We know that the Republican mantra since 2009 has been to be the "party of no" to anything President Obama proposes - even if what he is proposing was initially their idea.
So when Obama praised the Gang of Six proposal yesterday because of it's "balanced approach," how do you suppose Republicans are going to react - especially the Tea Party branch? Do you think it would have been any different if he'd just stayed silent about it? His remarks yesterday were a bit premature since - as he said - he didn't know the specifics. But he sure wanted to get the word out about it being in the same "playing field" as his proposal.
Perhaps that's too cute by half. But regardless of whether that was his intention or not, I suspect we know what the outcome will be.
UPDATE: Apparently someone agrees with me - LOL.
A Senate Republican leadership aide emails with subject line “Gang of Six”: “Background guidance: The President killed any chance of its success by 1) Embracing it. 2) Hailing the fact that it increases taxes. 3) Saying it mirrors his own plan.”
This stuff isn't so "eleven-dimensional chessy" when it gets so easy to predict.
I do not think this was the intention. As far as I got it the house has this week to vote for meaningless resolutions, which will die in the senate or be killed by presidential veto. I think that was what he discussed and presumably agreed with Boehner last weekend. Boehner needs some cover.
ReplyDeleteI believe the President felt it was advisable to drive the discussion, not be seen as just reacting to house antics. My impression is, he really wants this debt reduction deal. And he can only get it by having the rabid right and the PL neutralizing each other.
I agree with him that as a progressive you need to minimize debt. Otherwise you just work for the banks.
Sophie Amrain
As I said, the point is not so much whether it was intended or not (we're not likely to know his motivations). But it is the predictable outcome.
ReplyDeleteI'd laugh if this was not so silly. Seems whatever the president is FOR, they are automatically against.
ReplyDeleteWill the real grownups in the GOP please stand up?
I guess now we'll see an implosion within the Republican Party. I don't know if the president knew this would happen or not, but it is almost comical to watch the GOP not know how to handle this. The Teabag hatred of this president from some of the reps (Walsh just drips of it whenever he's being interviewed) will be their own undoing. Unfortunately, since they have the majority in House it could be OUR undoing as well.
Thanks 2010 voters.
One thing to think about in that update is that it was a "Senate Republican leadership aide" who sent that email. I'd guess that aide knows the tea partiers will kill the proposal because Obama said some nice things about it. But I also think that aide is expressing frustration. Republican leaders have neutered themselves by catering to these lunatics and now they're watching it all implode.
ReplyDeleteCan't say I feel an ounce of sorry about that.
They boxed themselves in when they embraced the tea party movement. Didn't the president warn the GOP about that?
ReplyDeleteYou lie down with dogs, you wake up with flea-bags.
I'd feel sorry too, but I suspect at this point most of the GOP don't give a damn about anyone but themselves. They rail on how government doesn't work, and they work to make it so. Sadly, they have been very successful at it.
"A Senate Republican leadership aide emails with subject line “Gang of Six”: “Background guidance: The President killed any chance of its success by 1) Embracing it...."
ReplyDeleteThe President killed it by embracing it? They don't even try to hide it any more. And yet the Pro Left whiners still clamor for the President to announce his support for same-sex marriage.