Associated Press
The irony of last night's drama on Capitol Hill was that the proposal at stake had far more symbolic value than substantive. House Speaker John Boehner, after having abandoned his own fiscal talks, pushed his "Plan B" knowing full well it would not, and could not, become law. Rather, Boehner hoped to use the measure to send a message.
Oh, he sent a message, all right. It's just not the one the Speaker intended.
At least in theory, there was a coherent strategy underlying Boehner's efforts. He would pass his pointless charade, demand Democrats do as he instructed, and cover his backside when the larger process fell apart. All the Speaker needed was his own allies to follow his lead, and give him some additional leverage.
To that end, Boehner tried everything. He tried pleading with his Republican allies, threatening them, and offering them all kinds of goodies. The Speaker made appeals based on emotion, economics, loyalty, and pragmatism, at times, simultaneously.
But in the end, despite all the bravado and faux confidence, Boehner just couldn't deliver. The party he ostensibly leads heard his impassioned pleas, and decided not to follow him.
Debacles of this magnitude are rare.
We'll explore Boehner's future as Speaker a little later this morning, but before we do, let's take stock of where things stand.
We know, for example, that Democratic unity is on the rise, despite concerns over President Obama's latest offer, and that the "Plan B" fiasco has strengthened the Democratic position considerably.
Similarly, we know congressional Republicans are in complete disarray, lacking direction, vision, cohesion, and leadership. Boehner invested his stature and credibility in a pointless initiative, and after twisting in the wind for days, was left looking like a fool.
And we know that there are very limited options remaining to avoid the looming deadlines, which if unmet, may well push the nation back into a recession.
As a simple matter of arithmetic, if House Republicans aren't prepared to follow their own leadership and support a list of right-wing goodies, Boehner and the rest of the GOP leadership must realize that the road to 218 votes runs through the Democratic caucus -- if the Speaker can't pass a bill with his own side's support, he's going to need Nancy Pelosi's help.
Since Boehner has already deliberately blown up his talks with the White House, it will be very tough for the Speaker to give Obama a sheepish call, saying, "Maybe we can give this another shot?" The more likely scenario is that the president will have to quickly begin a very different set of discussions: finding a bill that can generate bipartisan support in the Senate, satisfies Pelosi and House Dems, and can generate the support of a couple dozen House Republicans.
All of this will have to happen, of course, over the course of about 10 days -- two of which are Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Last night, House GOP leaders also announced they're leaving town, possibly to return next week. After last night, there was no real point in them sticking around, anyway.
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LOLOL, and what was the Republican Party saying before this vote - that they thought they saw "weakness" in the President's position???
All a republican can do is projection because they are incapable of understanding that anyone is different from them. They are immoral greedy self centered jerks so everyone must be just like them, they suffer from over inflated egos, you see it in the way they worship Wall street and business.
On the contrary, I think .... Republicans see themselves as ABOVE everyone else, even to the point where they can decide who lives or dies, just by their policies and agenda they want to push (i.e. eliminating Social Security either quickly or bit by bit, along with other social safety net programs). They have a God complex and so much greed, they can't see beyond the "greenbacks" and are controlled by money to the point they can't function. They see everyone else as different from themselves and the "WE, THE PEOPLE" referred to in the Constitution have nothing to do with them. Yet they take our money and all we pay for. There is NO conscience and absolutely NO empathy for the people they are supposed to work for.
roflmao And what do you call this booming economy under Obummer? He just proved you can fool all of the morons all of the time. LOL
http://redstatements.co/for-the-gop-the-road-to-victory-is-capitulation/
I call this economy as good as can be expected when every republican in Congress has made it their number one priority to block everything that might have made the country stronger solely to increase their own chances of winning an election (which they got trounced in anyway).
"Republicans see themselves as ABOVE everyone else, even to the point where they can decide who lives or dies."
Various people have expressed horror over the Khmer rouge's slogan "Your life is no benefit; your death is no loss", a concept that the KR applied very widely with little or no discrimination. It ought to be clear that those on the right seek to arrogate to themselves the right to decide who lives and who dies.
How hilarious. The criminal organization of serial lying democrat frauds is always trying to put down those they can never measure up to or beat in election on merit of honesty. There favorite tactic is to accuse Republicans of what in fact democrats are guilty of. All these useful idiots have made themselves willing criminal accomplices. They all belong in prison with their 85% felon support base.
Wow Rob, you mean to say 85% of democrats are felons? Slap the cuffs on me Rob, I am guilty of felony love for my country, and embarrassment for having to account for the right wing. My foreign friends are astounded that Americans vote against themselves for such blatant liars, and I have nothing to say except that I agree with them.
They know the difference between "there" and "their." Be educated before spewing garbage. Calm down, stop watching Fox News and read a book.
I reall can't stand you, Steven Ahle and others like you with you all if misery loves company then the room has overflowed it's capacity limit!
i have alwways thougt of boehner as a self-centered,arrogant SOB who cares about no one but himself,like romney. he thinks he's being top dog and his own party doesn't believe in what he's doing. if you watch some normal news and forget fox, you will be much more educated in the real world of politics. maybe that's what BONER should do.
Agreed. Another RINO Republican, aka "Democrat Lite," replace him with a true conservative Tea Party Republican and then we'll have someone and something to vote for instead of staying home.
http://www.nbcnews.com/business/economywatch/consumers-businesses-shrug-fiscal-cliff-1C7659307
It's funny because your sarcasm completely doesn't match reality at all.
Steve if you watched more than Fox news you would be much more informed. So your good with giving Paris Hilton a unneeded tax break, cutting social security, medicaid, and kicking extremely poor families with little children to feed off of food stamps. It's a proven fact people with higher educations are Democrats and well of course there are your kind, the hate filled, uneducated, LOUD, Republican lemmings. Lay off the moonshine and read a newspaper.
I call this economy excellent considering 30 years of "Trickle Down, " which has been debunked and proven insolvent economic policy. Obstruction to change doesn't stop change, but only slows it down. We the People are not interested in austerity! The GOTP and their following can take that show on the road. There is no pain in change, we tried trickle down and needed another direction a very long time ago. Clinton changed direction and the country did great. The only pain is in resistance to change and that is exactly where we are; resisting the change of a failed economic policy (TRICKLE DOWN). The Mayan's got the date right 12/21/2012 is the day the GOTP killed themselves. No coming back from this I don't think.
Stephen Ahle - proof that David Sirota was right that we need to start profiling the white males who are always the crazy ones withe the guns.
Thanks for demonstrating that the majority of lumpenproletariat white American males are lower on the evolutionary scale than aomeobas.
"and embarrassment for having to account for the right wing."
You don't have any standing to say anything about the right. You cannot even hold the filthy hateful serial lying party of democrats accountable for ripping off the tax payers for decades accountable for anything. You are a willing accompli.
"It's a proven fact people with higher educations are Democrats"
Higher education doesn't translate into intelligence, being smart or having common sense. Nor does having your minds molested with democrat lies , propaganda and hate speech. Here is what you own leaders proudly claimed ... 85% of felons support democrats.
You have been lied to and duped by criminal frauds and thieving liars. It's a fact that conservatives care more and give more of their time and money to help the needy. Many of your leaders are the tightest, give little to nothing to charity. They are charitable with other peoples money.
More verbal vomit from the worthless troll.
What galls me is that Faux news and Rushbo will probably blame Obama's 'lack of leadership' for all this, and that there will still be 20-25% of the population that will believe that.
*shakes head*
Sometimes, you just can't do anything about "stupid" except isolate them.
You just can't fix stupid.
Not this year.
Half the Republicans accuse the President of failing to lead. The other half accuse him of being and dictator. Very interesting.
What do you care that Republicans state the obvious? Obama is also a dirty filthy liar, a criminal fraud and a thief. You are powerless to change those facts which is why you are always falsely accusing Republicans of what in fact democrats are guilty of desperately trying to bring them down your level because that is the only way democrats can win.
The fact is democrats simply cannot win elections on merit or honesty which is why democrats are seething with hate toward those they can not measure up to by choice. Democrats have only themselves to blame for crossing the point of no return and pickling themselves.
Another fact-free pile of dreck that needs to be collapsed.
And what is the Senate doing? Oh that's right. Reid said they will do nothing and anything the House passes is a non-starter. This is a great way to get compromise. All these idiots in Washington need to go.
And be replaced by who? Looneytarians? I smell a Paulista.
It was nice of Boehner to wrap up his little piece of Kabuki theatre and go home...
...leaving the stage set for the serious policy proposals of the NRA at today's press conference.
Is there any way y'all could determine which House Republicans shorted the stock market in the days leading up to December 21, 2012? I suspect there's some nasty business afoot...
We need to get rid of these Tea Party Pooper guys in 2014, including the Govenors of FL, OH, LA & WI. They are taking the USA down the drain for the good of Koch Bros. When Eric Cantor meets with the Koch Bros, behind closed doors, you know it's not good for the Middle Class. Why are they so sneaky? Why does he have this smile on his face, waking down the hall of the Capital and ignornig the press. If Dem's did that it would be cannon fodder.
Dont forget Snyder here in michigan, he is clearly in with those guys, Especially after the majority of voters here in mi voted against laws that clearly only benefit the corporations and such, only to have snyder just change the name of the law and ram it through anyway :/
Don't forget about Michigan in your target list of Gov's to be voted out of office in 2014. Snyder is among the worst.
Also Tom Corbett in PA. Gotta go.
They all have to go! They are useless to the American people in those states. I can't believe my home state of WI. let Walker stay after they worked so hard to recall him. What a waste.
Democrat criminals and their useful idiot accomplices are taking down this Country. Filthy lying dope fiends.
RobLACa must come from Porter Ranch, the last place left in LA where dumbass white people can still get their marching orders at the local megachurch.
" RobLACa must come from Porter Ranch, the last place left in LA where dumbass white people can still get their marching orders at the local megachurch."
Listen stupid , I don't go to church and my entire family is of Mexican decent. I am an AMERICAN, a registered democratic AMERICAN, never a stupid filthy lying democrat full of hate like many here choose to be or were taught to be.
I have been extremely competitive in numerous sports and am used to winning because I have been gifted, put in the practice and always give 100%. That is why I was instantly turned off and disgusted when I finally made the decision to inform myself in the area I new absolutely nothing about, politics. Naturally I despise liars and shameless cheaters who think they can play games with my life and the lives of the American people they think they are entitled to rule and dictate to.
As if anybody could trust anything he says.
"never a stupid filthy lying democrat full of hate like many here choose to be or were taught to be." Did you bother to read your own post before you hit the send key? Hatred, thy name is RobLACa.
'am used to winning because I have been gifted" as well as being quite full of yourself. Please look up the definition of "hubris".
"the area I new (sic) absolutely nothing about, politics." And since then what have you learned? I would suggest you still have a great deal to learn about politics. Actually, in a democracy we elect leaders to make the kind of decisions that control how people relate to one another. If you truly hate liars and shameless cheaters, how can you still be a Reptilian?
"in a democracy we elect leaders to make the kind of decisions that control how people relate to one another"
WTF? You people really have had your minds molested. We are not a democracy. Got it?
"make the kind of decisions that control how people relate to one another""
What the hell is this supposed to mean?
No politician controls or tells me how to relate to anyone. That is not their place besides they do not even have the standing, credibility or integrity to follow their own rules on how they thing we should behave. These arrogant vainglorious blowhards with their pseudo intellect are a complete joke and an embarrassment. They simply do not know their place.
Many of those on the right certainly seem to go beyond ego-maniacal anarchism all the way to nihilism.
Poor John Boehner, exposed by his own side, as a limp, flaccid... well, you get the idea.
Too bad there's no such thing as political V*agra, or some other 'quicker-pecker-upper' the Speaker can take.
There is but it requires a natural disaster and a photo op hug with President Obama. Just ask Chris Christy.
Hey, maybe the Mayan Apocalypse will help them out....
*looking at calendar* ... oh, right...
Steve, a few days ago there was a post about Obama's effort to "conquer and divide" the GOP. Apparently, Boehner decided to help him.
BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
mindc, If you think watching your government collapse as the result of cold hearted idiocy is funny and cute, you are part of the problem.
India, the 'fiscal cliff' was manufactured by the Republicans- with Democratic help- because they did not want to solve the problem, so created a 'poison pill' that would explode on Jan 1, 2013.
Returning to the Clinton tax rates and cutting spending- the 'sequester'- will not be the end of the world. Come think of it, how's that Mayan prediction turing out today?
Good morning, Day, Well, I am still here and at 9:00 AM our snow and wind has just begun here in PGH. I hope we don't lose power. Looks like we may have a white Christmas.
I think Boehner may be a little disappointed that the Mayans were wrong. Now he must resort to Plan c: A case of Scotch.
What Day said--or more specifically--we are not watching our government collapse. We have been watching a cancer eat away at its heart. A bit of euphoria on the thought that it might be eating itself is to be expected. In fact, you may as well revel in the sight of it now because the collapse of the current speaker does not make a more flexible speaker likely.
That is what i think the tax hike is about. not that it will change much in the way of increased revenue but that it will kill that pledge.
Btw, is there an attorney in the house who can tell me why we cnnot bring a class action suit against politicians who took and oath and are contractd to represent us but clearly are represeting lobbyists?
India-I keep rereading my post and I don't see the words "funny" or "cute" anywhere. That Boehner made a gigantic political miscalculation is not evidence of the government's collapse. And I don't see how my pointing that out makes me "part of the problem." But if it makes you feel better to blame little ol' me for the fall of the U.S. government, fine.
Have a nice day.
Yeah, I do see little ol you as part of the problem. I don't blame you for the collapse of the U.S. government. I blame the entire T-Party. I blame the Plutocrats. I blame the toxic talkers like Rush. I blame Fox "news". If you think they aren't taking us down, you are naive.
"Have a nice day." I plan to do just that in spite of it.
Watching what Congressional Republicans have done to this country is not funny at all, India. But sometimes the lunacy of the Right gets so extreme that all you can do is laugh. Because once the tears start, they won't stop for a l-o-o-o-n-g time.
What republicans have done? I love how the media seems to reinvent history, and then people like you spout off the same tired responses. Clinton had a profound role in the collapse of our housing market. Recall the community reinvestment act of 1995. In addition, opening up free trade with China pretty much put a nail in our already deteriorating manufacturing industry. These failed policies were continued by Bush, but started under Clinton. So please let's not forget your parties involvement. It's not Obama's welfare spending that bothers me.. It's the corporate welfare. You might wanna re-look over the results of the 2010 audit of the federal reserve. 16 trillion in corporate welfare.
Ah yes, it's the "haynus librul media" whine again.
Just like it's the "Bush handed me this problem" whine I hear from Obama
However, it is true that the President inherited the problem from Bush II, and also true that the disloyal opposition is doing its worst to aggravate the problems in order to place blame for it on Obama. But you already knew that, didn't you.
Fugadaddy: WSJ is already doing that on the editorial page. Ludicrous: "The White House may chortle that the GOP is in disarray, and it is, but this failure to govern also owes much to President Obama's failure to negotiate with any degree of seriousness."
Oi!
Bah... Humbug.
Pfftt,,,,
Presupposing this is even true (it isn't), why would that not make us even more euphoric? The Repugnicons have made no secret that their ultimate plan is to "starve the beast". Why would anybody negotiate with people trying to blow-up your government?
Excuse me . Please refer to it by it's correct Monicker:
Murdoch Street Journal.
This accurately reflects the editorial policy.
Not to be trusted to disseminate actual facts.
The paper of record for the 1%
I just love the idea that the President of the United States is expected to lead members of the US Congress. Do these people not understand how "separation of powers" works? Congress is it's own separate branch that in many ways has wayyyyy more power than the President of the United States (it was constitutionally designed that way). And yet we hear Republicans day after day whining about how their isn't any leadership in congress. NEWSFLASH: the people IN congress ARE leaders. Why can't THEY get off THEIR lazy asses and try to compromise if the president is such a dismal failure?
This is why I don't believe Republicans for a second when they whine that it's the Demmicrats who are preventing progress in this country.
OK, here is why the T-Party caucus found it impossible to vote for the speaker's bill: They were fine with the cuts to Meals on Wheels, (A program that feeds the elderly infirm), OK with cuts to food stamps (Helps feed the children of very poor families), Fine with cuts to other social safety net programs that help the vulnerable live a more decent life. Numerous cuts to programs that hurt the poor were all on the table and not one T-Party congressman or woman had a problem with that. So, why did Boehner's caucus fail to deliver votes?
It raised taxes a little bit on people making over a million dollars a year. (Only on income over that first million.)
This is not our congress anymore. This is a nest of vipers.
I think we could sum this up much more concisely: the House Republican caucus is incapable of agreeing to anything except expressions of hate, spleen, and tantrums generally (e.g. thirty-plus repeals of Obamacare and naming everything on Earth after Ronald Reagan.)
The only ones full of hate are you filthy lying criminal scum who cannot win elections on merit or honesty Democrats have been ripping off the tax payers for decades and then blame Republicans because we are broke.
DC, #9.1, This is the other thing these right wing Republicans got wrong: Ronald Reagan was nothing like them at all. They'd throw Reagan under the bus as a socialist today!
No, this is not the party of Reagan, it is the party of Michele Bachmann.
(Looks like a party member just logged on! #9.2)
" (Looks like a party member just logged on! #9.2)"
That's the problem with you problem with people like you. You don't "know" what you are talking about. You don't know the facts, you just spout out BS like "They'd throw....""Looks like..."
I'm am a registered democratic AMERICAN, since the age of 18. Fact. Now you "know" something.
Actually, India, I think that many of the Teabillies mistook Plan B for a morning-after contraceptive, and refused to support it.
Rob- you've been a registered democratic AMERICAN since the age of 18. But does that mean you've actually had a chance to vote yet?
"That's the problem with you problem with people like you." Dang, you sure sound a lot like Mitt Romney's wife. "That's all people like you have to know". And what's with the "problem with you problem with people like you"? Don't you know how to proofread or use the little thing called "edit"?
Also, and this isn't the first time, please understand that the little red line under your words is not there to emphasize them; it's an indication that they are misspelled.
This whole "Plan B" think is much ado about nothing. You have to keep in mind that these are career politicians and people who almost never do anything that is outside their own best interests (that goes for both parties BTW).
I seriously doubt there was ever any real or genuine thought that anything would get done by the end of the year and certainly not by Christmas. There was a game of political chicken to see where the other side was for the session after the new year but that's about all.
Look at this from a logical and historical perspective. Most of the cuts that are in the sequester are things they are more or less talking about now and they are things that no one likes the thought of but know they are going to get forced into anyway. Sort of like taking off a Band-aid. Their only genuine concern is freaking out the markets and the instability that could bring but if they act by the end of January that would be minimal.
When they do act everyone gets to vote for a Tax cut (hell the republicans get to give their base the same tax cut Twice!) and pawn off the blame on the other party. Most of the country will blame the Republicans but they don't care about "Most" of the country's opinion only their bases (thanks to gerrymandering they aren't likely to loose unless it's a primary) and those people are stuck in the FOX News spin cycle and will blame the Democrats that the earth is farther away from the sun.
This isn't a "Fiscal Cliff" It's a fiscal Y2K
99% of these GOP caucus's base are not wealthy, and so I do not think they are protecting their constituents. They are protecting their millionaire puppetmasters like Grover Norquist and the despicable Koch brothers. They are protecting their a#$es.
They are holding Democracy hostage to the wealthy extremists. This is not governing, this is more like treason. They were deliberately funded and put in the house to obstruct our Democracy. That is their job. Legislation means nothing to them. The American people mean nothing to them. This is about power: the power to hurt the president of the United States no matter the cost to the country.
Wrong. The problem is not the career politicians. They would make a deal and keep the country running. The problem is the Tea Patsies, the so-called citizen-legislators. They are either too inexperienced or too lacking in flat-out brains to understand the issues and the problems.
I agree, it is the T-Party. I thought that was clear.
More than anything all of this is them protecting themselves at this point. The problem is that the Press (and I hold much of MSNBC guilty of this as much as anyone else) are going along with the "Chicken little" narrative about how the fiscal sky is falling. It's not and a lot of this will be resolved before the end of January. There is just way to much money at stake.
Sure the 0.5% will get some kind of a tax cut or a new loophole out of this but to people like that the tax increase that they are looking at is chump change and they know it, but it also gives them something to complain about (or more accurately to have their representatives complain about) because if the 0.5% know one thing it's that you have to spend money to make money. Consider what they get in return. A wedge to get the rank and file conservatives to go along with all the other stuff that isn't in their best interest ie: right to work, minimum wage regulation, SEC regulations.
I know this all sounds all "Illuminati" and conspiratorial but keep in mind that I am speaking generally and I don't think that it's that centralized or organized. This is just another exercise in a tradition that has gone on as long as human society. How the pie gets sliced and who get the biggest piece.
The Tea Party are crazy and I am sure more than a few of them want to dismantle the government entirely but what would they get if they did? Basically the same things that they are after now it's just a matter of speed and finesse and I have a feeling most of them are catching on quickly
Come on y'all...."Tis the season, get in the spirit and sing along to the tune of Jingle Bells:
Fiscal cliff, fiscal cliff,
Boehner threw a fit
No matter how he crys and crys,
His numbers just won't fit!
if boehner had any sense of honor or self respect, he'd be seriously considering seppuku, or handing the keys to the speaker's office to cantor, telling him that he's being paged back on planet earth.
Boehner, to me, looks to be constantly drunk. He needs to step down as speaker and enter rehab.
How do you want it to be? There is an easier way to participate, solve problems, and hold leaders accountable between elections. www.at10us.com
They had a fella on Morning Joe, an R from Kansas, that was TeaParty to the max. Don't touch my guns or my tax rates.
Beliefs are often inconvenient. If you don't "Believe" in the tides, then you better keep away from the beach. Or stay in Kansas. . .
Everybody should read Frank's book, What's The Matter With Kansas?
Why? Because the disease has spread to the other states.
Morning Joe was great this morning. The R from Kansas was absolutely pathetic! Really proved what idiots they have representing the Republican party. I absolutely have no respect for any of these people! Joe, it is time to convert! At least be an independent and set yourself apart from this morons!
The patriotic Koch Bros, cant seem to give a few $$$ to help this country out when asked. Yet everyone that would be effected by the spending cuts on the poor, sends their sons and daughters to fight and die for our country.
You filthy lying criminal AKA democrat.
Wait till 2014 Republicans won't know what hit them. You hire these @!$%#s and they act like children. Get over yourselves and start working for the good of all.
RobLACa, you're suspended for a week for violating #1 of the Code of Honor.
"So much of the world is ignorant and poor and/or bound by myth/religious dogma, that even with the BEST intentions, we are stuck with the consequences of that.....lots of babies continuing the cyle of IGNORANCE and poverty.
If children have not been raised to understand and care about the consequences of having so many children, and the SUPPORT structures don't exist to reinforce the point, you CAN'T change that. We don't have the will or resources to change that, ever.
The fact is that the population will keep going until the damage to the environment (happening now) tips so far as to kill billions upon billions of us, if not all. Whole populations will die out, and millions upon millions will migrate and haves/versus have-nots will fight and many developed societies will collapse under the strain. Then evenentually a much smaller populaltion will be left in the mess that is all that remains of a once friendly ecosystem to pick up the pieces."
Scientific American, 2011
(Money doesn't MEAN anything now....CANNOT BUY Mother Universe......
Just enjoy what makes you happy and THIS couldn't make anyone happy .....if you get my drift. :-)
The GOP is the largest collection of psychopaths not in prison or on Wall Street
Look who is talking democrat criminal and traitor. 85% of felons support democrat loser. It is your side that belongs in prison.
Gee this is a great site. When it's Repbulican bashing the community is just fine but mention anything about Democrats. This site is for losers.
Then Why are you here Ken? Like hanging out with people you call losers? Really? What does that say about you?
There are not enough millionaires to vote these people into office, so why would the middle class/ poor vote for these idiots to make themselves worse off?
Too many people vote based on religion, against reproductive rights, or pro-gun without thinking about what their chosen politician will do on every other issue.
Yep, how do you think Louisiana got saddled with Bobby Jindal--twice (Not all of us who live here voted for him)?
SO TRUE ! There are a lot of Dems in Louisiana. After the raping of the public school systems in the state, even Repubs here want "Boobie" Jindal to GEAUX !!!!
He is a disgusting piece of crap.....GREEDY and wanting to privatize schools, hospitals and prisons. ALL of which will line the pockets of his already filthy rich cronies. SAD.
Ronald Reagan's great skill was his ability to convince the American middle class to vote against its own economic interests. That is truly the mark of a great actor.
Gregg R #18, That is explained so perfectly in Frank's book, What's The Matter With Kansas?
It goes into tragic detail about how the wealthy GOP got the average person to vote against their own interests. It is too complex to state here.
I see the results of this policy all around me in Western PA: Boarded up stores, crumbling infrastructure, shop closings, high unemployment, etc. Yet these same struggling people are voting to lower taxes on the wealthy! Tragic. You see bumper stickers here all the time that say, "I'll keep my guns; you keep the change," and "Fire Obama!" (Fire the one person who could help end the blight all around them!)
Seriously Plan B was always a disaster waiting to happen, a political move that we don't have time for. The speaker has zero ability to lead those self serving cats in the tea party, he really needs to find their tuna.
Next step : Plan CD...
... For Cliff Diving...
What I think is the far more frightening thing about this for our country is where do we go now. The president is in a very awkward situation created by the Tea Party in the GOP. He can't negotiate with Speaker Boehner because any deal they strike will not pass the house as Speaker Boehner's caucus won't vote for anything that the Democrats would like (see Plan B). He can't negotiate with the Tea Party because they won't budge on anything. If he works with Reid and Pelosi to craft a deal Democrats can pass the GOP will knee jerk react to it by voting it down (plus there is the fact that Obama is now in that awkward position of negotiating with himself again).
It's absolutely terrifying that we really do have a governing body that is entirely unable to actually govern. This is an artificial crisis and the GOP Tea Partiers are absolutely willing to destroy the US economy (both by going over the cliff and staying there and then using the Debt Ceiling as additional leverage destroying our credit) unless they get exactly what they want. I would love to see the number of bills actually drafted by any Tea Party member in Congress, I firmly believe they have no idea how to draft a bill. This is absolutely not how our system is supposed to work.
If you look at the history of the US Congress we generally pass hundreds if not thousands of bills every year. That is because each individual committee comes up with a solution to their problem and then recommends passage to the full body. Generally the full body takes up the recommendation of the committee and passes bills. This is the only way for a complicated "company" like the US to run. There are far to many pressing problems on the nation for every single member of congress to zero in on one problem at a time (climate change, immigration, fiscal cliff, gun control, regulations for health care reform, educational reform, ending the Iraq war, foreign affairs, electoral reform). Think about if in your company where ever you work you spent 6 months on one tiny aspect of running the company, for instance everyone in the company only focused on making sure the trash was picked up every week. For those 6 months nothing else was even addressed. The company would absolutely fall to pieces (things wouldn't be ordered, customers would be ignored etc). That is what our government does.
I don't know what the answer is, I don't see how the House passes a single bill this year that isn't some perfunctory resolution like "Newtown was a tragedy." There are so many things that need to happen (whether they be conservative or liberal solutions) but we as a country cannot seem to even get one thing done when the entire focus of the nation is on it.
Go off the cliff, then regroup and press on....Obama, don't be a wimp and fold.
President Obama, falter not in fear,
For we reflect the ideals you espouse.
Your foolish freshman foes don't want to hear
"You have our full support" in deafened House.
You know, full well, that you possess the right,
The duty to extend expended debt.
Though former leaders failed us in foresight,
Your duty lies in paying charges set.
The Taxed-Enough-Already Party hates
The fact that you were chosen to lead this land.
They refuse to care for these United States,
For "united"'s a concept they can't understand.
Invoke the 14th to avoid default,
And don't give in to TEA Party assault.
Rachel, you explained the situation externally, but not what's really going on? What is this really about? Is it more sabotaging the system (government) to bring down the wicked oppressors? You had a good phrase for that a couple days ago - don't remember your words.
I believe at some point in the negotiations with the President, Boehner realized that even the offers had already made would never get a majority of the republicans to vote for them and that there was nothing he could offer that would accomplish that that would also get sufficient dems on board to pass. In short, he can't lead his caucus to any compromise that would actually pass both houses of congress and be signed by the President. And given his punishment of reps. that didn't go along with the caucus in the past Re: committee assignments, there's no up side for individual members to go against the majority of their party - at least without real leadership from Boehner and Cantor. I can't see any way out of this mess now and I wonder if we won't have a new speaker for the next congress (which won't help, but Boehner clearly isn't in charge now).
Once again, the truly impressive thing is that Boehner can't get 28 House Republicans to vote for something that has a chance of passing the Senate.
Not exactly. Boehner follows the Hastert Rule, which dictates that no bill be brought to the floor that cannot be passed by the Republican caucus, with without Democratic votes. What Boehner must do now--and it might well cost him his speakership--is negotiate an agreement that will satisfy the President and the Senate, while passing the House using 190 Democratic votes and 27 or so GOP votes (there are two vacant seats right now). In other words, he must jetison the Hastert Rule for the good of the country. Will he do it? We'll find out soon whether he is a Republican or an American.
We'll find out soon whether he is a Republican or an American.
I think that was answered in the negative (an American) last night.
Great show last night but please, no more Luke "The Mascot" Russert. We all know why he has the job he has and that hiring seems so much like the world the Republicans inhabit.
When I hear this unskilled, unremarkable young man talk in cliches about his "3 1/2 years" covering Capitol Hill, I want to cry on the graves of NBC pros like Irving R. Levine and Tom Pettit.
I can't help but believe that Tim Russert would be extremely disappointed in the fact that someone hired his incompetent son as a "journalist".
Ironically, young Luke was given a prize internship at Late Night with Conan O'Brien, so perhaps his father and others knew the kid was more inclined to elicit snickers and guffaws.
That Luke Russert thing is kind of creepy. They know Tim's gone, but they just can't let him go. So Tim get's projected on Luke, and Luke gets a fancy job he never came close to earning.