After months of fighting about it, Senate Republicans today proposed allowing President Obama to go ahead and raise the debt ceiling to avoid a first-ever default on U.S. obligations. The unusual proposal to empower the president to unilaterally increase the nation's debt limit was the brainchild of Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
McConnell said he reluctantly offered the bizarre proposal because it has become clear the negotiations with Obama are not going anywhere. The Republican plan would require Obama to submit spending cuts along with his borrowing requests, but unlike the automatic increase in the debt limit, they wouldn't automatically take effect.
The goal of the GOP has always been to make Obama a one-term president. The debt ceiling debate is part of the Republican party's never-ending hunt for any issue that can embarrass and ultimately weaken the Obama presidency.
This current maneuver is the GOP's way of trying to label this Obama's debt, not America's debt. They're saying: "It's not our problem. It's your problem." The Republicans apparently can't deal with the debt, so they are finding new and creative ways to weasel out of the issue.
With all the attacks on the president over the debt limit increase - with all the acrimony and talk that the president shows no leadership - when the president says we're at a real critical point, the Republican party passes the buck. Now they want to change the rules, to make adjustments so that Obama can do the dirty work without any Republican vote. It's turned into a convoluted process that is designed to try to force the president to play a game with them that I don't think the American people are falling for. Does the GOP really think the American people are that stupid?
If this whole scenario seems bizarre, well it is. Although this proposed throwing in of the hat by McConnell may not survive the heat from the right, if it does, it has enormous economic and political implications. Either way, it is an open and cynical admission by the Republican leadership that their double talk and backtracking on this issue is typical of their idea of business as usual. And in the case of the Republican party, the point is to try and pin the blame for the fallout of the debt crisis on someone else, specifically Obama. This is not only bad politics, it's potentially political suicide. Let's see how this thing plays out. I'm betting not good for the Republican party.
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This is true. The Republicans main goal is to do anything to make sure Obama won't be re=elected. This new turn of events could possibly blow up in there faces.
ReplyDeleteEvery day it seems another Republican does another stupid thing. This is just in another part of the disinigration of the Republican Party. The Tea Party, Donald Trump, Sarah Palin, Michele Bachman...I mean, what's going on? The more these politicians come up with bad ideas and make innacurate comments, the more their credibility becomes suspect. Unless they come up with someone with something intelligent to say, the Republicans will have no chance in 2012. Sure, the unemplyment numbers are down, but there is no chance of a default, it is simply too dangerous, and eventually there will be a settlement. Obama will end up looking like the adult here. That's good news for him in 2012.
ReplyDeleteIt might be "passing the buck" as you say, but if it keeps us from default, what's the harm? I do agree it's the Repubs goal to make Obama look bad, and this might just do the opposite, so McConnell might have screwed up his own political future. On the other hand, the American people don't pay much attention to the details of this stuff, so who knows how the voters will react in the presidential election.
ReplyDeleteYou'd think the two sides would be able to come to some compromise without McConnell's silly plan, but who knows. The Republicans never make much sense lately anyway.
ReplyDeleteIt's becoming obvious that many in the GOP put personal gain over what's best for the American people. McConnell has come up with a plan that might save the economy, but by passing the buck, it sure does make him and his party look stupid.
ReplyDeleteAnything can happen between now and the 2012 election, but the GOP goal of derailing Obama's reelection chances by playing this kind of game is a dangerous and irrisponsible thing to do on behalf of the American people.
Some Dems like the idea, many conservatives don't...the controversy continues/ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/13/mcconnell-on-his-debt-cei_n_897124.html
ReplyDeleteThis will drag out until the last possible minute and of course we know the outcome. We didn't elect our politicians to cause the credit rating of the U.S. to be demolished. This is just politics as usual.
ReplyDeleteIf McConnell's plan is the only way, what other choice do we have? It is generally agreed that there will be no default, so this plan has to be an option, as ridiculous as it sounds.
ReplyDeleteAs it gets closer to Aug 2 it looks like this might be the only option. Shame on the GOP and McConnell for thinking this is some sort of game of chess, instead of doing what they were elected to do!
ReplyDelete