The American Spectator : The Spectacle Blog : Down to the Wire

Text Size

Down to the Wire

By W. James Antle, III on 7.28.11 @ 12:36PM

The conservative civil war over the Boehner plan continues today as the speaker tries to cobble together a majority for his proposal to raise the debt limit. The Club for Growth has reiterated its opposition to the plan, while conservative columnist George Will urged Tea Party activists to take what they can get. House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan has argued that the Boehner plan achieves two-thirds of the discretionary spending cuts contained in his own budget.

The vote looks like it will go down to the wire, though there are some signs momentum is shifting in John Boehner's favor. If it passes, there's a decent chance some hybrid of the Reid and Boehner plans will reach the president's desk.

View all comments (5) | Leave a comment

LiveFreeOrDie| 7.28.11 @ 12:55PM

And now, for the second act they will pass a watered-down bill that accomplishes next to nothing followed by the third and final act, sitting around patting each other on the back, smiling in front of the cameras while the country continues to spiral into ruin.

Clint 2.0| 7.28.11 @ 1:04PM

Dr. Ron Paul:
"Under Reagan, the IRS has grown bigger, richer, more powerful, and more arrogant. In the words of the founders of our country, our government has "sent hither swarms" of tax gatherers "to harass our people and eat out their substance." His officers jailed the innocent George Hansen, with the President refusing to pardon a great American whose only crime was to defend the Constitution. Reagan's new tax "reform" gives even more power to the IRS. Far from making taxes fairer or simpler, it deceitfully raises more revenue for the government to waste. Knowing this administration's record, I wasn't surprised by its Libyan disinformation campaign, Israeli-Iranian arms-for-hostages swap, or illegal funding of the Contras. All this has contributed to my disenchantment with the Republican Party, and helped me make up my mind. I want to totally disassociate myself from the policies that have given us unprecedented deficits, massive monetary inflation, indiscriminate military spending, an irrational and unconstitutional foreign policy, zooming foreign aid, the exaltation of international banking, and the attack on our personal liberties and privacy. After years of trying to work through the Republican Party both in and out of government, I have reluctantly concluded that my efforts must be carried on outside the Republican Party. Republicans know that the Democratic agenda is dangerous to our political and economic health. Yet, in the past six years Republicans have expanded its worst aspects and called them our own. The Republican Party has not reduced the size of government. It has become big government's best friend. If Ronald Reagan couldn't or wouldn't balance the budget, which Republican leader on the horizon can we possibly expect to do so? There is no credibility left for the Republican Party as a force to reduce the size of government. That is the message of the Reagan years."

Ron Paul Has A Tea Party Movement Before Breakfast

Crappy Diem

Zbigniew Mazurak| 7.28.11 @ 1:13PM

"The Club for Growth has reiterated its opposition to the plan, while _conservative_ columnist George Will urged Tea Party activists to take what they can get."

That statement by itself revealed Antle's political philosophy. If there is anyone anywhere who doubted that Antle is a RINO, here's your answer.

Calling George Will a conservative is not just wrong, it's insulting to me and to every other conservative. George Will is a RINO who repeatedly trouts the RINO line in the Washington Pravda and who backs only RINO candidates. In 1980, he first backed Howard Baker, then Geo. H. W. Bush, and only then (from Nov. 3, 1980) Ronald Reagan. During this election season, he first preferred RINO Governor of Indiana Mitch "Truce on social issues" Daniels, and now seems to be backing Mitt Romney, a caricature liberal from Massachusetts.

But then again, Antle supports the same guys, so what to expect of him?

Conservative Bob| 7.28.11 @ 1:55PM

The most important piece of this is that it only gets us into 2012. If they hold firm on that piece it becomes a tactical if not a strategic victory.

Forcing O to fight this again during the campaign is a very good outcome.

Forcing some cuts for the increase establishes the template going forward. The next round automatically becomes not if but how much to cut...
While I hoped for much more in real cuts it is evident that we do not yet have the numbers we need to prevail. The Senate is the problem not enough conservatives too many Dems and RINOs allow Reid to confidently kill anything he doesn’t like. Like it or not he is the counter balance.

We are in a position to keep them from doing anything really bad but not yet strong enough make fundamental changes.