The critical quote from President Obama is “We can’t just close our deficit with spending cuts alone.”
Further quote: “If we only did it with cuts, if we did not get any revenue to close this gap…then a lot of ordinary people would be hurt ,” Obama said, “and that doesn’t make any sense. It’s not fair. And that’s why I’ve said, if we’re going to reduce our deficit, then the wealthiest Americans and the biggest corporations should do their part as well.”
Time for backbone. It may – or may not – be too late for a true jobs program. But, for sure, allowing the banksters, Grover Norquist, and the radical right to make the rest of us into serfs as well as selling our kids out by saddling them with debt and deteriorating infrastructure is not just wrong – but I think it would be both a mean and stupid road to take.
Now is the time to hold fast. President Obama spelled it out marvelously. The only option left is to extend the debt ceiling until after the 2012 elections. President Obama has successfully protected the middle class from being savaged by an out-of-control GOP. The Bush tax cuts will expire, as they should, in 2012 — right in the middle of the campaign.
Now is the time for President Obama and the Democrats to hold fast. The narrative that will drive the 2012 campaign is now, finally, being shaped in a way that will win President Obama a second term and hopefully will drive these GOP crazies out of office. The narrative is simple: The GOP wants to throw virtually ALL Americans under the bus in order to transfer even more wealth to the already wealthy.
The willingness of President Obama to lean as far as he did towards accommodating the crazies that now dominate the GOP may, intentionally or not, prove enormously beneficial in the firefight that seems to be now unfolding. I think President Obama made a compelling case in his press conference. He has made it crystal clear that the GOP is interested solely in obstructing President Obama.
In my view, here is the money quote:
Exactly.
How come it says “Fri 22 Jul 10:16 PM” but I definitely did not see it till Sunday morning?
Happy days.
I would love to have been a fly on the wall in the behind-the-scenes meetings the last couple of days. Here is my guess as to how things went down, and it is purely a guess, informed only by paying attention to what has happened over the last 2.5 years.
On Thursday, Obama was still trying to convince the Dems to take whatever deal he could work out with the GOP, even if that means all cuts and no revenue. Instead, the legislators took him to the woodshed and let him know there was no way such a bill would pass.
So Obama takes this back to Boehner, letting him know that he can’t get the votes without a revenue piece, and the Speaker puts his thumb to his nose, wiggles his fingers, and walks out.
That backs Obama into where he ended up this evening. He is now forced to play the partisan role, and he’s gotten off to a good start. I just hope he can follow through. Not only would he be doing the right thing, but he’ll also score big political points if he plays his cards right.
Off-topic aside: One of my biggest blog nits is the use of “breaking” in the headlines for posts. Nothing personal against amberpaw, who is one of my favs. It’s just that “breaking” is valid for about 5 or 10 minutes and the post can stay active days after that.
So it is my way of saying “Heads up” or “incoming” or “I posted about this first”…thanks for the kind words, Jasiu. I just lit a vigil candle because of events in Norway but you find me speechless, sometimes all I can do myself is light one of those 7-day vigil candles.
now that the news is no longer “Breaking.” I do, in general, agree with jasiu that using “Breaking” in a blog post title is a bad idea, since after about half an hour, it’s no longer “breaking.”
I will keep this in mind and try to be more creative in reporting a sudden event or change in the world that I think is worth discussion…both you and Jasiu are spot on in that the status of “breaking news” is ephemeral.
A consequence of our dysfunctional congress still dickering over the debt ceiling is the partial shutdown of the FAA.
Got that? 4000 more unemployed people. Money for airport projects shut off. But, hey, that’s taxes, and who wants to pay taxes? Cheaper tickets! Woo-Hoo!
Oh, wait…
How pathetic is it that we’re talking about Obama winning a battle over how much to rend the social safety net?
Or what spending to cut when we should be increasing spending?
I’m starting to think the only hope is to let the country default and face the insanity and stupidity that we labor under?
Default is unacceptable. If it happens, it will not fix anything – to the contrary, it will make everything worse. Vulnerable people will be hurt more; middle-class people will be hurt more. Even rich people will be hurt, for God’s sake. It’s just not an acceptable option.
Having the Four Freedoms on the chopping block is not acceptable to me. For me, I grew up in a household where my parents HEARD that speech. They taught us to fight for a better life for all, and had gone to jail to protect that life themselves when younger. The “Four Freedoms” speech is here:
1. Audio: http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/fdrthefourfreedoms.htm
2. As a written speech: http://www.wwnorton.com/college/history/ralph/workbook/ralprs36b.htm
3. In Norman Rockwell’s paintings: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Freedoms_(Norman_Rockwell)
Balancing the budget by eviscerating the four freedoms is, in my opinion, unamerican and unnecessary.
There is no basis for capping the income taxed to fund Social Security – the very name, “social security” says it all.
Secure people believe in freedom, and in kindness. See Maslow, and the hierarchy of needs: http://www.businessballs.com/maslow.htm
Rendering enough people insecure creates domestic violoence, abandoned children, elders without supports, and detrioration of the fabric of society.
Thank you Speaker Boehner, thank you Tea Party, or shall I just call you “The Meanness Party”??
My question, what’s it going to take to get this country straightened out? How much farther to the right do we go before the people say enough?