Very interesting …. and just so damn predictable. Mitch McConnell has now suggested that President Obama raise the debt ceiling all by his lonesome. Well wouldn’t that be the cat’s meow for the GOP: they could avoid making the tough decisions on spending cuts and revenue increases PLUS when our deficit soars even higher because of the lack of decisions, the blame is all Mame’s … I mean Obama’s.
Ever since day one of President Obama’s tenure in the White House, McConnell had been quite outspoken and transparent in stating that his one objective was to remove Barack Obama from that venue. He is holding firm to that vow, even though the viability of the United States as well as global financial stability is on the line. McConnell’s motives are as apparent as is his disregard for doing his job (running an efficient and fair government, NOT getting re-elected). Check out this statement today from McConnell, just in case you doubted his tunnel vision:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
Should the President “bite”? Should he accept simply a raise in the debt ceiling and acquiesce to McConnell’s punting deficit control measures? Should our lawmakers once again abrogate their responsibility in making the hard decisions to fix our dire debt situation? One thing for sure is that the debt ceiling must be raised. However, we cannot allow political strategies to prevent the acknowledgment and correction of our spending and revenue policies that have been our ball and chain for decades. Otherwise, in the not too distant future, it won’t matter how many times or how much we raise the debt ceiling; eventually, we will not have the funds to secure the full faith and credit of the United States of America. Buh-bye.
The whole situation is rather confusing. To me, Barack Obama is acting as quite the traditional Republican, offering up spending cuts that go over and above what the GOP ever dreamed. If President Obama is the “true” Republican here, what the heck is the GOP? Despite their stubbornness in raising any taxes at all, it appears that they are pandering to the Tea Party members of their party. Perhaps. More likely though, their goal is to make the President responsible for our ever-deepening fiscal conundrum and maybe, just maybe, he will be ousted from office. It is all about elections, attaining and maintaining power. Natch.
Lawrence O’Donnell of MSNBC has another take on this issue. He thinks the President has been showing sheer genius in his handling of this deficit impasse. Do watch the entire clip:
http://thelastword.msnbc.msn.com/...
O’Donnell makes sense. Yet in my disgust with lawmakers and media rags (they are AL rags), I wonder just how much of ODonnell’s take is pure spin. I am not accepting the fact that blocked negotiations can be interpreted as wonderful for either President Obama or our country.
John Boehner knew from the first minute he assumed the role of House Speaker that this debt ceiling issue was major. He has agreed that it must be raised. However, he has not shown the power he needs to override the rhetoric of the Tea Party. Or is he hitching a ride on Mitch McConnell’s horse to, above all, get that Democratic Darkie out of the White House?
Two things are certain: first the debt ceiling must be raised and second, our budget needs a complete overhaul to eliminate our crippling deficit. Unfortunately, our leaders are holding the debt ceiling issue hostage to their political motives in deficit cutting. This is a losing proposition not only for their ultimate elective desires, but for all Americans who will pay the steep price for their unwillingness and greed in these talks. Personal ambition and power plays have no place in these discussions to save a nation.
Public outcry to our government’s horse trading is high, but I dare say it will escalate even higher. Here is one American’s thoughts on the blatant conflicts of interest of our Congress. What seems to be humorous is really an attempt at airing his anger:
Alan Simpson,(republican) Senator from Wyoming , Co-Chair of Obama’s deficit commission, calls senior citizens the Greediest Generation as he compared “Social Security” to a Milk Cow with 310 million teats.
August, 2010. Here’s a response in a letter from a unknown farmer in Montana ….
I think he is a little ticked off!
“Hey Alan, let’s get a few things straight..
1. As a career politician, you have been on the public tit for FIFTY
YEARS.
2. I have been paying Social Security taxes for 48 YEARS (since I was 15
years old. I am now 63).
3. My Social Security payments, and those of millions of other
Americans, were safely tucked away in an interest bearing account for
decades until you political pukes decided to raid the account and give
OUR money to a bunch of zero ambition losers in return for votes, thus
bankrupting the system and turning Social Security into a Ponzi scheme
that would have made Bernie Madoff proud.
4. Recently, just like Lucy & Charlie Brown, you and your ilk pulled the
proverbial football away from millions of American seniors nearing
retirement and moved the goalposts for full retirement from age 65 to
age 67. NOW, you and your shill commission are proposing to move the
goalposts YET AGAIN.
5. I, and millions of other Americans, have been paying into Medicare
from Day One, and now you morons propose to change the rules of the
game.. Why? Because you idiots mismanaged other parts of the economy
to such an extent that you need to steal money from Medicare to pay
the bills.
6. I, and millions of other Americans, have been paying income taxes our
entire lives, and now you propose to increase our taxes yet again. Why?
Because you incompetent bastards spent our money so profligately that
you just kept on spending even after you ran out of money. Now, you come
to the American taxpayers and say you need more to pay off YOUR debt.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To add insult to injury, you label us “greedy” for calling “bullshit” on
your incompetence. Well, Captain Bullshit, I have a few questions for
YOU.
1. How much money have you earned from the American taxpayers during
your pathetic 50-year political career?
2. At what age did you retire from your pathetic political career, and
how much are you receiving in annual retirement benefits from the
American taxpayers?
3. How much do you pay for YOUR government provided health insurance?
4. What cuts in YOUR retirement and healthcare benefits are you
proposing in your disgusting deficit reduction proposal, or, as usual,
have you exempted yourself and your political cronies?
It is you, Captain Bullshit, and your political co-conspirators called
Congress who are the “greedy” ones. It is you and your fellow nutcases
who have bankrupted America and stolen the American dream from
millions of loyal, patriotic taxpayers. And for what? Votes. That’s right,
sir. You and yours have bankrupted America for the sole purpose of
advancing your pathetic political careers. You know it, we know it, and
you know that we know it.
And you can take that to the bank, you miserable ASS.
In the end, was McConnell's most recent proposal on the debt ceiling issue an attempt to quell Wall Street's fears? Was his real intention to assure the financial powers-that-be that of course the debt ceiling will be raised? And on this same topic, was President Obama's statement yesterday that "some Americans will not get their Social Security checks in the mail" a plea to Main Street to take up arms about the intransigence of our lawmakers doing their jobs? Probably true on both accounts. I am with Senator Jim Webb of Virginia, who has decided to call it quits after serving only one term. Who in their right mind would want to hitch their star, not to mention their integrity, to an institution that prides itself on being deadlocked, ineffectual and on the take all the time?