The Party That Can’t Say Yes

Here's a great opinion page from the NY Times about the Republicans tanking the economic talks:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/23/opini ... .html?_r=1

So, on the eve of economic calamity, the Republicans killed an overly generous deal largely over a paltry $400 billion in deductions. Mr. Obama was willing to take considerable heat from his liberal critics over the deal, and the Republicans were not willing to do a thing to anger their Tea Party base. As the president forcefully said, there is no evidence that House Republicans are capable of making those tough decisions. If last-ditch talks beginning Saturday fail, they will have to take responsibility if the unimaginable — a government default — happens in 10 days and the checks stop going out.

I think Obama ought to take a clue from the "old man" on the Pawn Star show. Every time he makes an offer and some greedy slob tries to up the ante, he offers LESS.

Here's how it might go in the Pawn shop:

Old Man: I'll give you $200 for it, but that's my best offer and I'm probably losing money at that.
Greedy Slob: I want $225.
Old Man: $175.

Soulshiner wrote: Here's a great opinion page from the NY Times about the Republicans tanking the economic talks:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/23/opini ... .html?_r=1

So, on the eve of economic calamity, the Republicans killed an overly generous deal largely over a paltry $400 billion in deductions. Mr. Obama was willing to take considerable heat from his liberal critics over the deal, and the Republicans were not willing to do a thing to anger their Tea Party base. As the president forcefully said, there is no evidence that House Republicans are capable of making those tough decisions. If last-ditch talks beginning Saturday fail, they will have to take responsibility if the unimaginable — a government default — happens in 10 days and the checks stop going out.

So it's ok to do exactly what the Democrats want despite the fact that the consequences of that agreement will be bad for the economic heath of the country and the population that is already suffering from a wrecked economy? I think I'll break out my cell phone and call John Boehner AND CONGRATULATE HIM AND HIS FELLOW REPUBLICANS FOR STICKING TO THEIR PRINCIPALS! Maybe when the checks stop going out the people who are dependent on that income will finally become outraged enough to actually do something about the leadership they elected.

Here is what the most fiscally conservative member of the Senate has to say about the idiocy of the House Republicans:


"Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) on Friday said it's "stupid and naive" to think that a grand bargain on reducing the federal deficit can be reached without tax increases."
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing- ... -increases

Or the Republicans are just obeying their Wall Street masters:

Credit-default swaps traders seeking to profit from concern that the U.S. will default as lawmakers clash over the debt ceiling are betting a missed payment may trigger a payout of about 22 times the cost of the contracts.

While the derivatives are signaling a less than 1-in-20 chance of default within five years, banks, hedge funds and money managers are using the insurance-like contracts to bet that failure by President Barack Obama and congressional leaders to reach a budget agreement may lead to profits of as much as 13 percentage points at a cost of about 0.6 percentage point for the next year.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... z1Sxxsed9w

Something the Dog Said wrote: Here is what the most fiscally conservative member of the Senate has to say about the idiocy of the House Republicans:


"Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) on Friday said it's "stupid and naive" to think that a grand bargain on reducing the federal deficit can be reached without tax increases."
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing- ... -increases

Of course it is.

But I am beginning to think the apes in Congress are only pretending to care about the deficit. The real (only?) issue to them is blackmailing the country into agreeing to no tax increases. The deficit is just the excuse.

They are also using the deficit as an excuse to attack SS and medicare....even though they should not be part of the conversation about deficits as they did not get us into this mess. But, the Republicans seem intent on dismantling each and every social program they can with the deficit as the excuse. Right now I think we should just raise the deficit ceiling, like congress has done for every president...no matter what the economic times were, then have the discussions on cuts and revenue increases. The reputation and the credit of the US is at stake......yet the Republicans would cut off their nose to spite their face just so they can say "we won". THAT is much more important to them than what is good for the country.

SS is solvent for the next 26-27 years... And they know it... This is about dismantling every social protection we have in the name of "deficit reduction", which is a bald-faced lie...and they know that too...

I think the deal has been cut and they are waiting until the last possible second to give everyone onvolved air cover. Unfortunately any solution that has a chance of working will be wildly unpopular with each party's base.