One more politics post — I think it’s worth considering what the payroll tax standoff tells us.
First, I’m not sure what the House GOP thought they were trying to pull. Jonathan Chait writes,
The payroll tax debacle is now the third suicidal episode undertaken by the House Republicans since they took control at the beginning of the year. The first was when they voted almost unanimously for Paul Ryan’s budget, which was filled with grist for attack ads – huge cuts to Medicare, big tax cuts for the wealthy, deregulating Wall Street – despite it having no chance of passing this term. The second was when they played chicken with the debt ceiling and turned a once-routine procedure into a white-knuckle game of chicken with the world economy. And then this week, when they attempted to extract concessions in return for extending the payroll tax holiday, an anti-recessionary measure with strong support from economists, businesses, and voters. These are not just gestures. The right-wingers are really trying to off themselves.
The debt ceiling fight hurt them, but it probably hurt President Obama more, which is all they really care about. They must have thought they could hurt the President some more by playing games with the payroll tax.
But this time Democrats refused to hand over the ransom. One reason is that, since the debt ceiling debacle brought about in part by his own weakness, Obama has found his political footing by detaching himself from congressional procedure and standing in stark opposition to Republicans. The second reason is that the Obama administration was genuinely terrified of failing to lift the debt ceiling, and while it wants to extend the payroll tax holiday, missing the deadline in a game of chicken wouldn’t cause massive, irreparable harm.
Republicans, possibly overconfident from their debt ceiling hostage caper, seemed not to contemplate the possibility that Democrats would hold together then blame them for failure. They ended up eroding their own credibility on taxes, general competence, and willingness to take action to help the economy.
This is going to come to a head again in two months. The House Republicans got one concession, which is that the 12-month deal is to be negotiated by a conference committee. Steve Benen says this committee is being loaded for failure —
The House GOP leadership has already announced its slate of members to participate in the conference committee, and not coincidentally, most of them have said they don’t want a payroll-cut extension no matter what concessions Democrats are willing to make.
House Republicans aren’t looking to start cutting deals; they’re angry and now even less inclined to compromise. But won’t the GOP run into the same pressures that led to this week’s capitulation? Maybe, but let’s not forget why Boehner & Co. were so eager to send this to a conference committee in the first place.
A lot of pundits are saying that the House teabaggers in particular honestly believe that too many working people are not paying enough taxes and are putting too much burden on the rich. And I’m saying, if that’s the fight you want to have going into an election year, bring it on.
This glimpse of honest debate among Republicans won’t last long, I predict. They’ll try their best to resume the practice of absolute anti-Obama unity, which has worked quite well for them. But no one can erase what voters have seen this week, and it wasn’t pretty.
There are only two possible reasons for House Republicans to behave the way they did. Maybe they are so blinded by ideology that they no longer care about the impact their actions might have on struggling American families. Or maybe their only guiding principle is that anything Obama supports, they oppose.
The week’s events offer a lesson for Obama, too. One reason for all the Republican angst was that public opinion has become more sensitive to issues of economic justice. This may be partly due to the Occupy protests. But I’m convinced that Obama’s fiery barnstorming in favor of his American Jobs Act has played a big role. People are hearing his message.
I could be wrong, but . . .
Probably a majority of US citizens and most certainly the vast majority of liberals/progressives fail to grasp the depth of the racism that is in the Tea Partiers and the Repub right wing. The intense loathing for any Obama policy, even ones that would be really, really good for them gives a clue.
With Bush II it was his policies that libruls were against. With Obama the crazies hate him strictly because of his skin color.
Yesterday I asked:
“or does the Tea Party make a principled stand with a ‘no’ vote on a principle they have yet to explain.”
The deal was done by unanimous consent, which means no vote was taken. If the House members of the conference committee are hostile to the very concept of a middle-class tax break, how will they package the rejection of an extension of the tax cuts in 2 months? Boehner claimed the 2-month extension was too short, but if the committee is charged with finding a compromise for a year-long extension, that crutch is gone. WE NEED TO DEMAND THAT THE TEA PARTY EXPLAIN THE ‘PRINCIPLE’ BEHIND THEIR CONTEMPT FOR THE WORKING POOR.
I wish that democrats would invite C-span to broadcast the negotiations. Let the people know who is (and isn’t) negotiating for an extension in good faith. And let the GOP reject the suggestion of transparency in government. And let them explain why ‘we the people’ don’t have the right to know.
The House elections are just as important as the presidential contest in 2012. The media needs to locate the loudmouth(s) of the Tea Party caucus and get them to explain their opposition as the negotiations deadlock. There’s a reason for the total gridlock, and if the voters see it’s the Tea Party, democrats can take back the House.
Chief,
Sure, there’s some racism there, but I think it’s mostly tribal. The Republicans fought FDR, Truman, JFK, LBJ, and even Carter (though, him, to a lesser extent) – but they did the old fashioned political way. I think after Nixon’s impeachment and Ford’s loss, Carter had a tough time getting appointments confirmed,
But I think the real changes occurred during Reagan-Bush I. My theory is that, after Goldwater’s loss, the Religious Right started to organize and infiltrate government. And, after Reagan formally welcomed them in, I think the die was cast, and the Christianista’s brought their Manichean world view with them – black v. white, good v. evil. And, during those 12 years, they further dragged the country to the right, and expected to continue doing so under at one more Bush term, then a Quale or some other Conservative presidency.
And then along came Clinton – and remember the witch hunt’s they had from Day 1? They went after him and his family personally, something they’re still doing, but I think to a lesser extent with Obama and his family (Fox’s identifying Michelle as ‘Obama’s Baby Momma,’ and Brent Bozell’s recent racist outburst, notwithstanding).
Then, they again had some years under Little Boots, until they, and W, showed their asses in New Orleans, and on Terry Shiavo.
It’s that Manichean world view that I think really turned the tide in DC. And though racism is a good part of that, I still think it’s more tribal, and if you’re not on God’s team, as they see themselves, then you must be on Satan’s.
As to what just transpired, and will probably transpire in February, if the Republicans want to commit suicide, I say let them. I’ll even go to a gun show, buy a gun illegally, and load it, before I hand it to them.
My fear is that with our MSM, that gun will be pointed at us, and any damage done will the painted as either caused by the Democrats, or ‘Hey, both sides do this.’
The Republicans now believe their own bull, that ‘s why they did this.