Unexpectedly, Last Year’s Super Committee Is This Year’s Coal In The Stocking

Posted on | December 20, 2012 | 13 Comments

by Smitty

Grand Old Partisan, aka Michael Zak, was pointing out on Twitter a post of his from September of last year:

Republicans may assume that the role of the Joint Committee will be limited and subordinate to Congress as a whole, but Democrats are planning otherwise. In her press conference yesterday, Nancy Pelosi gave a glimpse of the horrors to come:
“[President Obama’s $447 billion job] bill is paid for. How it will ultimately be paid for will be up to the Table of 12.” That’s right, the Democrat leadership says that this decision will be up to just twelve people. not the entire Congress. Democrats intend to use the Committee to bypass Congress, just as Obama has said many times that he would like to do.
The Democrats play hardball, all the time.

Read it all, and his book, as well.

I’ve not been blogging as much, working on a bit of prose myself. But if you’ve followed my Twitter feed at all, you’ve probably figured out that:

I’m not enthusiastic about trying to build any of the other fringe parties into a national level outfit to compete with the Progressives,
rather, a hostile takeover from within the GOP wing of the Progressives by truly reform-minded patriots has the greatest likelihood of eventual success.

Dean Clancy gives the John Boehner efforts two cheers:

Mr. Boehner’s “Plan B” is to move a bill through the House that extends all current income-tax rates for everyone except those earning more than $1,000,000 a year, plus some other provisions listed below. Amendments are also likely to be made in order. The votes could come as early as tomorrow.

That’s all swell and spiffy, Mr. Speaker. But What. Is. The. Real. Reform. Plan?

If not the Ryan Budget, then, what? It’s fine do sport a salmon tie an drop Plan B like a dead fish on the President’s doorstep, but so, what? We need more leadership from the Republicans than just coloring within the Progressive lines.

Screw all this noise. Show up at CPAC in March with a comprehensive reform package that gives me something to cheer for. Comprehensive reform across the board, of the sort that makes Progressives, entrenched federal bureaucrats and crony capitalists weep and gnash their teeth. Give us a different course for the ship of state to steer, and the sad results of last month won’t be repeated.

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Comments

13 Responses to “Unexpectedly, Last Year’s Super Committee Is This Year’s Coal In The Stocking”

scarymatt
December 20th, 2012 @ 11:37 am

It could just be fatigue, but what’s the point of the Republicans putting forth a reform plan now? With a Do Nothing Senate and the same President, it has zero chance of going anywhere.

I’d guess that the main effect will be to give the Democrats something to be dishonest about in order to distract and mislead the public. Possibly it will clarify differences within the GOP, but I’m not even sure that’s true or worthwhile.
higgins
December 20th, 2012 @ 11:56 am

“The Democrats play hardball, all the time.” And the GOP just wants to be loved by the democratic-leaning media. Sigh.
Quartermaster
December 20th, 2012 @ 12:10 pm

Cryin’ John Boner is a Prog himself, as most of the GOP establish is. I expect nothing from that lot, and I’m never disappointed.
As for taking over the GOP, good luck with that.
Adjoran
December 20th, 2012 @ 1:04 pm

The Ryan Budget ALREADY PASSED THE HOUSE. They are on the record for it – a plan which has the merit of, by reducing spending by $5.2 trillion over the ten year budget window, cutting roughly HALF what absolutely MUST be cut in that time to avoid further credit downgrades.

So we are now to razz Boehner for not passing that which he already passed? Is the plan to pass it again?

Good luck with the “hostile takeover.” It promises to be good theater, if not good politics.
smitty
December 20th, 2012 @ 1:23 pm

Because if there is not an alternate course offered, then the logic of the last couple elections is that the Dems retain the helm.
smitty
December 20th, 2012 @ 1:24 pm

No, double down. Apparently, as far as the voters were concerned, the Ryan budget was not a compelling alternative.
scarymatt
December 20th, 2012 @ 1:28 pm

OK. I definitely agree with you that we shouldn’t simply give up.

However, wouldn’t the better time for that be during the “normal” budget process (hey, they still do that in the House, at least)? Is the lame duck session the right time for that? Over the holidays when people aren’t paying much attention anyways?
Adjoran
December 20th, 2012 @ 2:14 pm

What does “double down” mean, specifically?

There are two serious first steps to reform which have been offered: Ryan’s plan, passed by the House, and Simpson-Bowles (their personal plan, which was not endorsed by the full commission in toto). Neither one does more than half the needed cutting, but neither will be considered by the Senate.

So what EXACTLY is the better course of action, then?
scarymatt
December 20th, 2012 @ 2:18 pm

I read smitty as saying that he wants another marker put out there to give ammunition in the larger debate. Obviously, nothing actually sane has a chance of passing the Senate or being signed into law.

I would reiterate that the proper time is after the next Congress starts, not during a lame duck session. If nothing else, that gets new members on the record.

Boehner’s Plan B has grown on me as probably smart politically and probably the best shot at avoiding the worst of “temporary tax rate” nonsense.
Adobe_Walls
December 20th, 2012 @ 4:24 pm

Correct
Bob Belvedere
December 20th, 2012 @ 4:37 pm

It is, indeed, a futile effort, because the patient in riddled with tumors.
Adobe_Walls
December 20th, 2012 @ 4:38 pm

“rather, a hostile takeover from within the GOP wing of the Progressives by truly reform-minded patriots has the greatest likelihood of eventual success.”
Moving on, what’s plan B?
This whole sorry episode is a charade. The Republicans can not snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. They can’t even snatch defeat from the jaws of defeat; it’s too late. They won’t lose this current fight tomorrow or next week because they already lost this fight back in 2011 or perhaps in the 2010 lame duck.
Shawny Lee
December 20th, 2012 @ 6:39 pm

Exactly, until we have a conservative platform which clearly delineates us from the progressives in both parties and strong candidates who are not afraid to stand up and defend it we don’t stand a chance.