Temporary Budget Deal Reached; Cherry Blossom Festival Saved
**Written by Doug Powers
We had about ten updates and several hundred comments on the other budget/shutdown watch thread, so we’ll move to a weekend version for more discussion.
One of the greatest tragedies this nation has ever encountered was narrowly averted last night. I speak of course of the devastation a government shutdown would have wrought on the cherry blossom festival.
As you have probably heard, a temporary budget deal has been reached:
With little more than an hour to go before a midnight government shutdown, President Obama and congressional leaders said Friday night they struck a tentative deal to give themselves more breathing space as they finalize a long-term bill to cut $37.7 billion in spending.
Early Saturday morning, when the government technically had run out of money, Congress passed and sent a short-term spending bill to the White House that keeps the government open until the end of next week. During that reprieve, the House and Senate are expected to pass a broader bill that funds the government for the rest of fiscal year 2011, which ends Sept. 30.
The leaders said the cuts are “historic,” and congratulated each other for reaching a deal, but a small rebellion was brewing among conservative Republicans who said it does not make the kinds of deep reductions they were seeking and that the House passed earlier this year.
“Tomorrow, I’m pleased to announce that the Washington Monument as well as the entire federal government will be open for business,” Mr. Obama said at the White House late Friday, minutes after House Speaker John A. Boehner announced the deal at the Capitol.
Who “won” this thing? Opinions will vary. Harry Reid called it “historic,” which isn’t exactly a confidence booster. Yesterday Reid accused Republicans of wanting to kill women and today he made history with them? Did they find middle ground and decide to only make them slightly ill?
More:
Under the terms of the agreement, the six-month bill will slash $38.5 billion from current spending levels, which is $23 billion less than the reductions Republicans originally demanded but $30 billion more than what Democrats had initially offered to cut.
Here’s a little perspective: That’s some $38 billion in proposed cuts through the rest of the fiscal year ending in September. The federal debt has increased $54.1 billion in the past eight days.
Simply slowing the meteoric increase in deficit spending is like choosing between going to hell in a fast handbasket or slightly slower gas can, so to that degree my fellow conservatives might feel like the Republicans lost this round (you’ll notice that the debt clock is still going up, not down).
At the same time though, according to the Washington Times, there is $78.5 billion less spending than what the president had requested for 2011, and the Democrats agreed to it. As Ed Morrissey at Hot Air pointed out, that’s not bad for a party that only controls one chamber of Congress and doesn’t occupy the White House. Not bad for a flea either, eh, Chuck?
As for the Planned Parenthood sticking point, here’s what happened with that:
The bill does not include a Republican provision to de-fund Planned Parenthood, which provides health care services for women, including abortion. The Planned Parenthood provision was one of the main sticking points during the negotiations, with the GOP insisting it remain in the bill.
House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, agreed to remove the Planned Parenthood provision in exchange for an agreement that would allow Congress to take up the funding issue separately. The Republicans also won inclusion of a provision that will require the Senate to vote on a bill to de-fund the health care reform law.
Much more will come of all this as the days go on.
**Written by Doug Powers
Twitter @ThePowersThatBe
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That’s cold comfort for the cowboy poets.
So how much is the national debt after this historic compromise?
Good discussion going on the other thread. Maybe we can continue it here. Phil…maybe if you check further into what we actually accomplished with this compromise, you might cut them a bit of slack. After all, how would YOU like to come to work every day and have to face the likes of Botox Nan, Chuck U Schumer, Harry “Cowboy Poet” Reid, Cowie Wangow, Weiner and Frank? That must be so depressing!
You know what would be really historic?? Harry Reid shutting his pie hole.
What was saved, bho got to go on his and family week-end get away and golf. There was some real nervousness if he was going to get otta dc. Poor thing has been working so hard lately!
L
Here in “hopeless” CA, we stage one of the most elaborate parades and related events in the world every year without one red cent of taxpayer money. In fact, we contribute a significant pile into the city’s treasury every year.
So why are American taxpayers paying for the Cherry Blossom parade? If it is worth subsidizing, couldn’t they get K Street to underwrite it? It’s not like they have any expensive floats or 20 equestrian teams or 40 marching bands or have to accommodate 2 million visitors in a small city of 130,000. Why did the GOP not confront this glaring waste of taxpayer money when it was thrown in their faces as an argument against the shutdown?
I guess the Dems really did win in November.
This was on the other thread and deserves repeating, as the other thread may fizzle.
Read this, Phil. I still believe they fought a valiant fight.
The GOP pledged to roll back spending to 2008 levels, promised draw the line to deliver $100B of cuts (which they unilaterally cut to $61B) and then “compromised” down to $41B and then caved to $39B. “Compromise” in full retreat.
How can that possibly be a victory? If we can’t hold the line fighting for billions in cuts, how does this help holding the line to cut trillions? All it proved is that the GOP doesn’t have the stomach or the will for a real fight. Obama pushed after demanding $78B of cuts and having proved that the GOP can be pushed around, can now claim credit for the final compromise.
Utter defeat. GOP folded like an accordian.
I agree totally. And Phil, this is one area where you and I will NEVER agree.
If you think the GOP has the stomach for a fight, read the self-congratulatory statements they are issuing today. “Dress rehearsal for things to come”. Gag me.
What this will boil down to is that they will argue that it wasn’t worth expending a great effort on billions when the real issue is trillions. How nice. Why can’t that be argued the other way around against the Dems?
The problem for us is that the $100B of cuts was very explicit. The future $trillion effort involve yet another massively comprehensive and opaque “solution”.
New kabuki narrative but the one-party system will continue its war against voters encouraged by yesterday’s victory.
Missed an opportunity to shut down the government. Obama would have quickly caved as it exposes 800,000 unneeded federal workers.
Hey. What are we worried about here? They cut all that they possibly could. Well…..except that 20 million dollar Sesame Street remake in Pakistan.
God help us.
I am disappointed they had to settle for so little in cuts. It is imperative to get the majority in the senate In 2012 or there will be no significant cuts.
There will not be an adequate candidate to run against Obama since the those that gave us Dole and McCain are still in charge in the GOP.
I choose to see it as the GOP made some progress. I don’t think anyone really believes they can achieve as much as they would like to with Democrats controlling the Senate and Administration. The GOP has demonstrated an effort to cut spending, while the dems have shown that they prefer to spend.
So to put this in perspective…
Let’s say I totally lose my mind (getting closer by the day) and decide to purchase a Chevy Volt. Instead of paying $40,280, it would only cost me $39,841 for the same POS. Frankly, I am a bit underwhelmed.
Yet, we keep voting for these clowns.
Not only did the GOP cave, but they are still funding obamacare! Boehner needs to go now, and replaced with someone with real cojones!
Mr. Boehner, please step down. Put someone like Rep. Runan in your place. I am from NC and he is from NJ, but at least he has a pair since he played center in the NFL. Mr. Speaker, you did a POOR job. I am sure you will sellout the USA on the debt ceiling also. Just go away.
Why is it Kabuki? Isn’t the GOP supposed to be the party of Noh?
Do you really think that they can defund Obamacare with Obama sitting in the WH (when he’s not on vacation. Oh, or playing golf. Oh, or having a party) holding the VETO pen in his little Marxist fingers? Or that it would even get past the Harry Reid Senate? If you expected that, you are being totally unreasonable and unrealistic.
So, Rep Runan played in the NFL, so he should be Speaker? I love your logic.
I am getting tired of this blame game and trashing the men and women who tried against HUGE odds and succeeded in many areas.
I have to leave now…this is upsetting me and I need a break.
None of these jackasses get it. I think it’s time we find candidates with some serious “Malkins” who will stick to their guns on these issues. Wimpy republicans are an embarrassing site.
Balance the budget. Period.
We have to do better than that, we have to get in the black and start paying down this monstrous debt. Interest payments alone will be eating us alive in a very short time.
it has not been proven. When has the right EVER tried an all-or-nothing approach? Always we compromise, Always we give in and try to be reasonable, and nobler than the other guy.
What some of you still don’t seem able to get is, you’re talking about compromising with Dachau, Auschwitz, the Gulag Archipelago. What we are battle is not the minor matter of whether we should cut 39 billion or 61 billion, but what that money represents. It represents the slow, creeping vine of the nanny-state. It is a referendum on how much the federal government should do, how much it can control.
How do you compromise on the principle of murdering unborn children? You either believe that’s what it is or you don’t. Do you divvy up the baby, compromise that it’s immoral to abort a baby on odd days of the week, but moral on even days?
How do you compromise on the principle of limited government? Do you say the government can dictate my diet? Because that is the road we are marching down, and we don’t stop the march by setting a slower pace.
We are already in a civil war, and have been for nearly a century. We only now notice because we are so near to having lost it. We were slaughtered on the battlefield in the 50s and 60s when we battled the “civil rights” movement, which set the precedent for every hair-brained socialist piece of politically correct legislation on the books.
We now have “hate crimes” in this country. Where once you could say whatever you like, now you can be punished for what you think. Do we compromise on that? How is any compromise on such a principle not complete capitulation?
And that’s what this vote was; complete capitulation. We didn’t get meaningful budget cuts. We didn’t get defunding of abattoirs. Just what did we get? A meaningless talking point?
What is really horrible, they will be dealing with raising the debt limit soon! We can not do that under any circumstance! You know bho and the d’s will be out in full force that a major crisis is upon us, the world will never give us another penny, g-ma will have to eat cat food, the poor will suffer if the ceiling isn’t raised! Same old crud! Again, I fear the r’s will cave so our Republic is deeper and deeper in debt. Soon, no country will loan us money and our credit rating will be dropped.
L
blahbablahbablah… they pretend it is SOOO hard to cut the budget.
Here, let me do it for you.
We took in how much last year? Let’s call it… 2.1 trillion. We spent 3.7 trillion.
Divide 2.1 by 3.7.
That’s roughly .57.
Get the budget for last year for each and every department.
Multiply each department’s budget by .57.
The budget for this year is finished.
BTW, I don’t like what happened yesterday, but I feel we got more than I thought we would. I just don’t like it one bit to be held hostage by bho and the d’s! Using our military was one of the lowest things I have seen bho do, and that’s saying alot. We need to get more cutting and balanced budget.
L
What a relief! Last night I was checking my wife’s pulse fully convinced she was going to drop dead almost instantly if the shutdown went into effect. I mean it was all about women’s health, wasn’t it?
What we learned from this episode is the Dems now know if they hold their breath and stamp their feet they can get “get along to go along” Boehner to … go along and fold. I knew this guy was short a pair before he was elected speaker. Now it’s confirmed.
Sorry – but you’re missing his point, which was: the guy has a pair, seeing as how he played center in the NFL – not that he should be speaker because he played in the league.
Odd but when Dingy Harry talked of Cherry Blossoms I was thinking of Bitter Apples.
When the Continental Army sat in one bitter winter camp after another with little food, little winter clothing I can just image their worry of Cherry Blossom Festivals and Cow Boy Poets.
As those iron men of the Civil War crossed the open field into musket and cannon fire yelling “Save the Cherry Blossom Festivals and Cow Boy Poets” all the nation cheered!
From Flanders Field to Normandy and the Ardennes, island hopping in the Pacific to Korea, Viet Nam, Iraq and Afganistan we hear the Battle Cry “Save the Cherry Blossom Festivals and Cow Boy Poets“.
OK some Congressmen fought a Valiant Fight–keep fighting, keep pushing. Afraid of getting hurt, losing an election and perks? Tell it to young men in the Sandbox. Tired, feeling defeated? That happens so you put one foot in front of the other and keep fighting.
Weaklings serve no useful purpose.
This needs to be reported in percentage of total budget cut not the dollars. Because of the way this is being reported it’s a WIN FOR THE DEMOCRATS!! Why won’t our republican leadership yell it out loud how small this cut is in real terms. It’s like they don’t really care about making a difference but want the token cut on their record as an accomplishment. It is nothing and that is why the democrats agreed to it.
Democrat Strategy Meeting in Progress
Very well said Hiraghm, thank you! We need to draw the line in the sand, and stick to it!
It’s like when the dems are driving the car they get to drive from San Diego to New York at 100 mph and when the republicans are driving they get to drive from Minneapolis to St. Paul and then feel they have to ask for permission to do it!!
Spoiled rich kid? That works- Spoiled Old and Ugly Rich Kids works too
But Speaker Boehner just HAS to come up with a better slogan than “”Fight Until They Fight Back“. It seems to lack focus.
Yes, we do need a line in the sand or better yet a trench in the sand. Enough of all this silliness. I’m so sick of all the dems saying how bad things were going to be if these programs were not funded. This whole drama was another constitutional shredding moment. Why should foreign governments continue to fund the 3 ring circus in DC? I have no interest in funding it. Enough already!!!! I’m tired of the dribble spilling out of the mouths of the pundits from both sides. NObody won here. The American public continues to be screwed by all the crap in DC. Screw the stupid cherry blossoms too! Oh, and…. how nice that the trash dumping on the Speakers’ property was called off. What unruly children. This country is in the hands of 3 year olds.
Peter Schiff is not impressed with a 1% reduction in overall spending which amounts to a 2.5% reduction in additional dollars borrowed this year. Neither am I. The cliff is coming up fast.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISCaJMxVVGA&feature=feedu
*Although mildly disappointed the GOP didn’t get more cuts out of the 2011 FY budget, they did get some permanent cuts; And with Paul Ryan opening up discussion on entitlement reform with his 2012 FY budget proposal, they appear to see the dead end for any more can kicking; They should not, under any circumstances, raise the debt ceiling; It’s time to cut up the credit cards folks, and do it the Dave Ramsey way!
An agreement to take up Planned Parenthood defunding separately is equivalent to the measure dying, because the Senate will never approve it and Obama would never sign it. The ONLY way Repubs could win the defubding battle was for the American people to see that Obama and the Dems were willing to shut down the govt and not pay the troops over it, which woukd have put a lot of poliical pressure in the Dems to be the ones to give in. But the Repubs blew it and now PP gets $300 mil+ more of OUR money. Sarah Palin was right, Repubs have the fighting instinct of sheep. I want to wash my hands of them.
(Please forgive typos, I’m on my ipod and it won’t let me go back to fix.)
Our fate was sealed when we allowed The Usurper to usurp the office.
None who swore to defend the Constitution would do so.
March 4, 1789 – January 20, 2009
RIP
*A huge failure on the part of the GOP is their unwillingness to call out the Dems and RINO’s for what they are, enemies of the USA, basically on a par with Al Qaeda, taking us all on a different path, but with the same end result, the destruction of our constitutional republic; This kiss and make up stuff doesn’t work in the private sector; It is dog eat dog, and if Boehner and McConnell plan on surviving, they had better sharpen their teeth before the tea parties put all their weight behind a Herman Cain or Michele Bachmann.
i am so glad the trees got the message, and decided to go ahead and bloom, now that there is a budget deal. i am also glad today there won’t be a pile of dead senior citizens in the streets, thanks to the budget deal. i am also thankful, all those ghetto queens will still get healthcare today, but if they want an abortion, they might have to bring some money with them.
Conservatives’ strategy should be the long game. With the executive veto, and Dem. Senate control, the best the House can do, short term, is keep passing bills the Senate cannot stomach. Force them to not vote, or better yet force them (Senate Dems) to vote and be recorded. For _that_ they lose elections. This was the bind they got in when the “fund the military” bill passed the House. Bums/Frauds may not let many military votes be counted in elections, but they cannot lose all military families and vets.
To state the obvious, the Constitution sets up the two parts of Congress such that all money bills must originate with House action. That is: spending & tax legislation. Without the Senate and to eliminate the veto, what must be achieved long term is the nomination and election of the most conservative candidates who can win for House, Senate, and President. It is a terrible Pyrrhic victory to “de-nominate” a possible election winner just to make a point. At 41 Senators, _we_ need 10 pickups in 2012 to give Old Harry the Cowboy boot — ahh sweet poetry. For every one who loses (Repubs) we need two to have a gain. To get to 60? i.e. be filibuster-proof, needs 19 new Senators without losing any to “Mike Castles.”
Eye on the prize: get 10 Senators and defeat Obamanure.
However I feel about the budget, what is done is done. What can they do NOW to chop the budget? Can they legally go through each fed dept and vote on a 1)good bye to you 2)major cuts needed 3)keep pinching pennies? Would every single bill passed have to be ratified by the senate and president? I bet between all of us we could come up with very simple and reasonable huge spending cuts based solely on personal experience with federal dept. What options are out there for this spring (besides Nov and of course Ryan’s budget)?
Boehner got 90 percent of the GOP to vote for abortion.
You seem to have missed the 2010 election. There are 47 Republicans now, 13 more needed over the next two elections to defeat filibusters. If the Republicans in the House continue to betray their voters, it isn’t going to happen.
39 Billion in cuts on money we were going to borrow anyway? The inevitable has been delayed for only a brief moment.
As bad as this is, it doesn’t mean it’s over; The GOP can and should keep pressing for cuts whenever they have some leverage. The question is- will they?
Once, just once, I’d like the Republicans to draw the line in granite.
Amen. With this kind of cowardice, they will be losing voters fast, myself among them. I will be 100x more wary of voting Republican now than even before. They’ve shown yet again they don’t keep their promises–even while telling us they know this is their “last chance” and they “get it this time”–and who is going to vote for politicians like that when the future of this country is on the line?
It’s like heading for a car wreck at 59 mph instead of 60 while the driver tells the passenger they can’t do any better.
I plead a brain cramp. Sorry. My point was to concentrate on actual elections, not a bill here and a bill there that cannot make it into law.
Senior Moments R Us . . . sigh
I’m still really puzzled how ANYBODY can say there was a cut. My limited understanding is that the budget is still a HUGE increase over prior years, a huge increase as a percentage of GDP and a huge increase in debt.
Further, “to be agreed upon later” is not exactly comforting.
So exactly how did “We the People” win?
No argument here. I just pointed it out before one of the resident idiots did. Many of us have tried to make the point that turning things around isn’t going to happen after one election – we have to carry the momentum through at least the next two to increase our hold on the House and take over the Senate – but, as I said, if the House Republicans don’t hold to their promises, you can see from this board that a lot of people are going to lose patience with them and drop them like hot rocks, no matter how insane it might be to let the left keep control of the government.
So what if Republicans gain 14 seats in the Senate? Gangs of McCain. It’s all kabuki. Admit it, we love crap sandwiches.
We need to get as many House Republicans to vote “no” on this bill next week, at least twice as many as did on the last CR. And then the House conservatives have to clamor for an immediate change in leadership.
If the Tea Party freshmen didn’t deserve getting elected, maybe the conservative Republican Study Committee will step up and do the right thing.
RINO motto: “It’s never time to do the right thing. We only do easy things.”
Agreed.
My reaction to anyone who considers this a victory or a “partial” victory is akin to Churchill’s reaction to those in the press and in Parliament who felt that Neville Chamberlain, waving the piece of paper, had accomplished something good/positive at his meeting with Hitler.
Churchill’s comments in Parliament:
“I will, therefore, begin by saying the most unpopular and most unwelcome thing. I will begin by saying what everybody would like to ignore or forget but which must nevertheless be stated, namely, that we have sustained a total and unmitigated defeat,….
“The utmost my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has been able to secure by all his immense exertions, by all the great efforts and mobilisation which took place in this country, and by all the anguish and strain through which we have passed in this country, the utmost he has been able to gain for Czechoslovakia in the matters which were in dispute has been that the German dictator, instead of snatching the victuals from the table, has been content to have them served to him course by course.
“…if the House will permit me to vary the metaphor. £1 was demanded at the pistol’s point. When it was given, £2 were demanded at the pistol’s point. Finally, the dictator consented to take £1 17s. 6d. and the rest in promises of goodwill for the future.
“There never can be any absolute certainty that there will be a fight if one side is determined that it will give way completely.
“I must say that the rugged words of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, written a thousand years ago, seem to me apposite,…. Here is what the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle said, and I think the words apply very much to our treatment of Germany and our relations with her.
‘All these calamities fell upon us because of evil counsel, because tribute was not offered to them at the right time nor yet were they resisted; but when they had done the most evil, then was peace made with them.’
That is the wisdom of the past, for all wisdom is not new wisdom.
“We are in the presence of a disaster of the first magnitude…. Do not let us blind ourselves to that.
(Not sure if this a disaster…yet.)
“But never will you have friendship with the present
German Governmentsocialist opposite-worldview holders.“That
powerparty cannot ever be the trusted friend ofthe British democracyconservative America-lovers.“In a very few years, perhaps in a very few months, we shall be confronted with demands with which we shall no doubt be invited to comply. Those demands may affect the surrender of territory or the surrender of liberty. I foresee and foretell that the policy of submission will carry with it restrictions upon the freedom of speech and debate in Parliament, on public platforms, and discussions in the Press, for it will be said – indeed, I hear it said sometimes now – that we cannot allow the Nazi system of dictatorship to be criticised by ordinary, common English politicians. Then, with a Press under control, in part direct but more potently indirect, with every organ of public opinion doped and chloroformed into acquiescence, we shall be conducted along further stages of our journey.
(This is staggeringly and frighteningly relevant in its original 1938 terms.)
‘Thou art weighed in the balance and found wanting.’
“And do not suppose that this is the end. This is only the beginning of the reckoning. This is only the first sip, the first foretaste of a bitter cup which will be proffered to us year by year unless by a supreme recovery of moral health and martial vigour, we arise again and take our stand for freedom as in the olden time.”
(Ditto.)
http://www.winstonchurchill.org/learn/speeches/speeches-of-winston-churchill/101-the-munich-agreement
I had at least one co-worker planning to go to the festival. Whew! That crisis was averted.
/sarc off
The nation is full of whiners. All the crap about not being able to go to the Smithsonian for a couple days? BFD!
How can saving 38 billion be a cut if the budget is still 1.6 trillion in deficit for the year? This is madness!
Once upon a time, 19-year-old kids left their farms to fight on Pacific atolls, and now wussy people WHINE about the Washington Monument being closed??!
It’s all over. Done and gone.
Shut up, crap-a-tear.
A few months ago you were partially justifying your opposition to Fiorina by saying something to the effect of “So what if we don’t get 51 votes in the Senate?”, for pretty much the same reason. What’s happening now is the “so what”. A Republican majority in the Senate would have allowed them to pass authorization and appropriations bills with the spending cuts we wanted, and forced Obama to veto them – exposing him for 2012 – or sign them, a la Clinton. Would they have done it? Maybe, maybe not, but it doesn’t matter anyhow because Dingy Harry is still in charge and the House Republicans aren’t going to shut down the government indefinitely, no matter what point of principle is involved. You all are right about one thing, for certain and for sure. The House Republicans aren’t as dedicated to their principles as the liberal Democrats are to their great God, socialism.
If Boehner and the Republican “leadership” are going to cave every time “The One” and Harry Reid says “Booo” then there is no reason for them to be in charge of “1/2 of 1/3rd of the Federal Government”. It is time for everyone who was elected by the efforts of the Tea Party to abandon the Republican Caucus and let SanFranNan and her minions run the House again. At least then when the country crashes and burns there will be no doubt whose fault it is! >:(
If I read it correctly, it’s the same old cr@p that we’ve been fed for decade after decade: A decrease in the amount of increase in spending is trumpeted as a spending “cut”.
Excellent speech quotation, Granite (#54)!
Your points well made. I hope we are not quite at the point of one vote in the Reichsstadt before it burned.
And, as an aside, what a great speech — consider, too, it was delivered in Commons without (!) reading a text. A practice then against the rules. I think I recall Churchill confessed to writing out all his speeches there and memorizing them, quips and all.
How different it would be if our politicians could use no notes, no TOTUS. Reagan, maybe Clinton — any other possibles? In the current group?
Know what they mean to say, say it effectively? Not allowed to fill time with: err, uuuuh, well, y’know.
& thanks txvet2, I knew your intent.
The speaker sold the US out. Read Dick Morris. Sometimes he has it correct.
The GOP had a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, a large ruling majority in the House and the WH and we we still ended up with the biggest explosion of entitlement spending since LBJ.
All a 51 seat majority in the Senate would have gained us with Fiorina winning is a different number to lose from. She would have been just another “Gangs of McCain” Assistant Democrat. The result yesterday would have been the same.
We need a clean sweep of GOP leadership and we need it now. The numbers will never work for us until we get representative leadership that is truly on our side.
I am bracing for the onslaught from these weasels about how we Tea Party “extremists” almost cost the GOP a “victory”. It’s coming. Wait for it. The mother ship has already started.
Phil, you are correct we need a broom and a dustpan NOW, but we must wait until 2012, but I really wonder if our Republic can be saved. I contact my Rep. and Senators, but I might as well give my dog commands in French for all they understand. And if I do get an answer, I wonder if they have a clue what I am talking about.
McCarthy not impressed either.
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/264310/youre-kidding-right-andrew-c-mccarthy
Precisely why the ball is always moving in their direction.
If the GOP was a personal finance consultant advising a client who spent $50,000 per year on income of only $25,000, yesterday’s solution is like advising the client to cut their spending by $50. Woohoo! Part-tay!
One important error in your post: The Republicans never had a filibuster-proof majority. Also, I specified authorization and appropriations bills – which as I recall require only a simple majority – Senate rules forbid a filibuster. So Republicans with a majority of both Houses could pass legislation defunding any government activity they chose. Would they have? Guess we’ll never know.
txvet2: history tells us emphatically that they wouldn’t have delivered. When the big issues are on the table, they always fail by whatever margin it took to lose. That is there trade mark and why I call them Assistant Democrats. They are not “one of us”.
Perhaps the speaker needs some “Dutch Courage” before going to these meetings with the Dems. Or if he does that already, he should just try water. As a side note, I wonder how a person like the speaker can sleep at night. The Dems. do not know any better
And here is where we have to begin the fight next year. It doesn’t take a genius to see what seats in particular we have to declare “war” on – just like the donks declare war on us. They have already started – when we WE get serious?
Overview of races (33 seats)
Democrats retiring (4 seats)
Daniel Akaka of Hawaii
Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico
Kent Conrad of North Dakota
Jim Webb of Virginia
Democrats seeking re-election (16 seats)
Dianne Feinstein of California
Tom Carper of Delaware
Bill Nelson of Florida
Ben Cardin of Maryland
Debbie Stabenow of Michigan
Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota
Claire McCaskill of Missouri
Jon Tester of Montana
Ben Nelson of Nebraska
Bob Menendez of New Jersey
Kirsten Gillibrand of New York
Sherrod Brown of Ohio
Bob Casey, Jr. of Pennsylvania
Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island
Maria Cantwell of Washington
Joe Manchin of West Virginia
Democrat with undeclared intentions (1 seat)
Herb Kohl of Wisconsin
Independent retiring (1 seat)
Joe Lieberman of Connecticut
Independent seeking re-election (1 seat)
Bernie Sanders of Vermont
Republicans retiring (3 seats)
Jon Kyl of Arizona
John Ensign of Nevada
Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas
Republicans seeking re-election (7 seats)
Dick Lugar of Indiana
Olympia Snowe of Maine RINO)
Scott Brown of Massachusetts (RINO)
Roger Wicker of Mississippi
Bob Corker of Tennessee
Orrin Hatch of Utah (RINO)
John Barrasso of Wyoming
c/o http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_elections,_2012
The House isn’t going to pass anything by themselves, so any spending cut, no matter how insignificant is a change of direction – after all, Obama was still pushing for increased spending. And, once again, this is only the 2011 budget they’re working on. The big cuts aren’t going to show up until next year’s budget, anyway, provided they pass Ryan’s budget plan (or something similar). Am I satisfied with what they’ve done? Of course not, and I don’t intend to leave any doubt in my Representative’s mind about it. We need to keep up the pressure on them, especially the “Tea Party Caucus”. But electing more Democrat Senators is no more productive than electing more Democrat Representatives. The big job now is to STOP THE INCREASE! Whatever might or might not happen with a Republican majorith, one thing is certain – rolling stuff back isn’t going to happen with Dingy Harry controlling everything that hits the Senate floor.
Which is why it’s important to field primary challengers. We got rid of some of them last year and we can get more next time. We have a huge opportunity over the next two elections when the Democrats have to defend something like 43 seats, a significant number of which are in red or trending red states. It’s all in the candidates we nominate. A strengthened tea party and the defeat of more “moderate” Democrats will continue to weaken McCain’s gang until they become too small to be a force and to scared of losing an election to buck the trend.
No we don’t. We can do anything we want but we have to first commit it and stop rationalizing victory out of obvious defeat. The best time to start winning is NOW but now never seems to be the right time to do the right thing.
It’s an attitude problem with too many of us. We don’t have time to take an incremental approach to untying the Gordian knot. We need Alexander the Great’s solution: slice it open with a sword.
I wonder how our friend and fellow poster Granite feels about this?
This has to be corrected:
Republicans retiring (3 seats)
Jon Kyl of Arizona (RINO) sold us out on amnesty 2007
John Ensign of Nevada (A) adulterer
Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas (RINO)
Republicans seeking re-election (7 seats)
Dick Lugar of Indiana (Super-RINO) primary him out IN
Olympia Snowe of Maine (RINO)primary out ME
Scott Brown of Massachusetts (RINO)it’s MA
Roger Wicker of Mississippi (?) the invisible Senator?
Bob Corker of Tennessee (RINO)primary out TN
Orrin Hatch of Utah (RINO)UT will do a Bennett
John Barrasso of Wyoming 1 guy deserving reelection
It is raining in Phoenix: good for the roses but good for the crab grass. McCain is the crab grass.
As disappointed as I am I will go to the precinct committee and join with my fellow extremeist to stop Crab Grass II-ie: Jeff Flake’s run for the Senate seat being vacated by Jon Kyl. Although I had worked and contributed to his early campaigns once I voiced-politely and respectfully- my opposition to Amnesty I never heard a word from Flake. Now that he is running for the Senate I get a letter.
The whore.
It is your party (or not) and your country-fight the SOB cowards.
VP, I would add Kristie Noem or South Dakota as a Tea Party sell out to be primaried out. She sold her her first vote in exchange for ethanol subsidies to her state. That’s almost as bad as Palin endorsing McCain as her opening act coming out if hibernation.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for trying to stop the disaster that would be Sen. Jeff Flake. He would make Juan McAmnesty look like the border hawk he masceraded as during the campaign…..
The VA GOP is trying to short-circuit the Senate run of the Tea party candidate Jaime Radtke by trying to resurrect the political career of George Allen. He’s part of the establishment that built Fedzilla. We need something else.
Rome wasn’t one built in one day, and neither will the debt be erased either in such a short timespan either.
We have won the first batlle, now it is time to push forward against the enemy we have been dreading – the 2012 budget and entitlements.
Damn….. I need to check my comments before posting them.
I’m getting quite an education today about the way the GOP works – or doesn’t. I have to confess, I’m a Formercrat. Until Obama stole the nomination in 2008 I was happily, ignorantly following the Dem. dogma without question.
After that I worked for McCain-Palin with all my heart because I believed they loved and cared about this country. I was dismayed and shocked when I learned that many Republicans didn’t bother to vote in ’08 because they just didn’t care for McCain. What kind of party doesn’t do its damnedest to get its candidate elected?
I’ll never vote Dem. again, but I’m beginning to question whether it’s wise to listen to the Repub. POV. Some here are making me wonder whether there’s any coherent plan in place to kick BO out. I can tell you all from my perspective the Dems are NOT an organized party. Every one in it wants to lead and no one knows how. They can be beaten.
The GOP needs to unite behind one candidate and one broad platform or else that jackass in the White House will steal the next election, too.
I agree, who did you have in mind?
Time to remove him.
FIFY
Maybe you milquetoast types don’t get it, but spending must originate in the House. Get that? Must originate.
If the House sits on its hands, what can the rest of the government do?
Refuse to fund anything until we get all the cuts we want, and a ham sammich too.
It reminds me of all the wee-wee-ers who are so afraid of imposing tariffs on China or others because they might retaliate.
Stop worrying about what the enemy will do (remember, Obama labeled us enemies, not me), and start focusing on what we can do to hurt the enemy!
Here’s the way I look at it. The disaster we are living through started under Bush 43 who, with the valuable help of a GOP House and GOP Senate, imposed the biggest build out of government since LBJ. Obama is actually just continuing what Bush started and so can actually be considered Bush 43′s 3rd term.
The current GOP leadership isn’t interested in winning in 2012 but only in making sure that the conservatives succeed in getting their candidate nominated and who could then be elected. The goal for the GOP in 2012 is to put an end to conservatives once and for all. Then Obama gets re-elected for Bush’s 4th term.
In 2016, everyone will be suffering from Obama fatigue and Jebbie will win in a landslide for Bush’s 5th term. That is why we need to topple the GOP leadership this year. Otherwise, the only choice we will have next year is to vote for the lesser of two evils (who is just a place holder for the GOP, not a serious candidate) or vote
3rd2nd party.It’s that last thing that Republicans and conservatives have a mental block about. They vote Republican no matter what or else they don’t vote. So long as Republicans automatically vote Republican, they have no leverage. Their vote is automatic and no one cares that they are unhappy. That must stop and it is up to elected Tea Party candidates to end it by openly challenging the GOP leadership (obviously won’t be Palin or Bachmann) or leading a large contingent of Republicans (and a few Democrats) into another party like Lincoln did to put the GOP on the map and end the Whigs run as a national party.
That is so doable.
Correction (damn it):
The current GOP leadership isn’t interested in winning in 2012 but only in making sure that the conservatives DON’T succeed in getting their candidate nominated and who could then be elected.
I can’t tell you how grateful that there are other people like you saying those things. Maybe I won’t appear to be such a strident troll around here anymore.
Found at FreeRepublic, agree completely
Dan Riehl is now getting on the case too. I feel a groundswell of outrage forming among the troops. This is not going to go well for Boehner next week.
I’m also liking Jim Jordan, chairman of the Republican Study Committee, much more than Michelle Bachmann these days. The Tea Party Caucus failed us woefully on the first CR and seems poised to repeat the mistake next week. Remember that next year.
Hey, Bachmann opposed the CR, voted against the CR, was very vocal online about opposing the CR.
I’m still keeping a weather eye on her, like everyone, but she’s hard to beat in my estimate.
*It is a puzzle for us conservatives here in Tennessee that we bypass true conservatives for RINO’s such as Bailout Bob; He still comes on local radio, and after 4 years, talks of reaching across the aisle; Smart businessman, but dumb politician(excuse the redundancy); GOP in state has no plans to primary him, but various Tea Parties do, and I’ll be among them!
Just got word that the Tea Party is going to roll out a campaign next week calling on Tea Party freshmen to remember their pledge this time and vote “no!”. They are also working on a campaign to call for the GOP leadership to step down.
I’m beginning to feel better.
My complaint about Bachmann is that the Tea Party Caucus seems to be more about her than about running an effective committee. She is always presuming to speak for the Tea Party when attacking the Dems but can’t get “her” committee to vote as a block. Only 25% of them voted against the first CR making them credible than the Republican Study Committee. Are they going to cave again? I’ve heard many of them today and I am hearing very few of them say they won’t. It’s “maybe”.
Let’s face it, the Tea Party freshmen are a complete bust and Bachmann is about Bachmann and only Bachmann.
God, another correction:
Only 25% of them voted against the first CR making them LESS credible than the Republican Study Committee.
I’d trade Obama/Reid/Boehner historic for Coolidge historic any day.
The only folks who showed and cajones during this showdown… Sarah Palin and Donald Trump.
Boehner caved.
Must continually drive home the point Ms Rand made that in these cases it is like compromising between “real food” and “poisoned food!”
Huckabee surrendered his Presidential aspirations today on his show. He’s defending this idiocy as a victory, and is playing games with the numbers. We don’t need another liar in the White House.
Look, we’re 1.6 TRILLION in deficit. Any budget cuts less than 1.6 trillion is a compromise. 1.5 trillion is a 100 billion compromise.
The House Republicans began at $100 billion in cuts. That’s a $1.5 trillion compromise.
They settled for $39 billion. Which is less than half of $100 billion. An equitable “fair” compromise from $100 billion would be $50 billion. $39 billion is 11 billion less than $50 billion.
How is this a victory in any stretch of the imagination?
FIFY
That’s not Bachmann’s fault. There’s many a would-be leader who goes charging in, expecting, based on the loud, boisterous rhetoric of their fellows, for them to charge in as well, only to be left alone, outnumbered, and wondering where the rest of them went.