Here's a pretty good summation (summary?) of the strength of relative positions on this matter. As much as folks on our side want things to go their way, they still have to get by the fact that the other side has the Presidency and the Senate. Best line in the whole article:
The tea party/talk-radio expectations for what Republicans can accomplish over the debt-limit showdown have always been unrealistic. As former Senator Phil Gramm once told us, never take a hostage you're not prepared to shoot. Republicans aren't prepared to stop a debt-limit increase because the political costs are unbearable. Republicans might have played this game better, but the truth is that Mr. Obama has more cards to play.
We may need one more election before we can get what we want--it may be too soon.
Look, from a political standpoint, they should pass the bill they want in the House, send it over to the Senate and let Reid and Obama take the heat. That's what the Dems would do.
ReplyDeleteBut the difference is the Republicans are doing more that playing politics, they actually want to set things right.
Hammer, I'm with you on the first point. This seems so simple to me, to pass something in the House, and let it die in the Senate as it surely would.
ReplyDeleteBut I'm not with you on the second point - it is not helpful to have McConnell talking about things in such starkly political terms. They had total control of this and they lost it. They still may win both the legislative battle and the message war, but I wish they could start the week over.
Hammer - I always enjoy seeing what new picture you've dredged from CW's "interwebs" but I had no idea that you also vote.
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