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The Spectacle Blog
Our friends over at the Wall Street Journal and the Weekly Standard are out this morning with editorials supporting the Boehner plan.
What's on view here is what might be called the fault-line in the conservative movement.
Let's take what is in reality but the latest manifestation of this problem item by item.
• Both the WSJ and the Standard are asking for conservative support for the Boehner plan. The WSJ says not to support Boehner means Republicans are playing into Obama's hands. Bill Kristol and the gang say not to support Boehner means conservatives are siding with Obama. (!!!!!)
Wow.
To begin (and to be fair, press deadlines may have interfered), the Boehner plan has now been scored by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) -- and found to fall short of its much touted claims. In fact, the CBO score was so devastating the Speaker's staff has embarrassingly been sent back to rewrite the plan. Take a look at this story over in the Washington Examiner by our friend and former colleague Phil Klein. Had conservatives followed the advice of the WSJ and the Standard and leapt to defend the Boehner plan, they would now be on record as supporting some half-baked plan that -- according to CBO -- would have reduced the deficit in 2012 by… sitting down?… $1 billion dollars!!!!
Not to be direct…but are you kidding? To put the Boehner plan in perspective, let's go back to this news, reported here in the Washington Post, from October 7, 2010. The story concerned some interesting findings just released by the Social Security Administration on where some Obama stimulus funds had gone. Said the Post:
In general, the federal government misspent almost $110 billion in fiscal year 2009 by sending benefits checks to dead people, responding to fraudulent Medicare and Medicaid claims and overpaying government contractors.
So. In other words, the much ballyhooed Boehner plan ("the most credible proposal with a chance of becoming law before the 2012 election," say our friends) now officially scored by CBO as shaving a whole $1 billion off the deficit for all of next year -- is in fact a mere one hundred tenth of the amount Obama was paying -- according to his own government -- to dead people in 2009.
This is what conservatives are being asked to support? This kind of thinking -- which has already been sent (red-faced, one assumes) back to the drawing boards -- was what conservatives were supposed to declare their line in the sand?
Wow again.
• Let's talk about the sheer politics here for a second. The WSJ editorial had this line in it when discussing conservative opposition to the Boehner plan:
This is the kind of crack political thinking that turned Sharron Angle and Christine O'Donnell into GOP Senate nominees.
Yes, it is. It is precisely the political thinking that made United States Senators out of Florida's Marco Rubio, Utah's Mike Lee, Kentucky's Rand Paul, Pennsylvania's Pat Toomey and Wisconsin's Ron Johnson. When the Ruling Class was cheering in primaries for the likes of Charlie Crist, Robert Bennett, Arlen Specter and Trey Grayson. If there is a political rule that says conservatives must win every single election then turn-about is fair play. How does one explain the crack Establishment political thinking that turned moderates Carly Fiorina and Meg Whitman into GOP Senate and gubernatorial nominees? And why is there an Obama Administration in the first place? Wasn't nominating the moderate John McCain supposed to save the day because, you know, all GOP moderates win elections? Ahhh the walk down memory lane when one visits the presidential libraries of great Republican moderate presidents from Dewey to Dole.
Look.
What's going on here is a friendly disagreement among conservatives, but one with serious consequences.
Speaker Boehner was calling in to Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity to make his case. Presumably as he did to the WSJ and the Weekly Standard. The first two listened respectfully and asked questions. The second two leapt onto the Boehner Plan bandwagon -- and this morning have CBO egg on their faces. Another talk show host, our friend Mark Levin, we understand simply won't support this thing period -- and hence no Boehner call on his air. This morning he is in fine fettle over this, venting his own views as seen here and here.
We're a little less direct than our friend Mark, but however this disagreement is phrased, here's the take from here: As respectfully as can be said: talk radio and the editorial page of the WSJ and the Weekly Standard are very important to the larger conservative cause. Filled to the brim with people we know and certainly have respect for all around, considerably so. Even when we differ. But someone needs to say this:
Handing hosts and editors information and asking the people involved to rally to the flag -- only in less than 24 hour to have that same information look just plain silly, courtesy of the CBO scoring -- is both bad practice and potentially politically damaging to the Speaker. And for prominent conservatives who were, with the best of intentions, gulled into what now appears to be a bill of goods. There is a reason for the through-the-roof popularity of Rush, Hannity and Levin. Their audience correctly perceives that they will not allow themselves to be sold a bill of goods, even by the Speaker of the House.
And adding insult to injury? This story this morning in the Washington Times, which says this of the CBO report:
The Senate Democratic debt-limit bill would cut future spending by $2.2 trillion over 10 years -- much deeper than the House GOP alternative, according to figures Congress' chief scorekeeper released early Wednesday.
So what do we have here?
The Speaker of House has presented a plan that CBO says will eliminate a mere $1 billion from the deficit next year. A fraction of the amount the administration doled out in 2009 stimulus money to dead people. Say again, dead people.
In support of this all manner of people on the conservative side were asked to sign on the dotted line.
Politely put from here: no.
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More Blog Posts by Jeffrey Lord
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Solo| 7.27.11 @ 12:23PM
Right on target, Mr Lord!
Boehner is a disgrace! He's an establishment sell-out who embarrasses himself every time he even attempts to utter a truly conservative thought. He's like Pat Boone delivering a rendition of Alice Cooper's "Dead Babies": ie...not at all believable!!
They should Primary his feckless arse come 2012 and let that sniveling cry baby bawl over that!
Controse| 7.27.11 @ 12:58PM
I don't know if Pat ever actually sang "Dead Babies" but he did sing this: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFxTvffJqOg
Do not watch until your most recent meal is well on its way to the large intestine.
Have you considered| 7.28.11 @ 5:15AM
Solo, I heard the Tea Party is calling for a primary challenge to Mr. Boehner.
Mr. Lord, thank you for this article, this is what is sorely needed.
Yesterday, Quin Hiller told us here at the TAS Blog "to get a clue" and support the Boehner compromise. I respect Quin, but I completely disagreed with him on this.
JP| 7.27.11 @ 12:30PM
But Boehner yesterday admitted that his plan only saved $7 billion for FY 2012. Who really cares about a $6 billion difference, when we are borrowing $4 billion a day?
jo blo| 7.27.11 @ 12:33PM
'We're a little less direct than our friend Mark..'
More's the pity.
Jeffrey Lord| 7.27.11 @ 1:05PM
Although on occasion.....:)
Big Java| 7.27.11 @ 12:37PM
I got a bellyfull yesterday when Rush asked the Speaker about the fact that Prez Obama gets to spend his trillon, and the so called big spending cuts come later, ie over 10 years.
BIG WHOOP!
Constance| 7.27.11 @ 12:52PM
A very well put, honest and targeted article. Thank you.
big bob| 7.27.11 @ 1:05PM
We have three people in leadership positions, ( not leaders themselves!!) who are grossly out of their league. This chaos emanating from Boehner's office is obvious evidence of that fact, and he is in WAY over his head...as is Obama and Reid. This is very unsettling for those of us calling ourselves conservatives, and illustrates the case perfectly why we think for ourselves, and unlike the libs, don't just drink the coolaid on these sort of issues.
Michael L. Hauschild| 7.27.11 @ 1:33PM
Double post but......
Everything Boehner says and everything he does, despite the hype, always proves a lack of conviction, it is invariably revealed to be composed of smoke and mirrors. He capitulates to himself fully as much as he capitulates to the ones raping our economy. He is repeatedly surgically implanted with a Tea Party spine but his metabolism is so corrosive with beltway acid that his resolve dissolves as soon as his lungs fill with podium air. The man is a fool, leading a cast of characters that have forsaken all but reelection. His intellect is incapable of economic reality; his rational has no room for the trappings of Republican representation; to him Republican stands not for responsibility to his constituency but constituency to beltway Republican incumbency.
It is my sincere wish that he be removed from his speakership and removed from office next election, so much so that I will contribute to any primary challenge fronted. He is the epitome of what is wrong with our representative system, a crybaby, a golf partner to monsters, the institutor of “committees” whose only function is to compete with the “gangs” of his ilk in the giving away what belongs to others.
Margie| 7.27.11 @ 1:54PM
And my double post, but...
""It is my sincere wish that he be removed from his speakership and removed from office next election, so much so that I will contribute to any primary challenge fronted."
Now THAT is interesting, Michael, you accuser of me (and others) for doing the same!!
Your hypocrisy is showing quite clearly, sir.
jo blo| 7.27.11 @ 1:58PM
I'm not sure what Margie is talking about, and I know we got into it the other day on another article, but you nailed this one.
Bravo, sir.
Clint| 7.27.11 @ 6:41PM
Margie's A Nut Bag.
Margie| 7.27.11 @ 8:27PM
Clint/Tim*s a terrorist sympathizing, Jew hating, violent, conservative hating, lying punk.
Margie| 7.27.11 @ 10:52PM
jo blo, he knows EXACTLY what I'm talking about.
Go blow you're hot air elsewhere, TROLL.
DC| 7.27.11 @ 1:46PM
One of Mr. Lord's better recent efforts, I'd say. Mr. Haunschild above is unduly harsh on Boehner, but there's wisdom in those words, too, because the best course of action here would have been for the House leadership to pen a simple letter to Il Duce Nero and Harry the Mafioso, in language both would be able to understand, and paraphrasing Michael Corleone (Godfather II), when talking to (how about this) the corrupt Nevada senator: our offer is this--nothing. Not a debt limit increase, not even a meeting. You presented a budget unanimously rejected by the Senate controlled by the Dem party. The House would reject it too. Provide us something that we might be able to sell honestly to our colleagues and constituents, and then we'll talk. America needs less spending, not more debt. Period. Thank you and good bye.
Had they done this and basically shut up and given the petulant monkey in the White House months to stew, whine, and bitch, and forced him to submit a plan, rather than pretend he has one and castigate and veto-threat every other plan, we'd be in different straits right now. Instead the House leaders are "negotiating" with someone who wants to kill them, not compromise with them. Generally, a bad idea, with predictable results. You can't negotiate with this administration, because it isn't interested in governing, it's interested in RULING. So save your time and resources. Force their hand with solid silence and vote on your schedule, not your enemy's.
Penny| 7.27.11 @ 9:55PM
Agree, DC. As soon as Boehner opened his mouth to say a default mustn't be allowed happen, he gave the game away to the dems. Now they're playing him freely.
And still he says the offensive 'b' word - bipartisan, and still he says that of course, the zero is a trusted negotiating partner.
Afraid there's no use being 'gentleman John' and following the rules when you're fighting against morons who only know Alinsky's.
Casey Abell| 7.27.11 @ 2:01PM
Hey, looks like dustup comin' between Lord and Hillyer! This could be fun. Get a lot of popcorn.
JEarly| 7.27.11 @ 2:07PM
Apparently the Speaker has never actually played either Poker or Chess.....The Speaker should stop taking the pressure off the Senate Dems by trying to come up with "another plan".....Announce that the House already passed the Bi-Partisan Cut Cap and Balance Solution and now The House is waiting for the Senate to debate the issue. If you react to Harry Reid saying something is dead on arrival or Barrack Obama's veto threats then you are dancing to their tune. Put the pressure back on them...don't let them off the hook and wait them out.
Conservative Bob| 7.27.11 @ 2:31PM
This is exactly what they should do. Our side has repeatedly twisted itself into knots without requiring the Senate and O to actually present something let alone pass something.
Oldefarte| 7.27.11 @ 4:02PM
If it's good enough for Bolton, it's good enough for the rest of us. Once again, these so-called [though doubtful] hypocritical bastards within the dedicated,patriotic tea party ranks that lambast, curse, smear, criticize BoehnerRepublicans for what they and their moronic relations/friends caused previously by voting for Democrats within the last half century is sickening and deplorable. To equate these Republicans that are at least trying to effect spending reductions, and to correspondingly exonerate these lying, filty, dispicable, un-American domestic terrorists known as Democrats is beyond human belief. But that ladies and gentlemen, is precisely what Forrest Gump was referring to in his disertation on STUPIDITY, no doubt:
"That plan, as Speaker Boehner himself understands, is far from perfect. But there is no reasonable prospect, given the current political balance of power in Washington, to get anything better on the debt ceiling issue. We cannot know exactly how financial markets will react to the various scenarios that might play out over the next several days, but the potential cost of finding out what the defeat of the Boehner Plan would be is not worth the risk.If America's prospects for economic recovery are gravely impaired, if President Obama is able to turn the inevitable turmoil to his political advantage and achieve re-election, and if we face four more years of his debilitating economic and national security policies, the safety and security of America in the world may be damaged irreparably.In politics as in battle, conservatives should remember Carl von Clausewitz's sage advice to be satisfied with identifying and achieving "the culminating point of victory." That does not mean total victory, but rather the maximum that can be achieved in any particular engagement. We should not stop short, but neither should we risk what we have achieved by proceeding dangerously beyond that culminating point. There are many more battles to be fought to rescue our economy and preserve our national defenses. But on this present issue, we have reached the culminating point of victory. Let's not throw it away.
John R. Bolton July 27, 2011"
simon templar| 7.27.11 @ 4:41PM
I do not see where Mr. Lord is exonerating democrats. Please explain. As far as being perfect it appears to be a full blown sham. As far as what will happen in August...shall we jump to every threat coming out of the mouths of democrats? They are not going to default. This is a ruse. How do we know when the markets find out that we are in a projected 20 trillion deficit trajectory for the next 10 years without any fiscal prudence and real cuts, it will react violently sending gold through the roof and massive dumping of bonds. Expect the downgrades in our investment ratings. If there is any kind of tax increases, expect another round of ten percent layoffs. Businesses are not idiots. They will look carefully at the legislation passed and see the trickery if it is there and react. What a lot of people do not seem to get is that this government and the political games they play in DC will have a direct consequence in this capitalistic nation. Given what has been going on it will be a severe reaction. There is no more time or room for back room deals that smack of small gains, changes, and political shennigans.
Respectfully submitted to your Ancient Flatulence.
Michael| 7.27.11 @ 8:00PM
Bolton needs to stick to foreign policy apparently because that is his strong suit. In this instance he isn't just wrong, he's dead wrong. Adopting "plans" like Boehner's is the reason why Republicans were in the wilderness for four years. Not serious about controlling the spending. And they still haven't learned. They screw it up again and they're finished and it looks like they don't care because there's no fight in many of them.
simon templar| 7.27.11 @ 4:45PM
Why can we not turn the expected turmoil to our adavantage and hangs this around his neck given the FACT he showed no leadership, plan, and waited to the last minute? He created these deficits and WE have to take the rap. This is not rhetorical question. I want an answer. What the hell is wrong with republicans?
W| 7.27.11 @ 4:51PM
Boehner and the House Republicans are the only ones in the arena working on written plans and voting on the bills. Everyone else is in the stands booing and criticizing, and Obama is in the luxury boxes pouting. They should all be working and submitting plans in writing that can be verified. We are shooting our own troops like Boehner who are the only ones working. Let us direct our anger to the real enemies, like Obama and Reid.
simon templar| 7.27.11 @ 5:23PM
Yeah, negotiating with themselves and letting the demoncrats define, "Reality." Just heard Wolf Blitzer tell a republican to deal with reality and get on board with the sham Boehner new plan..the one they like which gives away the store. Yeah, let us direct our FOCUS and anger at the Demoncrats and tell them THEY need to DEAL with reality not the conservatives or Tea Party resistance. The conservatives are not shooting our troops, they are being abandoned, marginalized, thrown overboard, and are demanding a voice. Let us face the truth here for once, as predicted in the last round of this bullshit months ago when we were told to compromise, shut up, and wait till the next battle, the RINO's and GOP establishment HAS ONCE AGAIN SOLD US OUT..BUSINESS AS USUAL. FACE IT. WE WILL HEAR THIS AGAIN IN THE NEXT ELECTION, "Settle down conservatives, if we are going to beat Obama, we can not nominate a real conservative or Tea party person..we gotta have a RINO moderate." Same old bullshit. It will never end..they will turn this nation into a socialist state.
W| 7.27.11 @ 6:03PM
I dont disagree with anything you said ST. Even the socalled conservatives in the media, such as O'Reilly and Krauthammer, while criticizing the Dems, then demand that the Republicans raise the limit. And the neo-conservatives at the weekly standard are worse. They all believe in the "DEAL" . Sometimes, like now, you should just walk away from the table and demand the other side put its cards on the table.
darcy| 7.28.11 @ 1:17AM
You are absolutely right, simon templar. It's always manana, isn't it, with the GOP. There are indeed a few conservatives among us, but they are the exception.
Here's an empirical fact for the Republican sycophants commenting on this site: If the Republicans had been the opposition party these past 100 years instead of the party of compromise, we would not ever have moved so far down the road toward socialism and serfdom that we now face default. Everyone knows Dame Thatcher's quip, that with socialism a nation eventually runs out of other people's money. Well, we've run out, and ONLY because when given the chance to move agendas forward, the progressives have been the ones with their hearts in the effort and have fought tooth and nail, even using bogus financial projections to achieve their aims (see, for example, the historical record on how Medicare was enacted, available from the Cato Institute); meanwhile, the Republicans have tried to be nice, compromising, bipartisan, likeable, and frankly, not really into this American thing when it got in the way of their next election.
Since Republicans seem to be primarily motivated by achieving and maintaining power at the expense of the nation (while democrats are motivated by a desire to destroy the nation), it seems counterproductive to deliver to the Republican Party an overwhelming majority in 2012 -- the reason? Well, look what they did with it during George W. Bush's first term: implement social security reform? NO. Eliminate the Dept. of Education? NO. The EPA? NO. Medicare, how about Medicare? Did they tell the people the truth that such an entitlement to the elderly, while sounding compassionate, actually put the cost on generations yet born? How compassionate is that? You mean saving for a rainy day is not cool? You mean, free-market solutions to medical care just can't be trusted? Oh, no. We instead place our trust in our BENEVOLENT central planners. Ah, yes, the government will take care of us since we were too stupid to plan and save for our own care, too greedy, spending dollars on keeping up with the Joneses; and a host of other immature and unsavory character traits that permitted us to give away our freedom so we'd have security (at the expense of our neighbor).
There was never a concerted effort to do battle against statism, against socialism, against the programs initiated by FDR and expanded on by LBJ; never a dialogue with the people of the country about the consequences of cradle-to-grave government policy. NO. It was Iraq, all day, all the time.
There's a drunk driver at the wheel of the car: he's a Democrat. The guy next to him in the passenger seat, a Republican, can either grow a pair along with some principles, and decide that a collision serves no one's long-term-interest, or he can go along for the ride for the thrill of it all, and be just as guilty as the driver for the collision.
darcy| 7.28.11 @ 1:26AM
I refer you to:
http://www.redstate.com/dhorow.....overnment/
for another commenters remarks that in many ways echo mine.
simon templar| 7.27.11 @ 5:25PM
Do I hear the sound of SQUISH?
Michael L. Hauschild| 7.27.11 @ 9:30PM
I would settle for a squish, as a matter of fact it would be preferable to the loud obnoxious blast of flatulence I get every time I post. ST, do you suppose it is something I ate. It has me baffled; the only thing I contemplated consuming outside the realm of my regular diet has a girl Smurf stamped on it. (see Fox)
Nite| 7.27.11 @ 10:05PM
Harry Reid's plan counts on Obama ending wars in both Iraq and Afganistan. It does not mention Libya. I don't know how the CBO could score this plan with all the uncertain figures. Oh wait, the CBO person appointed by Obama. That should give us a clue.
Glein| 7.27.11 @ 10:37PM
Cut, Cap, and balance. That is it! The Republicans have once again tried to "compromise" with the Dems. They have been villified and told they want to kill the elderly and the infirm. The Tea Party has been compared to Terrorists! With this we are supposed to compromise? 1 Billion? Has our political parties become so ossified as to believe this wishful thinking of Reid and Boehner is going to solve the problem? McCain "Maverick" shut your yap! Your lousy campaign gave us Obama! The Republican institution can suck eggs! Third Party!
Michael L. Hauschild| 7.27.11 @ 10:47PM
Glein,
The entire Republican faction voted for Cut, Cap , and Balance. (100%) They did not get it so now they want to compromise and create something that is less. (Which they also will not get). Here is the thing I find so profound; the leadership is so stupid they are compromising with (and against)themselves. They lost; so they want to lose more? Thanks for the sanity. I was beginning to suspect that the posts here were all originating from the RNC.
Margie| 7.27.11 @ 10:57PM
Third party! Yeah, thaaat's the ticket!
That's the same strategy that gave us Bill Clinton I and Bill Clinton II.
If ya want to beat Liberals, ya have to have a solid conservative, look at Reagan I and Reagan II. And they need to run in the Republican party.
Gee~ I am beginning to think that the posts here by some want Obama II. and are originating from the DNC!!!
simon templar| 7.28.11 @ 12:33AM
Then the only solution is we MUST do everything we can in the next year to raise even more hell, educate and convince everyone you know about what is truly happening, demonstrate, organize, and kick ass like we did in the last election to remove the old guard and elect more conservative Tea Party. If you really want to save this nation then we all have to get into this fight and take back the GOP and the nation.