word was not a 'value'. You see it in the candidates and those in office.
Most of the women in the country woke up. One can only hope the sheeple of ClusterFaux do the same. I will gladly sacrifice the gas money for the tealiban's bus so they can drive that short distance and off that cliff.
One way and perhaps the best way to Balance the Budget would be to cut the Congress pay lets' say to minimum wage. That way they can show us how to survive in this Country on the wages they expect us to live on. Lead by example. When they start to produce a healthier relationship between all American citizens then they can get a raise. The civil wars that they are trying to incite are tearing us apart. Most of them I know will be fired for this mis-representation but, till then maybe they can volunteer to stop getting paid until the Budget is balanced. If it's really that important to them. Greed is killing us.
Q: How can you tell a Republican is lying?
A: Look and see if his lips are moving.
How anyone ever thought they could make any agreements that would stick with these lying traitors is beyond me. They want a fight? Let's give it to them and let the American people see these scum for the lying pieces of crap they are.
This sure sounds like a death wish. Public opinion on Congress and the Republicans have dropped every time they picked a budget fight. This fight will not end well for the Tea Party if Republicans renege on the deal because Dems will go into the election using not only the "fairness" issue but a "trust" issue. A government shutdown will allow the Dems to say the Republicans are sabotaging the economy. Boehner and Cantor know this so they will round up enough Republicans and Dems to get a budget through the House. But that means concessions to the Dems on the budget. Personally, I would like to see another government shutdown because that worked out so well for Newt.
People are aware that if you aggressively curb the money going to federal agencies then this inhibits those federal agencies from doing their jobs correctly, yes?
Correct. And when that happens the Republicans claim the government can't do anything right so abolish the agency or curb their powers and regulations.
I disagree, Mike. Yes, the Republican and Tea Party people do know that, the general public doesn't. Unless you are reading on-line articles and blogs, you really aren't aware that there is an issue there.
If you look at the multitudes of people complaining about the lack of government successes, you know that they are not connecting their idea of "shrinking government" to the results. The conservatives are more than willing to use that to close down those agencies they don't want.
I'm just saying. . .
Check out the people standing behind Cantor in the picture in this post. Look at the expressions on their faces as Cantor is speaking. One of the problems that make John Boehner bad at his job is Eric Cantor. Boehner's number two man, Cantor, is not helping his boss run the House. Instead he is trying to ride the tea party wave into Boehner's position. IMHO.