Um, This Is Not “Turning the Tables”

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From the Washington Post, “McConnell Turns the Tables on Budget Vote“:

Two can play this budget game.

A day after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) put Republicans on the spot by saying he will bring the House Republicans’ budget proposal up for a vote, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) turned the tables by exercising his legislative prerogative to call for a vote on President Barack Obama’s budget.

The two votes amount to legislative brinkmanship by both party leaders. Mr. Reid wants to put Republicans on record supporting legislation authored by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R., Wis.) that would eventually transform Medicare and Medicaid. Mr. McConnell, meanwhile, wants to force Democrats to vote on a plan that rolls back Bush-era tax cuts for people who make more than $250,000 and ignores many of the long-term costs driving the deficit.

Oh, snap, Mr. McConnell. Of course, a significant “cost” driving the deficit are Bush’s tax cuts, a fact Republicans refuse to acknowledge. But perhaps Mitch missed hearing about some recent polling —

Alarmed by rising national debt and increasingly downbeat about their country’s course, Americans are clear about how they want to attack the government’s runway budget deficits: raise taxes on the wealthy and keep hands off of Medicare and Medicaid. …

… On tackling the deficit, voters by a margin of 2-to-1 support raising taxes on incomes above $250,000, with 64 percent in favor and 33 percent opposed.

Independents supported higher taxes on the wealthy by 63-34 percent; Democrats by 83-15 percent; and Republicans opposed by 43-54 percent. …

… Voters oppose cuts to those [Medicare and Medicaid] programs by 80-18 percent. Even among conservatives, only 29 percent supported cuts, and 68 percent opposed them.

Vote away, Senate.

6 thoughts on “Um, This Is Not “Turning the Tables””

  1. Mitch:
    “Because NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOObody expects the McConnell Inquisition! Bring out – the COMFY CHAIR!!!”

    Democrats:
    “Noooooo, no, not the comfy chair!”

    Thank you, Mitch. When Beethoven went deaf, at least he didn’t go tone deaf.

  2. “That would eventually transform Medicare and Medicaid”

    It’s sad, but we all know that one day we will all “eventually transform” in the same sense, from living people into dead people. That “eventual transformation” may come a bit sooner for us all if the courageous Ryan plan is adopted. It will come immediately after our life savings and assets are “eventually transformed” into insurance company profits, golden parachutes for executive officers and of course, the salaries of the insurance company employees whose job it is to find reason to deny coverage of some life sustaining measure.

    For WSJ, it’s more like parasitic caterpillars becoming beautiful profitable butterflies. they sure have a way with words.

  3. It would seem that the latest Republican budget, if they stick with it, will spell their doom on the next election day. If past election outcomes are any indication, however, it may not. And that’s what is really scary, which leads me to the great, as yet, unanswered question – why do people vote against their own self-interest. Any answers?

  5. The Washinton post, might think Mitchel is turning the tables on Reid, but if Mitchel agrees that Ryan plan is ok, he will have pitch that sorry piece of BS that Ryan has created, and he ain’t gonna do it. However, the Republicans are acting mighty stupid these days, so he just might.

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