At a press conference this afternoon with several Senators calling out Republicans for blocking middle-class tax cuts, Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) escalated the Dem rhetoric by comparing the GOP's my-way-or-the-highway posture to the demands of terrorists.
Responding to a reporter pressing Dems to explain why the haven't put forth a compromise that can pass the Senate, Menendez said a quickly negotiated solution might not be in the best interest of the nation.
...
"Do you allow yourself to be held hostage, and get something done for the sake of getting something done, when in fact it may be perverse in its ultimate result."
Then he added: "It's almost like a question of, Do you negotiate with terrorists?"
No doubt we'll be treated to a flood of angry GOP denunciations. The question is whether Menendez "clarifies" his remarks when that happens, or whether he sticks to his guns.
Link via TPM
Senator Menendez just called it what it really is: Negotiating with terrorists.
And we all know the best way to negotiate with terrorist is this: DON'T DO IT!
I'm sure the denunciations will start piling up on Menendez because he used the "T" word, which we all know is sacrilege unless it's being applied to a certain non-US citizen with a website.
We tried including their tax cuts into the Stimulus bill. And got a grand total of 3 votes for it.
We tried including their individual mandate and we jettisoned the popular Public Option. And got a grand total of ZERO votes for it.
We pushed the tax cut debate back until after the elections. And we lost 63 seats in the House.
Obama came out and pissed on federal employees for them. And we got a letter signed by every Republican that they will grind the Senate to a complete halt if we don't cave completely to them.
It looks like some Democrats are finally starting to realize that if you negotiate with a hostage-taker and give them what they want, they'll just find a new hostage to take.
OBAMA, CALL THEIR BLUFF!
Because if you fold on this one, wait until the negotiations over raising the Debt Ceiling come in February. That's going to be a REAL gun held to the heads of the global economy.
Stop negotiating with legislative terrorists. It only encourages such behavior in the future.