Obama can’t cave, even a little, in the face of GOP extremism
Seeing our government and our creditworthiness held hostage to the demands of a right-wing minority is infuriating. It’s also heartbreaking. It’s heartbreaking because the only thing keeping our country from being its growing, innovative and successful self is genuinely and unnecessarily stupid politics. The United States emerged from a horrific global recession in better shape than most other countries. Our recovery was slower than it had to be because of too much budget-cutting, too soon. Nonetheless, we avoided the more extreme forms of austerity, and our economy has been coming back — at least until this made-in-the-House-Republican-caucus crisis started.
It’s heartbreaking because a nation whose triumphs have always provided inspiration to proponents of democracy around the world is instead giving the champions of authoritarian rule a chance to use our dysfunction as an argument against democracy. Does it really make House Speaker John Boehner proud that when the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank host global economic leaders on Thursday, one of their central pieces of business will be scolding the United States for using the debt limit as a political football? It’s heartbreaking because the reward to President Obama for pursuing broadly middle-of-the-road policies is to be accused of being an ultra-liberal or, even more preposterously, a socialist. Are our right-wing multimillionaires and billionaires, who are making more money than ever, so unhinged that they can cast a modest tax hike as a large step toward a Soviet-style economy?
The most revealing example of the lunacy that now rules is the very health-care plan that has Republicans so up in arms that they’re willing to wreck the economy to get it repealed. The Affordable Care Act does build on Medicaid, but the core of the law is based on market principles that conservatives, including Mitt Romney and the Heritage Foundation, once endorsed. Its centerpiece promotes competition among insurers and subsidizes the purchase of private insurance. It has little in common with the British National Health Service or the Canadian single-payer model — systems that work, by the way — except for sharing with them the goal of eventually covering everyone. Yet we have a shutdown driven by the idea, as Rep. John Fleming (La.) put it, that Obamacare constitutes the “most existential threat” to our economy. It should not surprise us when errant nonsense creates a nonsensical crisis.
Obama has finally decided he’s had enough of a politics based on “extortion” and “threats.” He has signaled that he is happy to negotiate, just not under a gun held by the most irresponsible elements of the GOP. He is exhausted, and rightly so, by the fecklessness of Boehner, who told Democrats early on that he would not shut the government down and then crumpled before a revolt by a corporal’s guard of 40 to 80 members of a 435-member House. Now it is said by people who see themselves as realists that, because he is dealing with irrational foes, Obama has to be the “adult in the room.” The definition of “adult” in this case is that he must cave a little because the other side is so bonkers that it just might upend the economy.
Giving in is exactly what Obama cannot do. The president offered Boehner a face-saving way out on Tuesday, suggesting that he’d be happy to engage in broad budget talks if the government reopened and there was at least a short-term increase in the debt limit. To go any further would be to prove to the far right that its extra-constitutional extremism will pay dividends every time.
What’s required from the outside forces who want this mess to go away is unrelenting pressure on Boehner and the supposedly more reasonable Republicans who say they want to open the government and pay our debts. Up to now, these Republicans have been the enablers of the tea party faction. They’re the ones who must become the adults in the room, because they’re the ones who allowed all this to happen.
The tea party folks at least know what they believe in and fight for it. The rest of the Republican Party cowers before them, lacking both conviction and courage. This, too, would be heartbreaking: if a once-great political party brought the country down because its leaders were so afraid of confronting unreason in their ranks.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/ej-dionne-obama-cant-cave-in-the-face-of-gop-extremism/2013/10/09/3760cd86-3103-11e3-9c68-1cf643210300_story.html
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12 Oct 13
1 edit
Originally posted by moon1969Do you know why Pelosi isn't going for a discharge petition? It seems to require the same majority as is alleged to exist for the Senate bill under discussion.
[quote][b]Obama can’t cave, even a little, in the face of GOP extremism
Seeing our government and our creditworthiness held hostage to the demands of a right-wing minority is infuriating. It’s also heartbreaking. It’s heartbreaking because the only thing keeping our country from being its growing, innovative and successful self is genuinely and unnec ...[text shortened]... ant-cave-in-the-face-of-gop-extremism/2013/10/09/3760cd86-3103-11e3-9c68-1cf643210300_story.html[/b]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discharge_petition
Edit: Maybe she is, sub rosa.
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13 Oct 13
Originally posted by JS357Then don't, it is not a video, it is a warning about a coming economic crash.
Yes. Please summarize the issue in your post. I don't watch videos just on someone's whim.
I am not sure what to make of it, just looking for a second opinion.
13 Oct 13
Originally posted by moon1969Our government was built upon the idea that there would be disagreements,
[quote][b]Obama can’t cave, even a little, in the face of GOP extremism
Seeing our government and our creditworthiness held hostage to the demands of a right-wing minority is infuriating. It’s also heartbreaking. It’s heartbreaking because the only thing keeping our country from being its growing, innovative and successful self is genuinely and unnec ...[text shortened]... ant-cave-in-the-face-of-gop-extremism/2013/10/09/3760cd86-3103-11e3-9c68-1cf643210300_story.html[/b]
and that was true at the start and it isn't different now. I don't care that you
view some as extremist, if they are elected officials they are part of the
government and their say matters as much as anyone else'! If you cannot
come together and talk over the differences, than digging in is just as bad
as demanding your own way, neither one allows people to come together
and talk out differences. We have a divided government by design, it is not
designed so one guy can get their own way.
Kelly
13 Oct 13
Originally posted by KellyJayFor the President to cave even just a little would be to prove to the far right that its extra-constitutional extremism will pay dividends every time. Would set very bad precedent for our country and form of government.
Our government was built upon the idea that there would be disagreements,
and that was true at the start and it isn't different now. I don't care that you
view some as extremist, if they are elected officials they are part of the
government and their say matters as much as anyone else'! If you cannot
come together and talk over the differences, than dig ...[text shortened]... ave a divided government by design, it is not
designed so one guy can get their own way.
Kelly
13 Oct 13
Originally posted by moon1969If the President had he NOT drew a line saying he will not talk put himself in
For the President to cave even just a little would be to prove to the far right that its extra-constitutional extremism will pay dividends every time. Would set very bad precedent for our country and form of government.
a corner that has no easy way out for him. Had he just entered into a
discussion and kept to his points he may have been able to get his way,
maybe bending a little. Those that he is demonizing are also elected and
they represent people who vote and belong to this country are just like
everyone else. It isn't extra-constitutional to talk to the body that is
supposed hold the power of the government purse.
Kelly
13 Oct 13
3 edits
Originally posted by KellyJayYou seem to misunderstand the scenario.
If the President had he NOT drew a line saying he will not talk put himself in
a corner that has no easy way out for him. Had he just entered into a
discussion and kept to his points he may have been able to get his way,
maybe bending a little. Those that he is demonizing are also elected and
they represent people who vote and belong to this country are ...[text shortened]... stitutional to talk to the body that is
supposed hold the power of the government purse.
Kelly
Take the clean CR, for example, to keep the government open. That was/is supported by the President, a majority in the Senate, and a majority in the House. That is the American legislative democratic process.
Speaker Boehner uses his power outside of the legislative democratic process to not let the vote (already passed in the Senate) go to the House Floor where it would be passed, and then immediately signed by the President. Boehner demands as ransom what he could not get through the legislative democratic process.
Boehner first started using these tactics in 2011. These extra-Constitutional extreme budget tactics by a Speaker of the House have never been used in our 225 year history as a country. Would be bad precedent for our country and our families to negotiate.
13 Oct 13
2 edits
Originally posted by KellyJayWhen Pelosi was Speaker, she could have done the same. She could have refused to let a budget or CR vote go to the House Floor unless Bush agreed to negotiate on ransom demands Pelosi could not obtain through the legislative democratic process. She didn't. Has never been done before in our 225 year history.
If the President had he NOT drew a line saying he will not talk put himself in
a corner that has no easy way out for him. Had he just entered into a
discussion and kept to his points he may have been able to get his way,
maybe bending a little. Those that he is demonizing are also elected and
they represent people who vote and belong to this country are ...[text shortened]... stitutional to talk to the body that is
supposed hold the power of the government purse.
Kelly