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The Spectacle Blog
I’ve already made clear, along with many other conservatives, that the McConnell plan, without ANY actual spending cuts, is about as idiotic as idiotic can be. Now comes word, from a source I trust, that McConnell is going “all in” on this, twisting arms and calling donors to ask THEM to twist arms to force Republicans to accept his cave-in. If, for some reason, my source is wrong, I apologize in advance — but I see no reason to doubt this story, because that is how Senate leaders operate.
If it is true, McConnell’s behavior is shameful. It is long past time for congressional GOP leaders to stop their decades-long habit of only pulling out the big guns when it comes time to tame conservatives, to make conservatives buckle, to demand that conservatives cave in. This is the sort of thing that Newt Gingrich (may he please crawl under a rock), used to do when he was Speaker — as amply detailed in Tom Coburn’s book, Breach of Trust.
Save the strong-arm tactics for the left.
Sure, I also disagree with tieing the Balanced Budget Amendment to this fight, for tactical reasons. But that doesn’t mean conservatives should cave on the whole idea of forcing budget cuts, which is what the McConnell plan would amount to. And it sure as heck doesn’t give McConnell leave to act like a bully-boy and try to force a bad deal, or any deal, down our throats.
I have yet to see any evidence at all that GOP leaders, in either House, actually gamed out these debt-limit negotiations. I have long contended that GOP congressional leaders give evidence of all the strategic wisdom of Napoleon invading Russia and the tactical sense of Custer at Little Big Horn. I fear that this is what is happening again. If McConnell is combining anti-conservative strong-arm tactics with these strategic and tactical deficiencies, he should never be forgiven. I think conservatives were winning the argument with Obama until McConnell floated his plan. Now the overall situation is dicey. Thanks, Mitch.
View all comments (18) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by Quin Hillyer
http://spectator.org/blog/2011/07/18/perfidious-mcconnell
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Ken (Old Texican)| 7.18.11 @ 4:04PM
Maybe he just wants the House to tote the bale.
Oldefarte| 7.18.11 @ 4:09PM
Newt had it right. House should pass a substantial, equal parts debt reduction/debt ceiling increase, send it to the Senate and force their Democrats to YEA or NEA!!!!!
Quin| 7.18.11 @ 4:12PM
On this point, I agree with Newt -- who is basically pushing the same idea as Krauthammer. Maybe aim for a nice, even $1 trillion in savings (with well-thought-out, politically sellable cuts), combined with a $1 trillion hike in the debt ceiling. That would move the ball towards lower spending, and put Obama on the hook again BEFORE the next election, to again be made to beg for a debt-limit increase.
c. j. acworth| 7.18.11 @ 6:24PM
Yes.
Thom| 7.18.11 @ 6:46PM
How does one force spending cuts after raising the debt ceiling and letting another trillion be borrowed in less than one year? Can't be done. If King Obama does not agree to that which can not be enforced after Congress gives the green light to spending another trillion we don't have in less than one year then what? Fool me once.... Fool me twice.... well we all know how that goes when you play the part of a fool in such a game.....
Derek Leaberry| 7.18.11 @ 4:12PM
Mitch McConnell, elected senator in 1984, is part of the bipartisan conspiracy regarding spending. His conservative talk was for the rubes. He was always an appropriator, a cog in the fiscally dissolute machine that has run the country for far too long.
Obama's 10 year, 4 trillion big deal, which McConnell tacitly supports, is of a gaseous
quality. The budget cuts are years from taking effect because the plan is that they never take effect. Obama wants it that way for the obvious reason that he desires big government socialism. But why does McConnell?
thirteen28| 7.18.11 @ 5:26PM
Why does McConnell? Because he's an advocate of big government statism just like Obama. He only *talks* like a conservative, but he sure as h3ll doesn't actually mean any of it.
Bill Hussein O'Stalin| 7.18.11 @ 4:34PM
Actually, they aren't as good as Napoleon invading Russia or Custer at Little Big Horn.
thirteen28| 7.18.11 @ 5:20PM
Mitch should just be honest about it and change his party affiliation. After all, that's for whom he does his best work.
thirteen28| 7.18.11 @ 5:28PM
BTW, I think Jim DeMint needs to make a run to lead the GOP caucus during the next congress. McConnell is simply unfit to represent any party that has even the mildest pretensions of conservatism.
Thom| 7.18.11 @ 5:50PM
The problem here is that King Obama and his merry Marxists are quite willing to see the country burn in order to obtain their goals and the Republican Party is all too willing to play by the rules that such people expect.
With 80% control of the Press, virtual control of all levels of urban government and education (thus control over the message to the Nation’s children and their parents) the Joker and his minions see nothing to lose here. I’ve often said “an enduring weakness of democracy is its lack of accountability”. From such come endless compromise of founding principles and no way the irreconcilable differences between the Marxist Democrats and Republicrats can be resolved.
John Adams famously said our form of government is only fit for a moral people and as demonstrated a people wedded to the proposition that stealing from one citizen in order to buy the loyalty and vote of another is a moral choice and that lying is justified by the end results is laughable at best.
Nearly 100 years of lies piled upon lies by the Marxist Democrat Party coupled to the reluctant of the Republican Party to take the enemy within seriously has led us to the only destination this could lead to. Be it now, in a few months, a few short years this will not end well because politics can only hide the truth so long and with such a divided nation drawn between matters of self-interests that pit one citizen against another, this will not end well.
The Nation’s indulgence into false utility and absolute abandonment of sound economic policies are going to crush what is left of this “republic” and kill what has been the guiding light of the world for over 200 years. The Republicans either speak truth to our modern day King and get serious with the threat posed here or prepare to see political means erased from the possibilities for a solution. This nation has been here a couple times before and both times a tyrant saw burning the nation down as a viable solution.
It should have never come to this but here we are looking down into the abyss…. yet again
Thom| 7.18.11 @ 5:50PM
The problem here is that King Obama and his merry Marxists are quite willing to see the country burn in order to obtain their goals and the Republican Party is all too willing to play by the rules that such people expect.
With 80% control of the Press, virtual control of all levels of urban government and education (thus control over the message to the Nation’s children and their parents) the Joker and his minions see nothing to lose here. I’ve often said “an enduring weakness of democracy is its lack of accountability”. From such come endless compromise of founding principles and no way the irreconcilable differences between the Marxist Democrats and Republicrats can be resolved.
John Adams famously said our form of government is only fit for a moral people and as demonstrated a people wedded to the proposition that stealing from one citizen in order to buy the loyalty and vote of another is a moral choice and that lying is justified by the end results is laughable at best.
Nearly 100 years of lies piled upon lies by the Marxist Democrat Party coupled to the reluctant of the Republican Party to take the enemy within seriously has led us to the only destination this could lead to. Be it now, in a few months, a few short years this will not end well because politics can only hide the truth so long and with such a divided nation drawn between matters of self-interests that pit one citizen against another, this will not end well.
The Nation’s indulgence into false utility and absolute abandonment of sound economic policies are going to crush what is left of this “republic” and kill what has been the guiding light of the world for over 200 years. The Republicans either speak truth to our modern day King and get serious with the threat posed here or prepare to see political means erased from the possibilities for a solution. This nation has been here a couple times before and both times a tyrant saw burning the nation down as a viable solution.
It should have never come to this but here we are looking down into the abyss…. yet again
W| 7.18.11 @ 5:51PM
This debt limit issue is actually simple. We have to borrow about 40% of the amount needed to pay for the budget expenses. No business or household can operate like this, and neither can the government. The answer is simple. Cut expenses. Pay essential expenses such as the interest on the debt, social security, medicare, the armed forces salaries. After that, do what a business does. Lay off non essential employees. I am sure the writers on this blog can make a good list. I would start with the speechwriters for Michelle, and her staff, next All the employees with the dept of education, energy,commerce, and the EPA, NLRB, ..Next, get out of Libya immediately. Then out of Iraq and Afghanistan. Lay off Biden, call him if needed.
Jim| 7.18.11 @ 8:59PM
Give me 20 minutes and a pen and I'll balance the budget. Won't be pretty. Lots of tears and angst inside the beltway. I agree with W; start hacking this behemoth of a government.
darcy| 7.19.11 @ 3:55AM
If the elected pols don't get busy and pronto with the hacking away at "this behemoth of a government," then the people will do it for them. The fury I hear today directed at progressive/statists in general and at Obama in particular -- by people from Democrat households who adored Obama two years ago -- is simply stunning. They're convinced now he was a total media creation, empty suit, blatant liar, and the equivalent of a tool of Satan come to deliberately collapse our economy and with it the nation.
That McConnell is prepared to hand this Obama fraud the keys to the kingdom is evidence either of his senility or his malicious intent. Either way, McConnell's career is OVER.
Clint| 7.18.11 @ 6:15PM
" (Ron) Paul was the only GOP House member TPM found lastTuesday 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 incensed over McConnell'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."
Jimmy| 7.18.11 @ 7:39PM
So who is running against McConnell? Please let me know as I will be happy to be rid of another big government republican. At least Brown, Snowe et al have an excuse.
Wayne | 7.18.11 @ 10:14PM
I do not understand how a group with a simple majority pass a law that requires a 2/3 rds votes. I would never vote for such a law as its must be patently unconstitutional.