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The Spectacle Blog
Byron York in effect defends Mitch McConnell here from my various recent criticisms. Now Byron is a superb reporter. First rate. He gets "scoops" frequently, and knows his stuff, and is utterly tireless. But in this post, part of his logic is, well, illogical. And as for how McConnell weighs his priorities, that's a value judgment on McConnell's part, but as a value judgment, I would argue that it stinks. I certainly disagree with Byron's conclusion that McConnell used his supposedly weak bargaining position to "get as much as he could."
First, the logic: Somehow, it is supposed to make it better that "It was Reid who wanted to leave more than McConnell." But that is exactly my point: IF it were Reid who wanted to leave early, then it gave McConnell LOTS of bargaining power. If McConnell had said, okay, if you want to leave early, I WILL insist on finishing the full 30 hours of debate when we get back after Christmas -- i.e., not have a vote on Christmas Eve -- then Reid either would have had to push the vote beyond Christmas, or hold it late on Christmas Eve, NEITHER of which he wanted to do. The whole point is that, as I clearly wrote, "if the Dems want to get out of town before the ice storm, then make them do so without passing this Obamacare bill. Make it THEIR tough choice. Make THEM face the consequences of not being able to get out of town."
Byron reports (as did a commenter named "Andrew" on this site yesterday) that in return for leaving early, McConnell scored the supposed coup of forcing a series of votes related to TARP and the debt limit when the Senate returns in January. Gee, that's nice. We're fighting over one-sixth of the economy, and major philosophical and constitutional issues, and McConnell is happy about another show vote or two on something, the debt limit, that NEVER EVER EVER pays big political dividends, because most of the public understands it is a pro forma vote. Again and again and again through the years the GOP makes a big deal out of the debt limit vote, and again and again and again it causes a momentary blip for about 12 hours and then people forget about it. Of course the debt matters -- but Americans object not so much to the debt as to the size and intrusiveness of government, and to all the actual laws, policies, and spending decisions that cause the debt to go up.They know the debt limit vote is an effect of bad policy, not the bad policy itself.
A Senate aide says this: "We're going to force them to vote on ending TARP, deficit control -- things they don't want to do. And it'll be on the first day back, when everybody's paying attention." That's tactically goofy. Everybody is paying attention NOW. People resent the hell out of a bill being forced down their throats without adequate time to read it, just before Christmas. This thing could have been portrayed as the Christmas Eve Massacre. NOTHING is more dramatic than a Senate leadership so bound and determined to shove a vastly unpopular major bill down the throats of the public that it forces the vote at 9 p.m. on Christmas Eve. THAT's drama for you. THAT makes people angry. That's like putting a lump of coal, AND a lump of dog droppings, in the stockings of the 60 percent of the public that is against this monstrosity. Instead, McConnell and company fold their tents, make no dramatic fuss, and fail to drive the point home.
Now, think about this. What would have happened to the debt limit vote if McConnell had stuck to his guns? As Byron himself reports, "The Senate has still not voted on a bill to raise the nation's debt ceiling. It has to do so by tomorrow, before lawmakers leave for the year." So... if the debt limit MUST be raised before Christmas, too, then why not fight on that front, too? Play hardball on BOTH. Hold the debt limit hostage to the health care bill by agreeing to the debt limit vote ONLY if the final health vote is pushed off until after the New Year.
Priorities, priorities. The debt limit gets voted on about twice a year. Totally screwing up the health care laws of the country for eternity happens, oh, one time and one time only in the history of the United States. This health care bill isn't just another piece of legislation. It's Horatio at the Bridge. The threat of it has inspired millions of people to go to TEA Parties and town hall meetings and to write and email and call their congressmen. It is not the debt limit that has people up in arms; it's health care. People are scared. People are not just angry but furious. And they see a congressional leadership that originally shunned them at the TEA Parties, that rode the public's energy and leadership during this health care fight so far rather than being ahead of the curve, and that refused to do scorched-Earth tactics in the Senate to beat it.
Reid and Obama now have nearly a month to figure out how to massage the supposedly dreaded votes on the debt limit. And they also get to celebrate a HUGE HUGE victory on health care, and celebrate it now, without paying quite the same price they would have paid if the GOP had stood firm.
As a supposed tactical victory for McConnell, this is like Napoleon getting off of Elba and thinking he would return to glory. Anybody who knows history knows what happened to Napoleon next.
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More Blog Posts by Quin Hillyer
http://spectator.org/blog/2009/12/23/sorry-byron
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Tim| 12.23.09 @ 11:48AM
Monsieur Rimbaud: [falls flat on face] What fool put a carpet on the wall?
Stan| 12.23.09 @ 11:48AM
I'm glad the current Senate Republican leadership wasn't in command of the 101st Airborne at Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge. When the Germans demanded the Americans to surrender McConnell and company would've said "When and where" instead of "Nuts" like Gen McAuliffe did.
Pingback| 12.23.09 @ 12:05PM
Twitter Trackbacks for The American Spectator : AmSpecBlog : Sorry, Byron [spectator links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 12.23.09 @ 12:09PM
The Counter-Spin - Erick’s blog - RedState links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 12.23.09 @ 12:09PM
The Counter-Spin - Erick’s blog - RedState links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 12.23.09 @ 12:09PM
The Counter-Spin - Erick’s blog - RedState links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
R. Dittmar| 12.23.09 @ 12:32PM
Quote: "We're going to force them to vote on ending TARP ... ".
Brilliant! After the GOP overwhelmingly supported it back when Paulson rushed to the hill to threaten us all with soup kitchens and dogs and cats living together if his Goldman-Sachs buddies didn't get their multi-million dollar bonuses, it now turns out that the Republicans were against TARP before they were for it! Can the Dems in Congress at least give the GOP a big clown car so we can all have a big laugh watching the leadership climb out of it in front of the Capitol next January?
Bert Spence| 12.23.09 @ 1:20PM
Once again, Quin, look at what people do, not what they say. The GOP leadership betrays by its (in)actions that it wants the healthcare bill to pass. They mistakenly believe that their electoral chances in 2010 are better if the hated bill passes than if they defeat it. They want the issue to run against. This is not difficult to discern. Incumbent politicians do this all the time. They are doing it now.
Meanwhile, the Dems are playing for keeps and for the long term. They are prepared to absorb losses in 2010. People make much of Reid's polling woes in Nevada. But look at what will happen. If he passes healthcare but is subsequently defeated, Obama will appoint him to head one of the health bureaucracies he created. Tom Daschle ring a bell?
This game is as old as the republic. Unfortunately, this time, it could be the undoing of the republic.
Oldefarte| 12.23.09 @ 1:30PM
Again, everyone seems to be concerned with 'micro', as opposed to 'macro', economics. These individual issues [ie healthcare] are just one in a long line of Democratic WELFARE legislation going back to Kennedy/Johnson/Great Society [all of which are still on the federal budget and which taxpayers constantly pay for]. Republican [and obviously Democrat] congressmen NEVER consider/mention the other side of the federal budget ledger-------EXPENSES. Federal expenses must be slached/reduced/eliminated substantially, which will go toward budget balancing over time. Those expenses needing to be reduced include foreign aid, welfare [ie social services], farm support aid, and yes military. Governmental welfare programs have resulted in generations of indigent families living off of the taxpayers' money, with no individual efforts to make proper use of the free public educational system that would enable their financial support of themselves. If welfare was almost entirely eliminated, and correspondingly government completely for employment opportunities, present welfare recipients would be forced to WORK since they would not be receiving government financial assistance. Why is it that Hispanic immigrants etc come to this country and perform menial labor [ie farm and hotel work] when there are able bodied American citizens living off of governmental welfare payments? Again, these governmental expenses must be reduced substantially, so that the balancing of its budget can begin to happen. If not, credit rating agencies will evenntually downgrade our government bonds etc to a point where foreigners will no longer buy same, eventually resulting in America going bankrupt. WAKE UP AMERICA-----WAKE UP!!!!
Tim Williams| 12.23.09 @ 1:41PM
Quin, you are 100% right on this. It is a complete cave. I don't know the rules of the Senate, but if he can, McConnell needs to go back on this deal. It's like he gave them the deciding vote, with nothing in return. We all understand Democrats can pass this, and objections are probably, ultimately futile, but there is an old Irish saying: "The certainty of defeat is no reason not to fight."
But McConnell, it seems, has chosen another old saying: "If you can't beat them, join them, and go home early."
I will pitch in on the GOP Leadership clown car proposed above.
Pingback| 12.23.09 @ 2:25PM
The Hayride » Quote Of The Day links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
MacAoidh| 12.23.09 @ 2:42PM
Spot on, Quin. I made some similar points on my blog last night (http://thehayride.com/2009/12/why-is-mcconnells-capitulation-a-big-deal/).
It isn't so much that what McConnell did was unreasonable. It's that you have 60 percent of the American public which not only hates this flatulent, besotted lummox of a bill but is at least intrigued with the idea of rolling back the entire "Progressive" project in the first place. Rasmussen has polling data indicating that 76 percent of the American people believes the free market does a better job of solving problems than government does. So there's a tremendous constituency out there for a Republican message if only the Republicans can show themselves worthy to carry the standard.
And this was a moment. It was an opportunity for McConnell and the GOP to prove themselves worthy of that constituency. Giving up a Christmas to suffer for one's country is something right out of Washington crossing the Delaware; McConnell and his guys could have gone down as heroes.
Instead, he goes down as a chump who wanted to beat the weather.
And for what? Debt limits and TARP? Seriously?
There is inspirational leadership, and there is the milquetoast dilettantism we saw yesterday. What this looks like is a lack of commitment, balls and FIRE that the American people are looking for in a leader or cadre of leaders to oppose and slay the Democratic beast now devouring our heritage as a republic.
Late last night on cable I ran across A Knight's Tale, which is a relatively lousy Heath Ledger movie - but one of the better lines was "You have been weighed. You have been measured. And you have been found wanting." I'd say this episode brings that line to life where McConnell is concerned.
New leadership, please. Let's give DeMint a shot. At least he'll fight for his cause as opposed to packing up and going home because it's about to snow.
Tim Williams| 12.23.09 @ 3:35PM
Right on. As you said on your blog, "When you're in the Alamo, you go down fighting."
Sue| 12.23.09 @ 3:13PM
As a Kentuckian, I feel the sting of shame that Nebraskans are feeling over Ben Nelson's betrayal.
As an American, I can't find words to adequately describe my seething fury for McConnell and the other Senate RINOS. They totally bailed on a pivotal opportunity to obstruct this legislation and stall it out until after the Christmas break. After months and months of doing 'all I could do' to fight this from outside the beltway, and in the end find the GOP leadership doing all they could to 'make way' and get out of town, leaves me nauseous with disgust!
Byron York misses it by miles. I've already faxed this excellent Op/Ed to McConnell. I've told him for weeks I'm on the war path, and I don't intend to let up.
YES, let's get Jim DeMint in McConnell's seat ASAP!
John - TMF| 12.23.09 @ 7:14PM
Look... McConnell isn't going to fight this at all. OK? Get over it. The GOP is planning on riding this thing into some sort of glory in November. OK?
McConnell is doing what Republican Club Senate Members always do. Nod sweetly and say "yessir but only 2 1/2 bags full sir.." McConnell knows his place.
Weens... McConnell must be researching his Revolutionary war hero, Charles Lee...
1) make them read the entire bill. Run a relay on the the Senate floor and withdraw consent for passing on the reading.
2) raise every parliamentary argument to every point. Object on points of order for periods in the wrong place, or bathroom breaks not properly voted upon. Keep pounding quorum calls.
3) Object to everything once Reed finally gets to voting after the dog fight he deserves... WALK out as an entire caucus and go home. LEAVE... don't even be present. If someone has the stones... vote for it, and demand a motion to reconsider. Force the bill to be read again on the motion.
Find every Constitutional violation and call a point of order for every single sentence that even looks like it could be in conflict. One vowel at a time if need be..
Of course this would be disruptive to the Comity of the World's Greatest Deliberative Body... and the moderate pipples (those phantoms that don't exist that the GOP Senators keep chasing as voters) would look askance at the obstructionist GOP....
The whole thing is insane. Of course it could be nothing else. If you want a prime example of what goes through the cowardly mealy mouthed brains of the GOP in Club Senate one need only utter then name "Charlie Crist", and all things become clear.
Fight DAMN YOU MCCONNELL!!!!! FIGHT!!!!!
The Mighty Fahvaag
Pingback| 12.23.09 @ 8:02PM
The American Spectator : AmSpecBlog : Sorry, Byron American Me links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
David Jacobson| 12.23.09 @ 9:03PM
It's been said already, but I think it bears frequent repeating: "Not one red cent!" I'll give nothing to the GOP. I'll give nothing to the RNC or any of its politically connected like-minded groups. Done.
And like John said above:
"Fight DAMN YOU MCCONNELL!!!!! FIGHT!!!!!"
philfl63| 12.23.09 @ 9:45PM
McConnell is another chinless career politico. He collects as much in campaign contributions (bribes) from the healthcare industry as do the rest of those douchbags. None of the Repugnicans gave a damn about their constituents or our country. You can not tell me that they could not all have maneuvered to deny the DemocRats this legislation. They are all on the take from the healthcare industry. Today they just voted themselves a perpetual honeypot of bribes.
Pingback| 12.23.09 @ 10:19PM
I Hate This Part Music » Adam Lambert – A Unique American Story, What You never Knew links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Margie| 12.23.09 @ 10:21PM
Mr. McConnell,
You'd better do it for the Gipper!
Yosemeti Sam| 12.23.09 @ 11:41PM
Wait a minute, wam, wam - I don't hear no
royally proportioned lady beginning any song,
just yet.
An historical ignominy will rest upon the heads -
whatever's in em - of the Persian Democrats
playing out their theatrical off-Broadway
performance.
As for senator McConnell - can anyone read
his mind?
Perhaps - just perhaps - the GOP senate leader
is tactically giving the democrats in the senate
all the rope they want so they can be hoist on
their own CONSTITUTIONALLY Un-American
petards.
The Peoples' house may yet foul up that
occupant in the peoples' white house - on loan to
the current puppet Resident.
Andrew| 12.24.09 @ 1:58AM
As Sam suspects, the Dems may have stepped across the line, in which case those varmints ought to say their prayers (as Sam might say). The day I pay a premium by writing two checks is the day I'm out of this country. I pay eighty buck per month for my policy, which has a very high deductible, and I'm very happy with it.
Pingback| 12.24.09 @ 2:14AM
Led Stage Lighting : Blues Traveler – Great American Jam Band Returns To The Stage | links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Jordan | 12.24.09 @ 4:18AM
Wonderful response.
Roger Ross| 12.24.09 @ 8:36AM
Perfectly put Quin, McConnell has caved again and Byron missed how far off target McConnell is. Defeating it is far more important than having it in place to run against in less than a year. But even the R's don't get it but for a precious few
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