In yet another hostage situation, the Republicans are about to break the debt ceiling deal and separate the Military cuts from the non-military cuts. What a surprise! As if there wasn't anyone on the planet, who pays a attention, didn't see this coming.
As talks sputtered, one panel member publicly lamented that the process was not working, and the group was chastised by a bipartisan group of budget experts at a public hearing as failing to show progress. Several members of Congress, especially Republicans on the House and Senate armed services committees, are readying legislation that would undo the automatic across-the-board cuts totaling nearly $500 billion for military programs, or exchange them for cuts in other areas of the federal budget.
Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, has drafted a bill that would replace the defense cuts that would occur under a process known as sequestration with a 5 percent across-the-board cut to government spending. It would be combined with a 10 percent cut in pay for members of Congress. In the House, similar measures are being assembled.
Republicans break debt ceiling agreement
The only question is, will the Democrats, yet again, capitulate and demonstrate their cowardice at the expense of our nations future? Or are they actually prepared to counter this hostage taking situation?
You don't have to be a political genius to figure out how to counter this phony attack on the Social Safety net. Remember, if they don't cut from the military, they'll cut it from Social Security and Medicare.
A very simple solution would be for Harry Reid to do something other than capitulate for once, and immediately introduce and pass legislation that would exempt the military cuts if they are paid for with a special surtax on the richest 1%. But we have to watch this very closely. My guess is, Reid will just try to bring forward a portion of the Bush tax cuts which have a chance of expiring next year.
Of course, if the Democrats had any common sense, they would immediately hit the road with a campaign that shows how the Republicans went back on their word and broke the agreement that was made just a few months back. Polls are showing the public just might be waking up to how the Republicans are willing to destroy the economy in order defeat President Obama. Normally, trying to get the public to understand just how much of a liar the other guy is wouldn't work, but considering how painful and how disgusted the public was with the debt ceiling debacle, demonstrating that the Republicans are breaking that agreement, just might work this time.
So the ball is in the Democrats court. What do you think they should do? And more importantly, what do you think they WILL do.