Thursday, December 20, 2012

A very bad night for the GOP

Tonight was a very bad night for the Republican Party. In failing to support Speaker Boehner's plan to avoid tax raises for 99.8% of Americans, far-right Republicans have handed President Obama a huge victory. They have empowered the President politically - allowing him to paint Republicans as intransigent ideologues servient only to the rich. And they have betrayed their obligation to their country. The obligation to put national interest before all else. And when we are facing a debt crisis, the national interest is important. 

What happens next? I suspect that the chances for a debt resolution before Christmas have evaporated. Speaker Boehner knows that he cannot agree to a deal that fails to address trend cost inflation in Medicare/Medicaid (As I have previously argued such a deal would be worthless) and President Obama now believes that he holds all the cards (the GOP still controls the House so at least on paper, the President is wrong). Common ground has become far more sparse. Unfortunately, because of this evening's antics, the public attitude towards the GOP will be extremely negative. Conservatives have dug ourselves into a hole. The President will appear as the great conciliator who has been frustrated by Republican intransigence. I do not believe that the President has negotiated fairly, but truth will be less important than perception.

This is my plan for resolving the debt crisis.

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