The American Spectator

Kyle| 7.15.11 @ 11:15AM

And if you think this is going to hurt Obama politically think again. He could correctly say, "The Republican's refused to lead and refused to show the public what they would cut, so they punted and left it for me to do; I'm a leader, vote for me."

No one will be paying attention when Obama increasing the debt ceiling 3 times and cuts nothing, no one. This McConnell plan will do absolutely nothing to harm Obama in the 2012 Election.

REigen| 7.15.11 @ 12:05PM

It's worse than that! Obama would increase the debt ceiling 3 times and each time he has to propose matching cuts. He'll propose the most obnoxious unacceptable cuts he can come up with.

He not only gets to say that he stepped in to save the elderly from being tossed out on the streets he gets to point to a bunch of spending cuts that he proposed and the Republicans rejected!

Plus McConnell has folded his hand before the negotiations were done, so that now Obama knows the Republicans aren't serious about rejecting a debt ceiling increase that doesn't get serious about spending cuts.

Palin can't get into the race soon enough. I think the reason we've got people making excuses for McConjob and another article that's nothing but a hit piece on Palin is that the Rinos of the party are deeply afraid that she'll get into the race. She'll win the nomination, win the election, and the era of Rinos will be OVER.

JP| 7.15.11 @ 1:18PM

I don't think it would work out that way. The House GOP has had a budget since April. It has been sitting on Sen Reid's desk for 3 months.

The House GOP listed dozens of cuts, which Obama has all shot down. The President refuses to mention any. The McConnell Plan puts the ball in Obama's court. He can complain all he wants; but, the McConnell Plan gives the President the oppurtunity to name what HE WANTS CUT in order not to run up the defecit. The McConnell Plan, in otherwords, forces the President to put-up or shut-up. The defecit and the spending side of the equation through Dec 2012 would be in his court. He would look silly demogouging something he controls. Yes, McConnell gives him the debt cieling (it would require 2/3rds majority to override the President's debt cieling request); but the plan takes the wind out of Obama's sails. This entire drama with the debt crisis was manufactured in the WH. It took McConnell until last week-end to figure that out. The McConnell Plan is brilliant. He gives the President what he wants, without giving him what he needs (a boost in the polls). For once the President would be forced to actually lead -something he is obviously incapable of.

Have you considered| 7.15.11 @ 1:49PM

Kyle, I tend to agree with your assessment.

Additionally, let's think about this from a Core Principals perspective.

In 2010, the Republicans were voted in on the platform of Repeal Obamacare, Cut Spending, Reign in the alphabet agencies, especially the EPA.

If our congress capitulates at this juncture without spending cuts, they will have betrayed the voters who put them there....again.

This vote would be expedient Politically in their opinion, but would not be in best interests of the country as a whole. Same stuff different day.

They caved in on the CRs and the Pledge to American (remember the 100B to 61B, to 38B that was really 300Mil?) telling us that the "real" fight would be in the debt ceiling bills.

Now they are in effect saying, well the "real" fight starts in 2013...pathetic.

Occam's Tool| 7.16.11 @ 4:58PM

Obama cares nothing for our future; this is blindingly obvious. Letting him control spending in this fashion is like giving a loaded weapon to an idiot; it is a madman's plan.

crazy| 7.15.11 @ 11:37AM

In other words, it would allow Congress to vote present and have it whichever way the political winds blow.

Like it or not Congress needs to man up. The House passed a budget bill for 2011. At a minimum they need to either authorize sufficient additional borrowing to pay for it or pass enough cuts to it to go along with whatever credit limit they're willing to pass. Either way it's time to get this battle out of the closed door conference room and back into the committee rooms and the floor on CSpan where it belongs.

Brinksmanship only favors the one who's willing to pull the trigger.

ncatty| 7.15.11 @ 11:50AM

No more gimmicks. The McConnell plan is a gimmick.

Clint| 7.15.11 @ 11:51AM

" (Ron)Paul was the only GOP House member TPM found Tuesday afternoon willing to take a firm stand against Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's (R-KY) plan to hand the White House full authority to raise the debt ceiling with Congress only able to disapprove with a two-thirds vote. Conservative groups, Tea Party members outside Congress and activists are reportedly incensed over McConell's fall back plan.

"I wouldn't like that," Paul told TPM. "Congress should assume responsibility for itself" and figure out a way to cut spending.

Paul also dismissed talk that McConnell's lead trial balloon has undercut Republicans position in the debt talks.

"I don't think it has much effect," Paul said. "If it were [Speaker John] Boehner, it would have been a different story because we have the majority" in the House.

Michele Bachmann, a competitor for the GOP primary, declined to comment on the plan. "

Handy| 7.15.11 @ 11:53AM

McConnell's scheme is a capitulation to Obama, just when it is least-needed. Obama is already on the ropes. He's down 8 percentage points to a generic Republican (47%-39%). The people already blame him for this mess. Now is not the time to let him off the mat.

If McConnell's hair-brained scheme passes, Obama will add another $2.5 Trillion by election day 2012. If either house blocks him with a 2/3s vote, he'll simply point the finger at the deniers.

McConnell seems more worried about appearances than about substance. It is time for him to drag his super-annuated rump back to the Bluegrass State and to shut his trap.

This would be such a gift to Obama that he might ask him to be his running mate in 2012, replacing Biden.

martin j smith| 7.15.11 @ 12:09PM

May be plan B should be this: Raise the debt limit for a six month period for a specific amount in exchange for a cut in spending of an equal amount ( the amount of increase should be relatively small since big boy cannot be trusted ) and give that to Obama and let him take it or submit HIS plan and continue negotiating . Basically give him an offer for a short term debt ceiling increase with modest amounts in exchange for equal amount of spending cuts for two six month periods. I saw that idea somewhere and I like it. And he he refuses the tell the American People that Obama is unreasonable.

Michael L. Hauschild| 7.15.11 @ 1:30PM

No.

martin j smith| 7.15.11 @ 1:54PM

Hey Micheal, not to worry Obama will refuse such an offer. HE WANTS TO INCREASE TAXES. Plus, Obama wants any so called " negotiations" to fail and he wants to create a crisis He believes Republicans will be blamed. The strategy is to focus the Obama's destructive behaviour. That is it.

Wayne | 7.15.11 @ 2:01PM

Any effort to increase Obama's power is loony.

martin j smith| 7.15.11 @ 2:10PM

Obama will not "cooperate" with any plan republicans put out--he will offer verbally and vaguely but never specifically and in writing. But, my feeling is this as a last ditch effort if needed I would recommend a short term deal but giving Obama less control that McConnell and require equal amounts of cuts. I have no doubt Obama would veto this if passed but let him--and then see how the American people feel.

If, as I have heard McConnell put out his plan without disucsions with peers I then believe he was wrong in doing that and makes me really wonder about him. Yet the general idea has some merit but must be refined and used only if needed.

Oldefarte| 7.15.11 @ 2:33PM

Most of you are possibly failing to understand this issue. McConnel is saying that the Republicans only control 1/3 of the power structure involved in this fight [House], whereas the Democrats control the other 2/3's [WH and Senate]. As such, it is impossible for Republicans to effectively accompolish the the totality of their goals. I prefer Newt's proposal instead of the House passing say $500 billion in spending cuts along with a $500 billion increase in the debt ceiling; sending same over to the [Democrat] Senate and thereby forcing them to either pass or fail same [either way, the Democrats lose]. What McConnell is saying is that IF the government defaults [or is forced to priortize government payments from a shutdown perspective], the Democrats will control the process and be able to demogod the Republicans as the cause of same. Furthermore, a shutdown/default will have humongous financial/economic effects, ie interest rates spiking/quadroupling, private businesses becoming bankrupt that are tied to/dependent upon government payments, possible SS/Medicare/military payments stalled by theese sleezy Democrats in charge of same, possible financial-bank collapses, substantial reduction of government creditors refusing to renew their bonds, etc. A default/shutdown will not be pretty, will be extremely disruptive to our country, will effect all of us, and will play politically into the Democrats hands. The end result of same could play right into the president's hands and insure his re-election in November of next year, which is exactly what most of you hopefully do not want to happen. The only real solution rest with next year's elections and the continued replacement of Democrats with Republicans that was tea party begun in November of 2010, since we all are the primary one responsible for this situation anyway [from electing previously Democrats that are now in charge of this government]. We are to blame, and the only way to correct our mistake of 11/4/08 and beyond is to vote Republican next year!!!!!!!!!

MSpector| 7.17.11 @ 10:39AM

As the touring British royals might say: the plan is too clever by half. To vote for the McConnell plan is to vote Obama the authority to raise the debt ceiling. Period. The fig-leaf of being able to cast a meaningless vote to oppose each increase in the debt ceiling is meaningless. And if you think the voters won't see it, you must think they are dumber than Obama thinks they are -- and that's saying something.