I watched the President’s press conference. If his intention was to hang the debt ceiling impasse around the necks of the GOP I’m not sure he was successful. I say this because afterward the MSNBC talking heads were mostly droning that the President needs to put a deal on the table. Huh?
The first question, from Jake Tapper, was about what the President was willing to sign off on in the way of budget cuts. The answer was a bit droning, but the President listed a number of specific cuts he said he would consider as part of a balanced package. In other words, he refused to give anything away without knowing what the other side was going to give away, which is smart. He’s not promising anything without seeing the total package. This got translated by the bobbleheads as refusing to go on the record of what he would cut. And if that’s what’s on MSNBC, I’d hate to think what they did to it at Fox News.
By now it should be obvious that if the President did put out his own proposed package for Congress to take or leave, the Republicans would vote it down just because it was him proposing it. So what’s the point?
And, anyway, authorizing the Treasury to raise revenue to pay for debts is Congress’s job. Not the President’s job.
I’m sure a lot of the economics bloggers are going to criticize the President for wanting to give away too much, but I think he’s got less room to maneuver, politically, than they appreciate. He’s taking a very “centrist,” meaning what used to be “conservative” in days gone by, position. That may not be policy smarts, but I think that’s where he has to be if the Republicans are ever going to agree to anything that will increase the debt ceiling..
He seemed to me to be firm that he has no intention of extending the Bush tax cuts for the rich again, which is something.
I’m wondering if this isn’t all leading up to a “clean bill” to raise the debt ceiling. With the deadline looming, POTUS tells the GOP, “OK, we don’t have time to dicker. Give me a clean bill, then raise all the hell you want to about it. You only need to find 30 GOP votes in the House to pass it. Are you telling me there are not 30 responsible people in the entire GOP House caucus?”
I watched it as well. You know unless you just hate Obama for some unfounded reason (racism, birther, etc) I can’t understand how you could compare his statements with those of mcChinless and the Boner and decide to be against Obama, I mean the man is cool, calm and concise. I don’t agree with much of what he’s done but he sure is convincing at a news conference.
The repug party is like a big ship out to sea with no real destination. After the election they were all on one side of the boat screaming terror, Obama’s gonna get us attacked, if we get attacked again it will be Obama’s fault etc. Then the ship almost capsized and they ran to the other side screaming, Obama’s ruining the economy, Obama bailouts, Obama spending, Obama taxes, I think they are about to capsize again. What will they yell about when they all scurry to the other side of the ship like the rats they are?
Well, if McConnell’s Plan B can get through the House, I think I would be fine with that. It’s annoying and stupid, but it does get the debt ceiling issue out of the way. And I really don’t see that it would be a big political loser for Obama.
Yes, having to raise the ceiling in three installments gives the Republicans some chances to huff and puff about it. That’s just political theater, which is fine, because Obama can do political theater too. Meanwhile the next election is over a year away, and the Republicans will continue to be criminally insane, so it’s not like these debt ceiling increases would be the only things going on during that time.
Obama can keep pressing his advantage here. The Republicans want to make deficit reduction their priority, he just keeps offering deals that cut the deficit by even more than they’re demanding, but that they have to reject because they include tax increases. And each time they say no, the ratio of tax increases to spending cuts gets a little bigger.
But of course all of the above means the House Republicans will never go for it. So who knows.
I’ve about decided that when POTUS has meetings with the GOP leadership, he is the only adult in the room.
I keep remembering what Obama’s head of the Harvard Law Review professor said about Obama when he had him for a student, “He’s the smartest person I’ve ever known.” I think about it when he says or does things I think are dumb, or don’t make any sense, or are more conservative than liberal, or are just plain incomprehensible.
Perhaps he’s like the master chess player who, after his opponents first move, has all the plays in mind that will beat his opponent. Kinda puts my mind at ease.
You’ve watched Obama use reason, thought, and logic in his press conference.
And now, for something completely different’ – from that noted intellectual and world reknowned economist, I give you Erick Erickson’s letter to House Republicans. Don’t read if if you have a low tolerence gag reflex, or at least keep a bucket handy.
http://www.redstate.com/erick/2011/07/15/dear-house-republicans-this-is-your-time-for-choosing/
My question is, who let in the Viking Hordes?
First, it was Grover Norquisling.
Now, it’s Erick “The RED” Erickson.
He’s basically saying not to give in, and that if the country collapses, that the catastrophe that follows will be blamed on Obama, and not on Republicans.
Obama = Reason.
Erickson = Treason?
That one letter sure makes a world of difference, doesn’t it?
If either of these guys tried to do what they’re doing in China or Russia, or pretty much any other country in the world, they would wish they were in jail – because that would be preferable to the alternatives, which would be either a quick execution with a .22 behind the ear, or handing them and their families over bodilly to the masses to with as they wish.
And they wouldn’t be put on on pedestals, unless that’s what you call the platform from which they’re going to be hung until nearly dead, and then resucitated just in time for them to watch themselves start to be drawn and quartered when someone begins to disembowel them with a rusty can opener, and pull out their intestines like a magician pulling at an endless party streamer out of a hat, and then watch as their limbs are tied to Hummers and then torn off as they speed off in different directions.
Yeah, I’m OLD SCHOOL, for a non-violent guy. No one was as good at torture as the old Russians and Chinese.
Now, I’m not advocating that.
At least, not yet… 🙂
I’m not sure the collapse hasn’t happened already and we just keep wanting to see something and save something that is no longer in existence, if it ever existed–you know, a “dream.” The feelings of disconnection, injustice, or outright alienation are perhaps worthy of compassion no matter whose hearts they originate from, even from so-called “repugs.” I too admire Obama’s apparent resistance to fear mongering. I’m probably writing from farther left than most dems, and can’t help wondering what exactly are dems helping to prop up, given the global climate forecast. Are we saving the world for those with extreme wealth in our terror over social collapse? What is society as it now exists? Have you been inside a typical nursing home lately? Inside a prison where solitary confinement is the norm? (Yeah, in THIS country.) How can we create solidarity when we stoop to objectifying the “opponents” with our maybe-not-so-clever nick names? Rage is good, but is there a way to feel and use the power within rage while remaining aware of the common fears beneath our contrasting beliefs? O god. I may be hopelessly and forever a hippie. <3 peace out
“Don’t read if you have a low tolerance gag reflex, or at least keep a bucket handy”
Man who does that scmuck (Ericson) think he is? What is with these pundits lecturing those elected to office, these yuks sit an imagine themselves with some power. Hey Eric you have a third rate blog and are CNN’s token teabagger, come down off your high horse!
I would post this at redstate but they’d just delete it, no disent allowed, just like the NAZI’s.
The msm has already started putting a spin on the raising of the debt ceiling to be the fault of Obama. I was watching Diann Sawyer yesterday, and I really can’t quote every word, but it was there. So, if the msm has already started trying to put the blame on Obama, they must know that the debt ceiling is not going to be raised.
>> So, if the msm has already started trying to put the blame on Obama,
>> they must know that the debt ceiling is not going to be raised.
I wouldn’t count on the “msm” to know that they have a hole in their head after they’ve been shot. “Hole in the head: life threatening injury or a means to let the evil spirits out? Opinions differ.”
-me
I don’t believe the MSM has information the rest of us don’t. They might think they do.
[Comments that are nothing but insults of other comments are against site rules. This is especially true of trite and unoriginal insults. Deleted. — maha]
Now the Repugs want a balanced budget amendment as a condition for raising the debt ceiling. I can’t figure out if they are frantically looking for an escape hatch or mockingly making off the wall suggestions to ridicule the seriousness of negotiations.
I’m hoping that Obama sticks to his guns..He should put forth his grand bargain and be done with it. You can’t negotiate with clowns who are only interested in elevating their own political status as some sort of a heavyweight. I’m talking about Cantor! Cantor might fancy himself as some grand negotiator and think he’s got Obama on the ropes, but this whole episode could just blow up in his face and the fallout land all over the repugican party.
I’ve been in a few negotiations in my life, and one thing I’ve learned is that you never press someone hard to the wall even if it appears you have every advantage because people don’t respond well or predictably when the are squeezed.
The bright side is that if there is a default it will bring us all together as a nation because we’ll all have something in common…higher interest rates,higher cost of living, lower standard of living.
We don’t have to worry about amendments to the Constitution. I worked with groups in the 70s to get the ERA passed. It is just too difficult a task in today’s world. So, if the Repugs want to work on a balanced budget amendment, let them. It may get them out of our hair for a while.
Off-Topic: Did you know the Dalai Lama will be visiting the White House?
The AP reports: President Barack Obama has invited the Dalai Lama to the White House on Saturday, making time for the Tibetan spiritual leader who is in Washington for an 11-day Buddhist ritual.
Suppose we speculate based on two assumptions.
First assumption – Obama will not back down on his demand that cuts be paired with revenue increase.
Second assumption – The Tea Party will not back down in the House pledge to block any revenue increase.
As I see it, that puts the ball in Obama’s court with only two options. If anyone sees a third option, I want to hear it.
First option – declare that the actions of the House are a violation of the 14th amendment and announce that a default on the public debt which is constitutionally prohibited WILL NOT HAPPEN. The president could point out that nothing in the constitution allowed or prohibited Nixon from declaring wage price controls on a temporary basis. President Obama is issuing the order on his authority to raise the debt ceiling…. and that this will continue on a temporary basis only until the House does its duty as defined by the Constitution. This will result in impeachment proceedings from the House which will fail in the Senate at the height of the campaign. This is probably the best move for the country and the economy… but its risky for Obama’s campaign.
Second option – pick and choose what you will pay and what you will delay for the best political effect. Pay the national debt and Medicare, but start sending SSN payments on a delayed basis… which will be further delayed each month until the issue is resolved. That’s just for starters. The idea is to lay an inconvenient burden on those groups who can be turned against the Tea Party. The problem with this strategy is the uncertainty just how devastated the economy might be. That uncertainty is why I am betting Obama will go with option one.
twtfltrd wrote:
Yes, he’s cool, calm, concise, and convincing at news conferences. A big change from Bush, but that starts to wear pretty thin when, as you say, you don’t agree with much of what he’s actually done. I”ve come to have the same aversion to Obama’s empty words as I had to Bush’s voice.
I just saw a video of some wet brain Repug making a presentation before cameras in the empty chambers of Congress..He had a little easel set up with a drawing of a clock on it that he was using to illustrate how much ‘time” the savings from removing the tax breaks for corporate jets would be when compared to the deficit..Only 15 seconds!
It was a classic case of minimizing by maximizing the thing that you compare it against and then convert your target into a different dimension to make it understandable..The old percentage of the GDP ruse . Sort of like saying that we didn’t drop many bombs on the Iraqis because we only dropped 1 million tons, and 1 million as a percentage of the GDP expressed in time would only be less than a nanosecond..
One thing that I did gather by intuition or an innate sense was that with 14 trillion dollar deficit converted to time, 15 seconds is a considerable amount of money.