Because the more I think about Mitch McConnell’s proposal, the darker things are looking.
I tried in my initial post to be fair and balanced, and not simply reactive. But it’s growing on me, and not in a good way.
The good news is that 98% of Americans probably have no idea what the proposal is, and of those 98%, far more are on our side, according to the latest Gallup poll:
Despite agreement among leaders of both sides of the political aisle in Washington that raising the U.S. debt ceiling is necessary, more Americans want their member of Congress to vote against such a bill than for it, 42% vs. 22%, while one-third are unsure. This 20-percentage-point edge in opposition to raising the debt ceiling in Gallup’s July 7-10 poll is slightly less than the 28-point lead (47% vs. 19%) seen in May.
I’m hoping that by the morning, this will just have been a bad dream.
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Comments
It’s darkest before the dawn.
This “back-up plan” will not pass the House. And, from what I’ve gathered, it is not the endgame – yet. There are too many Conservatives who are telling these guys, “You are in the driver’s seat; you hold the winning hand. Just hold on.” As for me, I will be praying – HARD.
We can only hope and pray there won’t be a deal. But, if you read (or re-read) Sarah Palin’s FB post and Newsweek interview, she will be disappointed if there is a deal made that raises the debt limit. If either the back-up plan or a debt limit deal is made, it might be just the push she needs to take away any doubts. A small glimmer of light, perhaps.
It’s darkest before the dawn.
You said it twice, thanks.
Yeah, McConnell has always bothered me for some reason. There’s a lot to like about him, but he often is too willing to come up with “creative solutions,” forgoing what is right and instead doing what is politically expedient. If the Republicans go down even though they did the right thing and did it in the right way, there was no way they were going to save us in the first place.
That doesn’t mean we need to unyieldingly demand the absolute conservative route, but we need to maximize the correct path for the political reality. If we can do that then we should be continuously rewarded with more control.
McConnell’s plan is a disaster. It would virtually remove the 14th Amendment and put the debt ceiling levels in the hands of the president. It would, from what I have read, also allow the president to decide what items he would cut from the budget, and not the Congress. This would be a disaster. Obama would raise welfare payments and offset them by reducing our military budget. Just like under Clinton, we would wind up with planes sitting on the tarmac for want of parts.
The POTUS already has too much power. What the hell is McConnell thinking?
Anyone who thinks there is nothing that can be cut from the budget should Google “Government agencies by alphabet” and be prepared to go into shock.
Congress would be just a tiny bit closer to completely irrelevant if McConnell’s plan passed.
“It would virtually remove the 14th Amendment” have you even read the Constitution? Which part of the fourteenth amendment exactly does this remove? If anything it would affect Article One Section 8.
The 14th Amendment clearly states that the “debt” is to be dealt with by the Congress. Yes, it would affect Article 1, Section 8, but only in the respect that it gives the President powers not granted to him by the Constitution.
If you have a different opinion, take it up with Lawrence Tribe.
I suggest you read the 14th Amendment again. No section mentions congress and the debt at the same time. This has absolutely nothing to do with the 14th Amendment, you’re an idiot.
“Remember the words of Chairman Mao: ‘It’s always darkest before it’s totally black.’” John McCain
I wish I could be Pollyanna but this comment on AOSHQ did me in:
“The Republican establishment has been running away from this fight for years, every time saying, “Wait ’til [x], that’s more important,” and every single time we lose more ground. You can see it already starting again with this proposal of McConnell’s; “We can’t get any meaningful reform with this guy, so we need to retreat here and plan for the real fight next fall.” And then if by some reason they avoid stepping on their cranks and actually take control of the Congress and the White House you will hear the same people saying, “Well, we can’t make these cuts because they’re too difficult and we can’t break the filibuster, so we need to get 60+ seats in the Senate.” There will always be a new excuse.”
Hannity and Gingrich (rip my tongue out) came up with what may be a good alternative. Since the RINOs are in terror over Obama following through on his threat to withhold Social Security checks, the House should put the shoe back on Obama’s foot by authorizing just enough of a debt ceiling increase to cover the next month’s liabilities and covering it with specific expenditure cuts. Obama would then look like a fool if he didn’t sign these bills and then failed to release the social security payments, for instance. Do this every month until the elections or until Obama comes back to the table.
I have to think about it but this and I’m not sure I completely understand it but the debt ceiling is raised as needed (for now) and funded with specific permanent spending cuts while Obama gets bumped off of the high ground. Worth thinking about.
No place to cut, the Dems say. You have all heard of the BIA (Bureau of Indian Affairs) but did you know that we pay people to run the Administration for Native Americans which does the same damn thing as the BIA only in duplicate?
Read this and tell me there is nothing to cut:
http://www.usa.gov/Agencies/Federal/All_Agencies/index.shtml
Any suggestions on what agency we can get rid of? I can think of about twenty just under A & B.
This is all political for Pres. Obama. He owes something to the movement that elected him. I don’t. Neither do my parents or my kids. People will realize after the Social Security check statement, that he owes something to a movement that isn’t about them. I think that will help bring some needed emotional clarity for a lot of people.
The thing to remember about McConnell, McCain and others of their ilk is that they can be counted on to fight the heroic fight for conservatism only when there is no way they can win. But every time victory is at hand, they can be counted on to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. That is why I refer to these guys as Assistant Democrats. All roads lead to liberal Democrat victory.
The Siege of Bastogne was when German Panzer divisions surrounded the 101st Division. I learned the response of the commander of the 101st, “Nuts!”, when I was in grade school. I love that response and consider it appropriate for us in the US situation today. No, we’re not in armed combat. Yes, the fight today is just as critical to the survival of the Republic. Whether it’s “Nuts!”, “Remember the Alamo”, or “Remember the Election of 1912″…Kobayashi Maru – “I don’t believe in No-Win Scenarios!”.
[…] tranches of debt limit cash equating to 2.5 Trillion) we can assure you our faithful reader and our conservative blogging professorial friend, William A. Jacobson, over at Cornell University that Senator McConnell’s plan is not being seriously considered on the […]
It is darkest before dawn, but it will get a little darker yet.
I don’t think much of McConnell’s plan, but i think I see what his thinking is — better to give Obama full ownership of an economy his policies are rattling apart then give him the cover of “magnanimous concessions to Republicans” that he can claim caused all the further bleeding. You know he’s going to try to do that and the corporate press is going to try to cover for him. Don’t give him much to work with.
The “eat your peas or I’ll cut your Granny off from Social Security” bluster is the the short game. The immediate game played for the debt ceiling. The long game is the 2012 elections and beyond.
With the Dems controlling the Senate and Presidential veto the republicans don’t have a strong hand to legislate with. However, they can keep investigating.
We’ll suffer in the meanwhile, but if they play their cards right, by 2012 deficit fight will be all but forgotten, but the gun running scandal and wobbly economy which Obama will own will be on the front burner.
Poor Mitch McConnell just can’t help it. Deep down inside – at his core – the man is simply a wimp.
I hope the people in his state are getting ready to have him spend some more time with his family come next election he’s up.
At this important juncture, we need the Republicans to simply dig in, hold their ground and stick it to the Democrats. The welfare of our nation should be their sole concern and all of this nonsense about political gamesmanship and contrivances of bookkeeping should STOP. We’ve had enough of it already!
Sorry, I can’t say it Professor….I’m afraid that this dream is a nightmare 🙁
Obama and the Dems and Progressivs have been campaigning for 800+ days now. You know it and I know it but the general public needs to know what passes these days for “governmental responsibility”.
No, forget that, there is no time and not enough messengers. Let the small businesses continue to go Galt, let the cronies like GE get a pass (and go Galt by moving jobs and profits overseas), let both sides of Big Politics fail and fall by the wayside. The Tea Party might be our only hope!
Obama repeats ransom demand for senior citizens, demands one trillion dollars in new taxes or else no checks go out on August 3rd:
Obama: No guarantee for Social Security checks
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/07/12/eveningnews/main20078928.shtml?tag=strip
Refuses to back down on ObamaCare, refuses to trim any entitlement program of consequence. We either cave to liberal extortion demands which destroy the economy via onerous taxes upon taxes or call Obama’s bluff and start zeroing out his programs. Obama has a rational choice, he can either be a part of the decision process to save what he can of the liberal agenda items OR have zero choice by refusing to agree on rational terms to increase the debt limit.
There is no compromise here. Point of fact, the GOP is not demanding a balanced budget, even their plan is going to deficit spend and raise the debt limit. So who’s the radical now? Not the GOP. The refusal to raise the debt limit is essentially cutting up the credit card which allows deficit spending to continue.
Social Security has been running at a negative cash flow, and has been cashing in on special issue bonds. IF Obama refuses to pay social security benefits, the US government will have defaulted on the special issue bonds that Social Security is cashing in to make those benefit payments. That default will cascade into higher interest rates which in turn destroys any budget deal that can be made since the interest payments will jump 5 to 10 fold making it impossible to pay anything other than interest payments and social security and the military – all other government functions would have to be shut down. Any intervention by the Fed via printing money to buy bonds would start a fatal downward spiral in the Dollar, which in turn sparks hyperinflation.
The fact is there isn’t another one trillion to take out of the private sector to allow the economy to continue. If Obama wins it will be a Pyrrhic victory for liberals with the economy spiraling downward at a rapid pace. Taxes mean less profits, less profits mean less investment, which means less hiring – this is a downward spiral that will intensify under Obama’s plan.
Yes, it is a nightmare and the darkness will only be dispelled if people and opposition politicians will take courage, stand strong against Obama’s extortion demands and at that point he will be broken and so will liberalism.
Lots of money to pay interest, Social Security, the military, etc.
http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/official-treasury-reports-coffers-full-e
There is no reason to default or legally hold back benefits checks. Maybe a good lawsuit against the Treasury? Any Lawyers interested in taking this on?
There is a phrase in Chinese I use sometimes to describe certain people. I won’t inflict the romanization on you, but the SFW variant is “Consistently Useless” and there is a descriptive adverb in there. That fits what is pleased to regard itself as the Republican leadership. Two little hints here.
1) They have no desire to defeat the Democrats on anything.
2) They really do not care what happens to the country as long as they have access to the trough.
Giving the Executive Branch, giving any Democrat, giving [insert multilingual expletives of choice] Buraq Hussein Obama unilateral control of the level of national debt, choice of which cuts he chooses to make and no way of enforcing any cuts at all, at a time when we can’t get even a proposed budget out of the Democrats, means they spend what they want, when they want, in the amount they want without reference to Congress at all. I am a wordy bugger, and I am boggled to the point of being unable to properly describe the depths of political, constitutional, and economic disconnect with reality here.
If McConnell is not sent to Coventry right smartly, there is nothing more we can do to save the country by political means. He is desperate to take the Democrats off the hook for their actions.
Awing1 | July 12, 2011 at 10:33 pm
While I cannot speak for retire05; I think he is referring to Section 4 of Amendment XIV, concerning the validity of the public debt, AND Section 5 which firmly places control of that debt in the hands of Congress. Of course Article I Section 8 Clause 2 would be voided, as would Article I Section 9 clause 7; because the Executive could fund themselves without reference to Congress.
Professor, I cannot offer words of comfort or hope in reference to McConnell’s latest idiocy; unless a miracle happens and there is enough pressure on the rest of the Republicans so that they feel the need to find an oubliette for it.
I’m sure that’s what he thinks he’s referring to, but that’s not what the amendment is saying at all. The amendment refers specifically to QUESTIONING the public debt, not the ability to borrow on the full faith and credit of the United States as is an enumerated power under Article 1 Section 8. Section 5 of the amendment merely gives the right to enforce the validity of the public debt via legislation to congress, nothing more. It wouldn’t need to since the power to issue public debt is already given to congress in the Constitution. Since McConnell’s plan has absolutely nothing do with the validity of debt (i.e. it doesn’t declare any otherwise legitimate debts of the United States void), or any other provision of the 14th amendment, claiming that it does suggests one simply doesn’t know or care to know what the actual document says.
McConnell would abdicate his constitutional duty just so Obama would be blamed for the financial mess we are in. How stupid can McConnell be? Hasn’t he ever heard of going before the people and explaining things simply to them? Why create an imperial presidency when we have a tyrant in office?
We are weeping all night with the GOP. We need true Conservatives in Congress for joy to come in the morning.
I agree with you. The mind-boggling thing is that McConnell DID present the simple picture on the Senate floor just prior to this insanity. Then this!
That is what I just can’t wrap my head around. How could he so calmly, clearly state the case for how this whole mess is The One’s responsibility and fault, then propose this?! Is he insane? Stupid? Thinking this is a clever tactic, when in fact it is giving the enemy the ammo with which to take you down – and the American people along with him?!?
Beyond comprehension.
Such a ludicrous resolution WILL fail in the House. There are not enough Republicans who would vote for this “back-up plan” and be able to get reelected in 2012.
But to blatantly expose your weakness, and publicly present this as a viable option……….arrrrgggggghhhhh!
Primary McConnell and get him OUT! We need DeMint in this leadership role, not this weak, waffling little man.
The Senate races need to become a focus for 2012. WE MUST GET THE SENATE BACK, as well as the presidency, if we are to succeed in changing course. This is perhaps a wake-up to us to remember the importance of the Senate races.
The darkest hour is before the dawn.
Get the message out, people! NO to this ploy, or any other political scheme that gives up power to the executive! It will be OBAMA and the Democrats who make these choices! They OWN this debacle. They OWN the choices.
SAY IT NOW, and SAY IT LOUD! They will OWN the decisions made. No Social Security checks?! That’s OBAMA’S decision, not the Republicans’. No military pay (or cut to 1/2 pay)?! That’s OBAMA’S and the DEMOCRATS’ who are doing this! Not the Republicans. If the message is made, it will backfire, as nearly ALL of Obama’s tactics have. If the Republicans STAND.
It is the DEMOCRATS who would not drop their demand to raise taxes. They would not compromise. THEY HAD 2 YEARS TO TAKE THIS ON, but they WAITED TILL THE LAST MINUTE, TO PLAY WITH THE LIVES OF AMERICANS, HOLDING THE ELDERLY AND THE MILITARY HOSTAGE, all for their political goal to raise taxes. (Sorry for the “shouting” but it needs to be LOUD!) 😉
Sen. Marco Rubio was on Rush Limbaugh yesterday. In 10 minutes he made this case. Brilliantly. Succinctly.
Use him, Republicans!!
We need more like him! This is ALL the fault of Obama and the Democrats. Tell the TRUTH, loud and proud. Loud and proud! 😀
It can’t be constitutional – Congress has been rebuked by SCOTUS for attempting to delegate their powers to the Executive before. I think McConnell panicked – his phones lit up with angry older Kentuckians after Obama threatened to hold their SS checks. Which is exactly what the remark was intended to do.
But do try to remember who’s on our side, folks! Mitch made a mistake, he’s not perfect. But a perfect conservative couldn’t be a truly effective Senate Leader. It’s a position which requires unifying the caucus.
But McConnell is no Frist or Dole, and Boehner is no Hastert or Michel. If you’re in it for the long haul, remember they are in their positions until 2013. Support them, please – and stop complaining when they don’t achieve all your objectives within your personal time schedule.
Now, those of you who aren’t Republicans, of course you can do whatever you wish. But please stop demanding a front row seat at our meetings, mmmkay? We have enough fair-weather friends in the swing voters, thank you very much anyway.
“We have met the enemy and he is us.”
Dagong is likely to downgrade US rating
“Debt limit aside, borrowing to pay off loans won’t work, agency says”
“BEIJING – The US’ sovereign credit rating is likely to be downgraded regardless of whether the US Congress reaches an agreement on raising its statutory debt limit, Chinese rating agency, Dagong Global Rating Co Ltd, said on Monday.
“If the debt limit is raised and the public debt continues to grow, it will further damage the US’ debt-paying ability, which is a key factor in Dagong’s evaluation, and we will consider lowering its ratings accordingly,” said Guan Jianzhong, chairman and CEO of Dagong.
“If the raised limit fails to pass and the US faces default, the rating will be immediately and substantially downgraded,” he said.
According to Guan, the downgrading is really just “a matter of time and extent”.
China Daily
From the second biggest creditor of the United States. The first biggest creditor of the United States is the United States. Figure that one out.
Has anybody noticed that certain people seem a lot more friendly towards Sarah Palin lately? Or am I seeing things?
Newsweek
Tine
Newsweek
Newsweek
More reaction to McConnell’s plan:
Joe Klein (Time, JourNoList)
“Accept McConnell’s Debt Ceiling Deal”
“But I don’t believe for a moment that McConnell is going to do this. He’s desperate, facing a deal that either includes revenue increases or doesn’t happen at all. He’s blinking as fast as he can.”
Senator Jim DeMint
“I can guarantee you Mark that plan is going nowhere. I mean, it is not the plan that Republicans are working on in the Senate. It’s a backup plan that I think Leader McConnell has suggested. But it is not going anywhere. That is not that plan that we as Republicans are going to take forward as our plan. What you are going to see is Cut/Cap/Balance emerge from the House this week.”
WSJ Lead Opinion
Debt-Limit Harakiri
“Mitch McConnell isn’t selling out Republicans.”
Mike “Mish” Shedlock, globaleconomicanalysis
“In return for a mere $1 trillion in hikes ($100 billion a year), Republicans could have asked for whatever they wanted. Either the president would have backed down or Republicans would have gotten some major chips in return.
Instead, McConnell proposes to piss away this opportunity for nothing. McConnell’s backbone is as limp as overcooked spaghetti.”
Jennifer Rubin (WaPo, prior to that, Commentary)
McConnell’s plan confuses the chattering class
“If you go onto Twitter or check some Web sites (right and left) you will find loads of chatter about the McConnell debt disapproval plan. Most of it is wrong. Members of the chattering class are so anxious to chatter that they feel compelled to do so without understanding the subject matter at hand. Throw in some bad faith (certain right-wing bloggers would declare the GOP leadership traitors if they proposed only $4 trillion in cuts and got President Obama to decline to run for reelection)”
Dems and leftists like it, RINOs and some establishment GOPers like it or accept it, conservatives/libertarians hate it.
Viator: They’re probably thinking they should try to sucker her into running cause they’re so sure she’ll lose either the primary (and they can push their pick Huntsman) or the election itself (we know who they’re rooting for there).
This is going on with a number of candidates; Matthews has been sweet on Bachmann lately and some others. Of course there’s the fact they’ve been kinda easy on Romney (they think that MassCare and Mormonism will do him in).
Note they haven’t tried to elevate Perry, Christie or Cain.
Look at that Newsweek cover photo. If that isn’t a gimlet eye coming from Sarah (she knows they aren’t her friends).
Jakee308 you may be right. I have the distinct feeling that something is going on I can’t quite put my finger on.
Incidentally, if one reads the piece by Emily Shur, the Newsweek photographer, your last paragraph is right on. On the other hand Palin is a pragmatist, par excellence. If she can exert authority over them with carrots and sticks as I expect she will she wins.
This is making me crazy. Now it’s the LA Times…
“Gallup finds Palin has 95% name recognition, the highest of any candidate being tracked and a coveted commodity that Santorum would pay millions for if he had them, which he doesn’t.
Palin’s Strongly Favorable Rating of 25% is the highest of any GOP candidate tested. But, of course, she’s not a candidate. Her Strongly Unfavorable is 9%. With rounding, that gives her a Positive Intensity Score of 15.
Among top tier candidates who’ve been campaigning, Bachman’s Positive Inrtensity Score is only three points ahead of Palin at 18. Mitt Romney, who’s been effectively campaigning for more than four years now, has the same 15 as Palin. Tim Pawlenty’s is 11. Ron Paul’s is 9. Jon Huntsman 4.”
“But what does she know? She was just a former mayor who thought she could beat an incumbent Republican governor in Alaska who was part of a powerful, entrenched decades-old GOP machine. And look what happened there.
So obviously Sarah Palin can’t possibly run for president in 2012.
Unless she does.”
LA Times