Boehner's efforts to pass a 2-step plan to raise the debt ceiling and cut the deficit is obviously a political ploy. The plan would only cut the deficit by a token amount. If the Republicans were as concerned about deficits and fiscal responsibility as they claim in their propaganda, then they would have accepted the deal that Obama offered which would have cut the deficit by somewhere in the neighborhood of $4 trillion over 10 years...about 3 times the amount of cuts offered under Boehner's plan.
But deficits are not the real concern of the Republicans in Washington DC, many of whom I feel safe in calling political extremists. The real goal of these ideologues is to somehow make Obama the bad guy, clearing the way for Republican victory in 2012. This should have been clear to everyone when Obama offered Republicans almost everything they wanted in the $4 trillion package...but they walked away when they realized that President Obama was actually for significant cuts. I think Obama was testing them by calling their bluff. I think he knew they would back away. Because this whole thing is about theater to them.... not about any effort to really solve the problem. They hate President Obama so much (and they still can't come to terms with recognizing a Black man as President) that they are willing to ruin his Presidency by any means... even if it means destroying the economy and bringing harm to the Country.
Clearly they want a 2-step plan so that Obama would look bad raising the debt ceiling again in an election year. But the 2-step plan may actually backfire. See... this is where the White House fails time and time again. The PR and strategy are almost non-existent. Those who are advising the President on strategy are doing a terrible job as usual. But they seem to get worse with each new crisis...(and we seem to be going from one crisis to another.... many of them manufactured). The biggest mistake that Obama made was that he waited too long to bypass Congress to make his case directly to the people. This should have been done 4, 5, 6 weeks ago. He made the mistake of negotiating with these crack pots hoping that they would behave in good faith. Did he really believe that? The fact is, they have been planning to create/manufacture this crisis for a long time... been in the works possibly as far back as 2009, but definitely since the mid-terms.
If he had taken his case to the public sooner... he would have boxed the Republicans in and placed tremendous pressure on them politically. A better informed public aware of the consequences of playing with default could have effectively pre-empted the Republican plan and would have likely forced them into real negotiations sooner.
Why do I say the 2-step concept could work? Well, it would force the issue to come back up in 6-8 months... smack dab in the middle of campaign season. It would get the attention of voters and would create a clear contrast between what Republicans stand for and what Democrats stand for. In fact, it could be the very basis for Obama's campaign. I say go for a modified version of the plan... one that calms the nerves of the credit rating agencies (by promising more cuts in the second round), and calms the markets. If we could get that, it may be something that we not only could live with... but that Obama could ride to victory on next year.
Look... the plan...and the Committee it would establish, would put the Republicans in a position to cut important domestic programs at a time when people are hurting...and during an election year. Obama should drill that into the ears and minds of Americans every day and night.... that Medicare and Social Security are on the line....and that there is a clear choice to make in November. Obama would crush Republicans on this - have you seen the polling on the debt ceiling and tax issue? Obama is killing the GOP 2-1. A few of the polls, I believe on the question of allowing Bush tax cuts to expire, showed somewhere in the neighborhood of 73% support for the Progressive argument. He is winning back independents on this issue and even moderate Republicans who strayed away after the Healthcare fight. This would be a winner folks. The Democrats have not seen these kinds of numbers supporting their view in a major face-off with Republicans since President Obama took the oath of office. If only the Democrats had national strategists who could make it happen.
The Republicans would not actually do anything substantial until after the election... doing anything before that would be political suicide. Obama wins in 2012 if they would actually try to cut important programs. Calling these issues into focus in 2012 would be the best thing for the Obama campaign.... (not that these issues should be so politicized....i'm one who hates the idea that they are...but we sometimes have to deal with reality as it is.... and right now... we have to play on the Republican's turf). Having these issues front and center would help voters make a decision... it would tell them who is actually working more to help them... and who is working more to help Wall Street and the rich. It would also highlight the Teapublican Party as the runaway train that it is. This whole thing would backfire on Republicans. Although... the poor PR and strategy within the Democratic Party can't be underestimated.
The bonus from all of this might be sweet. With the choices in 2012 being so much clearer because of the fundamental differences in values highlighted in this debate... the Republicans could very well lose their majority. Many in the Tea Party could be purged... relegating the scum that remains to a slow political death. You would be looking at more of an even split or perhaps a slight Democratic majority. Think about that for a second. You would then have a majority with this committee making recommendations on what to cut...and everything would go to a straight up and down vote.
One last thing...
Progressives should stop adopting the conservative media's language of "tax increases". STOP IT! STOP IT! STOP IT!. We're talking about allowing TEMPORARY Bush era tax cuts to expire (if they were meant to be permanent they would not have been set up to expire) & we're talking about closing loopholes/huge tax breaks for the rich and for corporations. Stop using the GOP's language. This is what allows them to frame the debate so easily on their own terms... causing things to be seen by the public in a completely out of context/distorted/misleading fashion.
I'm also not sure what impact calling Republican members of Congress will have. These pieces of s*** don't give a flip about what anyone thinks. They have exited the realm of the rational... they have been consumed by ideology...clearly. It's like trying to reason with a heroin addict about getting clean...when all they are concerned with is getting another fix. Ideology has consumed Republicans in Congress in a similar way.... causing rational thinking to be set aside. You see... these nutjobs think they are on a mission from God... that they were sent for a special assignment. That is why some are willing to see what happens on August 2nd. It's like drinking a bottle of bleach to see what will happen. Everyone says it's bad... there is a warning on the label that says don't do it.... but some idiots want to see the results anyway. Of course rational people are looking at this playing out... saying to themselves "what the ___?" "Who does that?" "How crazy do you have to be to carry on that way?"
What I think may finally get this resolved...at least for now is (and this may be too late to prevent damage to the economy... ie a credit rating change) a stock market drop of 200, 300, 400 on the DOW Jones or a loss in faith in the U.S. dollar. When it gets that bad...and it may come this week... the Tea Party constituents will realize that their retirements are at risk and will force their representatives to get something done... I thought the same would be true with Wall Street... but I am starting to have my doubts. If Wall Street wanted to or even had the power to end this charade they likely would have done so already. For the GOP to allow this situation to go this far is criminal.
Link to Tea Party Caucus members in Congress. Know who's screwing you and screwing the Country.