The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

Happy Fiscal Cliff Holidays

Posted on | December 1, 2012 | 7 Comments

Charles Krauthammer on the negotiations: “Robert E. Lee was offered easier terms at Appomattox, and he lost the Civil War.”

What’s interesting is how President Obama is arguing that the election was a referendum in favor of what he calls his “balanced approach” to deficit reduction — i.e., increased taxes on the rich — but his bargaining position in these negotiations is entirely unbalanced: Not only is he refusing to budge an inch on entitlement spending, he actually wants more deficit “stimulus” spending and unlimited authority to increase the debt ceiling.

In other words, as Krauthammer suggests, Obama’s “negotiations” are actually a demand for unconditional surrender. Is this really what Americans voted for on Nov. 6? Ace of Spades sees tyrrany:

Obama is a tyrant.  If Republicans do not lift the debt ceiling, it is perfectly obvious what he will do, as he’s argued for it before:  Like Putin, he will begin unilaterally asserting power he doesn’t have.

Maybe this is what the 52% who voted for Obama really wanted, a Dictatorship of Hope. On the other hand, Jennifer Rubin thinks Republicans are handling the negotiations well:

For now, however, Senate and House Republicans are playing it right. They have even got the mainstream media to notice how unreasonable Obama’s non-offer, offer is. (“no concessions“). Some even recognized that the president’s “offer” in response to the Republicans’ move on revenue was identical to his post-election opening bid.
In their own ways, Sen. Mitch McConnell and House Speaker John Boehner have handled the past couple of days rather expertly. McConnell’s reaction to Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner’s ludicrous proposal — laughter — was exactly right. It is a joke, and rather than railing at specific parts, a guffaw nicely communicates to voter how un-serious the president is at this point.
Likewise Boehner’s more-in-sadness-than-in-anger tone after his call with Obama keeps his party from becoming unhinged and keeps a respectful dialogue with the president.

Not really a big fan of “respectful dialogue with the president,” but whatever. The game here is that each side is trying to make the other side seem unreasonable, to affix blame in advance if the whole thing goes sideways. The problem for Republicans is that the media will blame them, no matter how unreasonable Democrats may be. There is thus no possibility of making this a political victory for the GOP, and since the only alternative seems to be knuckling under and giving Obama everything he wants, neither is there any realistic hope of a policy victory.

So, how are those internal polls working out for you, Neil Newhouse? I mean, we’re dealing with the inevitable consequences of defeat. Scapegoating John Boehner and Mitch McConnell for “weakness” in the fiscal-cliff negotations is really just a way of blaming Republican congressional leaders for the defeat of the Republican presidential candidate, and that is neither fair nor pragmatic.

Elections matter. We lost. We’re screwed. Happy Holidays.

 

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Category: Budget

Comments

  • http://theothermccain.com smitty

    I may need a bumper sticker: “Party like it’s 1935!”

  • bobbymike34

    Obama’s ridiculous offer to Republicans once again shows his disdain for them and for us. How many times does he have to show that this is a war and he is in it to win and that takes the destruction of the opposition.

    Since 2008 Reps have negotiated as if Obama and the Dems want what is best for America but just through different means. NO NO and NO they want to destroy America as it was founded.

    Please realize this Republicans and fight back. Here is my solution

    1) Let all taxes increase to Clinton era levels

    2) Cut spending as a % of GDP to Clinton era levels

    Pass that budget, say, here Dems and go home for Christmas.

  • jwallin

    Back off there buckeroo. No one should be scapegoating either Republican “leader”. They deserve approbation due to their own failures and weak to nonexistent leadership.

    We have been led down a garden path of ashes and told it will turn into roses just around the corner. Somehow though, the roses never show up and the ashes get drier and grittier. Yet were supposed to swallow them and keep on.

    Boehner is a coward and McConnell is a clueless old man.

    Neither should be in the positions that they are. That they are is a reflection of the brokenness of the Republican party.

    Along with Romney’s catastrophe, we must build another party. Every day we waste trying to persuade two feckless, faithless cowards of their lack of leadership is one more day that could’ve been spent organizing their defeat.

    The first goal in any diagnosis is to realize that there is a problem then what that problem is then purpose solutions.

    The Republican party has NEVER really been about conservatism. They embrace the message only as a means to garner votes. (like Obama’s “war on women” and the racist label flung about. That’s the Democrats pandering)

    When faced with victory they surrender when faced with power they capitulate. They have never been far from the baseline of the Democrat party. Their major differences have been about who to reward and how much to go into debt and how fast. They were brought back in 2010 and they have shown they have not learned and after 45 years of observation, I believe they cannot learn and will not learn because they do not believe what they say they believe.

    Enough. To those who say a 3rd party will bring inevitable losses, I say; SO? In case you haven’t noticed; WE’RE LOSING NOW.

    Call it the TEA Party or Whatever, we have to start primarying every one of these bastards.

  • http://www.leftbankofthecharles.com/ Charles

    It begins to dawn on the well-heeled media that they are the rich that Obama means to tax.

  • higgins1234

    I agree, especially after Boehner and McConnell marginalized the Tea Party caucus after 2010. Pretty obvious at that point (if it wasn’t already) that the Republican leadership was more concerned about maintaining the status quo. Form a third party that upholds the Constitution and advocates limited government and let the GOP go the way of the Whigs.

  • scarymatt

    I think you mean 1937.

  • Beeblebrocs

    Call your congressmen and Senators and tell them that voting for McConnell or Boehner for leader of their respective houses will lose them a vote in their primaries. I’ve already let my Congresscritter here in GA know that his continued support of Boehner is deplorable and is the reason he needs to be primaried in 2014.

    Boehner could cut off the money spigot and this argument would be over. But he IS a coward so new leadership is necessary.

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