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Subscribe to RSSThe bold and the cautious… GOP takes a big risk with going bold on the spending-cut impasse and with Medicare/Medicaid… White House takes a beating for Gitmo reversal… Are we on the brink of a shutdown?... Obama meets with congressional leaders at 10:15 am ET to try to resolve the impasse… The difference between the lame duck and now: Obama had credibility with his base, while Boehner doesn’t (at least not yet)… Circle July 8 on your calendars… Ryan’s budget rollout… Two additional reasons why his plan seems DOA: Almost everyone likes Medicare, and excluding those 55 and older never seems to work… Today’s two referendums on Scott Walker… And 270 to win.
From NBC's Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Ali Weinberg
*** The bold and the cautious: There is something about winning an election that emboldens a political party. We saw it after 2008, when President Obama went big with his stimulus and health-care plans, as well as his promise to close the Guantanamo Bay prison. And we’re seeing it again after 2010, with House Republicans refusing -- it seems for now -- to meet Democrats half way in reducing spending for the rest of the year; with Paul Ryan’s plan today to overhaul Medicaid and Medicare; and with Gov. Scott Walker’s (R) push on collective bargaining. Similarly, there’s something about trying to win an election that makes a political party VERY cautious. We saw it last year, when House Republicans refused to say anything about reforming entitlement programs, and when most didn’t dare touch Ryan’s “road map” for reform on the campaign trail. And we’re seeing it again now, with the Obama administration -- on the very day the president announces his re-election bid -- scuttling its promise to try Khalid Shaikh Mohammed in federal court.
*** GOP takes a big risk: So today’s question is this: What will win out in 2011 and 2012 -- boldness or caution? In his column today, National Journal’s Charlie Cook believes the bold House Republicans are taking a very big risk with going bold. “[T]alking with Republican pollsters, strategists and veteran campaign professionals recently, I now hear sounds of concern that haven’t been heard in almost two years. Among the worries the party now has is that a government shutdown could get blamed on the GOP. Additionally, these party insiders believe that taking on entitlements, specifically Medicare, could jeopardize the party’s hold on the House, its strong chances of taking the Senate and the stronghold that the party has been established with older white voters— not coincidentally, Medicare recipients.” Voters want both boldness and caution, and it's a balancing act.
*** White House takes a beating: While House Republicans are taking a big risk, the Obama White House is taking a beating for bowing to politics, reality, and caution in reversing its effort to try KSM in federal court. The New York Times editorial page puts it well: “That retreat was a victory for congressional pandering and an embarrassment for the Obama administration, which failed to stand up to it.” The about-face was a painful reminder that “Change you can believe in” sometimes becomes “Change doesn’t happen if the politics is no longer on your side.”
*** On the brink of a shutdown? The biggest story today, though, is the 10:15 am ET meeting at the White House to try and resolve the spending-cut impasse. The attendees: President Obama, Vice President Biden, House Speaker John Boehner, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, House Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers, and Senate Appropriations Chair Dan Inouye. Last week, we wrote not to believe the hype about a government shutdown -- mainly because while Boehner had said there was no deal, he never was rejecting the $33 billion compromise figure. But something happened yesterday. “I’ve made clear that their $33 billion is not enough and many of the cuts that the White House and Senate Democrats are talking about are full of smoke and mirrors,” Boehner said in a statement yesterday. His office later followed up with this: “Tonight, Speaker Boehner informed House Republicans that tomorrow … House Administration Committee Chairman Dan Lungren will issue guidance to all members on how the House would operate in the event Senate Democrats shut down the government.” Boehner's change of heart came after Senate Democrats and House Republicans couldn't agree on the number of permanent cuts vs. temporary cuts, and that's why Boehner went from vagueness regarding the $33 billion to being more definitive yesterday. More than ever before, we seem on the brink of a shutdown.
*** Credibility with the base: The biggest difference between the lame-duck battle over the Bush tax cuts and the current impasse over spending cuts is: Obama had the credibility to tell his base to accept temporarily extending the tax cuts for the wealthy in return for jobless benefits and a payroll tax cut. As you remember, Democrats weren’t happy with the compromise, but they eventually acquiesced (and then turned their attention to other issues, like “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and New START). But Boehner doesn’t have that same credibility with his base, at least not yet. He can't tell the base, “Take this half a loaf.” They don't yet trust him. And that’s why we’re on the brink of a shutdown.
*** Circle July 8 on your calendars: By the way, we now have a date for the next big congressional battle, if we ever get to it. Reuters: “The United States will hit the legal limit on its ability to borrow no later than May 16, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said on Monday, ramping up pressure on Congress to act to avoid a debt default.” And that means the debt ceiling has to be raised no LATER than July 8.
*** Ryan’s rollout: The other big story today -- besides today’s White House meeting to resolve the spending-cut impasse -- is House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan’s rollout of his 2012 budget plan, which includes an overhaul of Medicare and Medicaid. Ryan holds a press conference at 10:30 am ET, and speaks at the conservative American Enterprise Institute at noon ET. As we wrote yesterday, there are a few reasons why Ryan’s proposals won’t likely go anywhere for now: 1) Ryan has no bipartisan cover; 2) Dems are still in control of the White House and Senate; and 3) Ryan didn’t back the bipartisan Deficit Commission recommendations. But there are two more reasons why the proposals are DOA. One, Medicare remains the best government brand out there. Almost EVERYONE loves the program, so good luck cutting it. Republicans got control of the House and "won" the health care PR battle by, well, to borrow a word that some are using a lot today: "demogogue-ing" Medicare. Two, excluding those 55 and older from changes NEVER seems to work. Just ask George W. Bush what happened with his Social Security reform.
*** The referendums on Scott Walker: The political fight in Wisconsin won't be ending any time soon -- with court battles and recall elections on the horizon. And today, there are two general-election races in the state that some may view as referendums on Gov. Scott Walker (R). In the race to replace Walker as Milwaukee County executive, nonpartisan (though Democratic leaning) Chris Abele faces off against Republican Jeff Stone. Abele has aired a TV ad comparing Stone to Walker (Stone has been quoted as saying that he and Walker share “similar aspirations,” while Walker has praised Stone). In a second race -- for state Supreme Court -- incumbent conservative David Prosser takes on more liberal challenger JoAnne Kloppenburg, and Democrats have played up a quote from a Prosser spokesperson saying the justice would be a “complement” to Walker. The contest has even featured this over-the-top ad.
*** Is Walker toxic? If Democrats win one or both of these races by tying the Republican to Walker, it could be further evidence that Walker is politically toxic in Wisconsin and that Dems have the momentum in the state. And these two contests are just the beginning: The first recall election of a GOP state senator looks like it will take place a couple of months from now…
*** 270 to win: Finally, the Web site 270toWin.com plugged in First Read’s presidential toss-up states. It found 70 scenarios how Obama could reach 270 electoral votes or higher, 50 scenarios how the GOP nominee could get to 270 and above, and 13 different ways we could see a 269-269 tie. Digest that last fact a minute: 13 different scenarios for a 269-269 tie. Cue the screams from electoral college reformers.
Countdown to continuing resolution’s expiration: 3 days
Countdown to NY-26 special election: 49 days
Countdown to Iowa GOP straw poll: 129 days
Countdown to Election Day 2011: 217 days
Countdown to the Iowa caucuses: 307 days
* Note: When the IA caucuses take place depends on whether other states move up
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I had a good laugh at some of the statements on blogs after President Obama announced his bid for re-election on yesterday. From what I read in the comments, I could only laugh at the thought of Right Winger, TEA Drinking Birthers squirming in their seats, faces getting red, veins pulsating as they had a mad scowling look on their faces realizing that President Obama is about to be in office for 2 terms.
Here are just a few postings from Republicans.
“He won cause he's part black.”
“I would rather had seen McCain in office back in 2000 or 2008 at least he watches out for veterans unlike the half breed that only cares about vacations and campaigning as well as digging us further into debt.”
“I wonder if any of the states will require Mr Obama provide a birth certificate this time?”
“you want change--get rid of the old--and in with the white...”
“Do not be fooled into thinking he is a Christian looking out for our way of life. Every day, he proves he is not a Christian and in fact his Islamic preferences come out.”
“Whatever...'Teleprompter boy' has about as much chance winning as flying.”
“At least Trump has proved he's a US citizen, Obwan has yet to do so!”
“If Obama gets in office again than I shall believe that he is certainly Imam Al-Mehdi - whom will lead "all" muslims.”
“Campaining is the only thing Obama really knows how. After getting the job he becomes like your normal welfare recipient do as little as possible while milking the system to the max.”
“he can send your kids,and grand kids to fight a war,that he alone created in the name of his faith! (Muslim)”
“anyone that would vote for that "cockroach presidnet obama" is just plain stupid”
“Obamacare run by the IRS.... Hello! He needs to take more vacation trips while he can and retire in Kenya in 2012.”
“A vote for Obama, is a vote for Islam.”
“He is the Manchurian Candidate from Islam!”
“We need to give Obama a long break so he can devote his time and energy to his top priorities, vacation, basketball and entertaining his Muslim buddies.”
“So far he really hasn't proven he a an American citizen either. I never thought I would say something like that till "The Donald" got me thinking about it.”
“It's a shame the first minority President couldnt have come from a better back ground than Obama's. Being raised and educated on entitlements isnt how most Americans get thu life.”
“Im sure his biggest supporters will be the Muslims. Barry has done more to undermine the US and it's people so the Muslims and others can infiltrate this country under the radar.”
“After reading about the cost of Health Insurance..and looking out the Limo window and seeing the price of gas..Daddy Blue Gums is afraid to face the REAL world”
“the obama group will be around and tell all the white people that if you dont vote for obama, then you are a racist, well the only racist is that black muslim obama and his tater and rib vale hoping fat wife.”
“But doesnt Michelle have a nice hairdo. Maybe she'll be able to find a better pimp to dress her for this last year in office.”
“I prayed He would not run again.” Really? You got on your knees and prayed? SMH.
“Barry O has got to go in 2012.”
I'm quite sure this last little nugget will be the 2012 mantra. I just can't wait because this is when the Righties get creative. Like Obammy, Obarry, Obamama, Kenyan Boy and the list goes on. SMH.
You guys are truly haters.
United We Stand, Divided We Fall
You forgot half-breed
I don't call Republicans 'bold', I call them reckless fanatics. Well, I guess reckless fanatics can be bold.
Either way they are now showing the true danger of having elected them. They are into 'purification' of our country, and that there is only balck and white, it's either our way or the highway. There were other groups that wanted 'purification' - one was in Germany in the 1930's and another in Cambodia in the 1970's and 80's.
“GOP wants to drastically cut Medicaid”! “GOP won't allow increases to the very wealthy's taxes”! “GOP won't allow a one time $250 payment to Social Security recipients who don't get cost of living increase”! “GOP wants to stop health care reform, financial reform” and anything else that impacts the status quo for Special Interests and the select few! “GOP wants” .... c'mon people, it is obvious what the GOP wants - to be 'puppets' for the few who 'pull their strings', who strongly support them and who together seek to con and manipulate the majority, including the total middle-class who will just continue to loose more! The arrogant and aggressive deception may succeed in appealing emotionally to self-interests but it really offers no hope of solving problems and rather just aims to greatly serve the interests of the very few. Remember Bush-Cheney and the costs of their belligerent concentration on the few - well ‘more of the same’ is all the GOP now wants!
“GOP wants to drastically cut Medicaid”! “GOP won't allow increases to the very wealthy's taxes”! “GOP won't allow a one time $250 payment to Social Security recipients who don't get cost of living increase”! “GOP wants to stop health care reform, financial reform” and anything else that impacts the status quo for Special Interests and the select few! “GOP wants” .... c'mon people, it is obvious what the GOP wants - to be 'puppets' for the few who 'pull their strings', who strongly support them and who together seek to con and manipulate the majority, including the total middle-class who will just continue to loose more! The arrogant and aggressive deception may succeed in appealing emotionally to self-interests but it really offers no hope of solving problems and rather just aims to greatly serve the interests of the very few. Remember Bush-Cheney and the costs of their belligerent concentration on the few - well ‘more of the same’ is all the GOP now wants!
Recall Walker and all Repuks, support unions and all workers and citizens rights!!!!
You see how that union crap worked out in Detroit. At one time they were good, now they just offer protection & benefits to sub par workers.
Someone from Texas needs to watch "Roger and Me" multiple times until they comprehend it.
Why are the GOP going down the wrong track?... simple.... it's their way or the highway.. and the American Independents are about so say the highway..... Their only goal is to continue the elimination of the middle class as we know it... Vouchers for Medicare?.... "help" with Medicare payments?".... leave it to states?.... yea right... the last time we left something to the states we had the Civil War... The south will never do anything for the poor who cannot afford medical care.... just look at the life expectancy of the southerns.... enough said.... but the rich GOP guys will always be able to afford that heart transplant.... poor guy... "you're dead"...
I'm glad you felt compelled to slam the South after all had the North won that Horrible war things would be allot different now and we would all be happy as clams. Claiming the South needs the north is like saying a bull needs teats. But be my guest and milk the bull anyway I'm you will have a great experience and so will the bull.
That war was nothing close to Civil bubba and only someone ignorant and full of Yankee propaganda would even consider calling it that. The North needs the South otherwise why force the South back into the Union? The South has already stated once we do not need Yankee influence period. And leave that slave crap alone Lincoln owned and sold his slaves for profit, people who live in glass houses should not throw rocks. Let me know how that milking the bull turns out.
Until the teapublicans start talking about massive cuts in defense spending, all this "concern" about deficits is nothing more than hot air.
Welcome to the Corporate States of America.
A fascist government by the top 1%, for the top 1%.
Where all government functions are privatized for the 'corporate good'.
Where there is no public education. (all the better to keep the lower 99% as uneducated as corporately possible)
Where in Michigan 'middle management' run the cities instead of elected officials.
Where in Wisconsin formerly public utilities are now the pride of the Koch brothers' latest assests.
Where you too can live the American dream. ....No house, 2 1/2 hungry kids, and a job working for $2.00/hour
Folks fighting over which crook or thief is better is exactly what these A..holes are counting on, keep us divided and rape us every chance they get that is their game. It's time we agree that the status quo is no longer tolerated. If no one votes in 2012 what happens? A message of none of the above will be heard much louder than the standard lesser of two evils.
There is no way a reasonable person can honestly say they are content with the way Congress and the President has conducted themselves. Neither party represent the Majority any more and through deception have kept us apart. I truly see no difference between the two since they both have agendas that do not support the Majority. What kind of Idiot could stand there and say we must let Granny starve and do without medical care for the good of the Nation.
A loud message to our elected servants needs to be sent that the people need simple laws and simple plain honest hard work from them. Bickering and tantrums will not be tolerated any more because we hired adults not teen age-rs. Kiss needs to be their guiding light Keep It Simple Stupid.
People can argue about where to cut, but when I see bickering about the severity of it I cringe. If folks don't realize that the US borrowing 40 cents of every dollar it spends is not serious there is no hope for our country. Something needs to be done very shortly else we will have no country. To continue ignoring the problems as most politicians prefer is probably the worst thing we can do.
When we, the voters, become objective enough to reject the manipulative, emotional appeals to our self-concern and just see the reality of what this country needs and the emptiness of the self-serving positions taken by the Tea Party (the current 'hired gun' of the 'ultra-conservatives') and of those taken by the Republican Party over the last ten years, then we will be able to force government to be conscientiously responsible, truly bipartisan, honestly centrist and to work to solve the problems for the benefit of the majority. We really don’t ever want a too 'liberal' government but to allow ourselves to be manipulated into accepting 'more of the same', Bush-Cheney style, (and even worse) that has already cost us greatly and always proves to benefit only Special Interests and the powerful, influential and extremely wealthy few (those ‘pulling the strings’), will just continue to widen the gap between those wealthy very few and everyone else (including the total middle-class). Rationally looking at everything, including what has transpired, the drastic costs experienced, the real deception in the rhetoric, the stubborn avoidance of responsible action and the arrogantly continuing benefit sought for only the few, really clearly exposes the hopelessness and the bias of their (non-)solutions. To now be blind to the con of the Tea Party and of the ‘ultra-conservatives’ will just render us victims again.
This whole thing over the budget is theater; a pissing contest between TP republicans and the administration. The problem is that we are financing this bull@!$%#. The a$$holes in the administration and in the congress are arguing over our money. I am so sick and f*#@ing tired of all of them.
If anyone out there believes that either the republicans or the democrats give a rats a$$ about any of us, with the exception of big contributors, you are drinking way too much kool aid.
So all you partisan idiots (all parties included) who want to continue with your hate, name calling, insult hurling and worthless non-productive drivel, go right ahead. I believe I'll do something more productive by doing whatever I can to make this country work the way it should - without the corruption and greed that are the pervasive diseases that are destroying us.
I wonder how many of you are party shills, working for the DNC or the RNC. Agent provocateurs trained by the Carl Roves of the world. Do you realize, that from the tenor of so many of these posts, one could draw a conclusion that our governmental choices are fascism or socialism without any room for a middle ground?
There are, thank God, a few sane and rational posters, but the operative word is "few".
How can you call Ryan's plan "bold?" It is stupid and irresponsible! I'm tired of the Republicans sticking up for the rich and corporations with their tax cuts and putting the burden on the middle class and the poor. What happened to shared sacrifice?
Teri
Apparently we sacrifice and they share in the benefit of that. It is beyond frustrating. I agree.
Socialize the risk and privatize the profit. For over 40 years now; practically uninterrupted.
I just do not get how the American voter thinks. Republicans had complete control of both houses of Congress, not only in DC but in a number of states, for nearly a decade. They had control of the White House for 8 years. Prior to 2000 they spend 8 years focusing on attacking Clinton (and shut down the government then too), doing exactly what they are doing now.
Now we have them cutting education, medicare, job benefits, collective bargining for workers, the EPA, and every program that even barely looks like it might actually help people(because helping people is "Socialist" and of course "evil"), is getting either slashed or killed. Yet sending more than $1 trillion to other countries (the biggest part of which goes to ONE county-Israel), Spending trillions in wars, at least one of which was illegal from the start, deregulating industry so there are no pollution or price controls, extending tax cuts for the rich, and on and on and on, none of which offer the greatest majority of people any benefits yet we STILL treat them like they actually have out interests at heart.
Republicans hate government handouts yet Michelle Bachmann and Chuck Grassley, to of the most vocal opponents of any social program, have, between them, accepted millions of dollars on farm subsidies over the last 10 years. It turns out that there are a number of GOP, (including the Tea Party) who owns vast swaths of farmland that the government pays them NOT to farm.
There are plenty of things that democrats do that upset me. But the fact is that this particular party has not declared open warfare against the lower and middle class. States that have been democratically led during the last ten years are not, for the most part, in financial trouble. States led by Republicans are in financial trouble. The Federal government was led by them from 2000-2008 (and had control of Congress from 1998) and in 2006 the federal economy imploded.
Now they tell us that cutting NPR, the EPA, medicare, and all other social programs will CREATE jobs. And they are right. We will need people to bury all the bodies from Iraq, Afghanistan, old people who cannot afford health care, and all the people who will die of various cancers from spewing pollution.
The Party who does not like big government created the Department of Homeland Security, they try to legislate our bodies, or minds, what we say and think, what we teach our children, what movies and television shows we can watch, yet at the SAME time try to strip any government controls from industry. Federal anti abortion laws are great but federal laws permitting abortion are wrong. When a federal judge rules that it is OK to teach biblical stories of creation in school books (but no other religions stories of creation) but when the issue is evolution the government has no business and the Judge is an "activist". There last candidate for Vice President could not even describe the duties of the job she was applying for and just last week a Republican legislator said that Obama had a secret army buried in his Health Care plan that he was going to use in Libya.
Yet we STILL vote for them.
This CNN poll finds economists cutting the estimated economic growth for the US economy for this year. They blame oil prices, weakness in the housing market, and proposed spending cuts by congress for this revision.
http://money.cnn.com/2011/04/06/news/economy/cnnmoney_economists_survey_cutting_gdp_forecasts/index.htm