Re: "All they have to do to do that is to refuse to raise the debt ceiling and I guarantee if you hit republicans over the head with such a gimmick as you propose the Tea party will see to it that the debt ceiling doesn't get raised."
Steve, I think the far right has been successful in convincing you that they're truly bat-shit crazy. Of course some of them are but you can bet that the do-anything-to-get-ahead and the-hell-with-principles crowd that serves in the Congress aren't totally dominated by that mindset.
They're unwilling to "agree" to the increase in rates because that locks them into a position their bat-shit crazy electorate won't tolerate. Having had increased rates "forced" upon them, however, they're not going to alienate the thinking voter population by creating a debt ceiling impasse which would leave Obama and the Democrats in white hats "fixing" the devastating, economy destroying impact created by their childish stubborness.
The reality is that they'd like to convince us that they'd actually put a gun to their heads and create that debt ceiling impasse because your negotiating position is always enhanced when the other side is convinced that you're so unreasonable that the best deal that can be had is a poor one but that can be taken a step too far. That's the case here where Obama has decided that he can't continue to give in to hostage takers and he has put himself (or found himself) in a position where he wins simply by not making any deal unless he gets a good deal.
The expiring tax cuts, the success the Democrats finally EARNED by fighting for their principles this election rather than bowing their heads and asking "why can't we all just get along" as they have all too often done, and the fact that the Republicans have created a hateful, ignorant and overheated base which they can no longer control and which has driven them not only off the cliff but, more importantly, so far off the cliff that it's transparent, have all combined to give him a full house against a busted flush...and both sides know it.
You should understand this. All the "be scared, be very scared" talk is simply "boo" talk which each side thinks will help them. It helps the Republican right wing only if Obama gets scared and I guarantee you that he's not scared so they're wrong. It helps Obama because the right wing is being seen as pushing us to the brink of a disaster that's not really much of a drop at all.
In the end the rates will expire, they'll be reinstated for the bottom 98%, and Congress will rewrite the spending cuts.
It will end with a whimper and the major cable news sources will have simply created another "close election" that helped their ratings.
Relax. It's all good. Ed |
