Election 2010: Teabaggin' the Ds & Rs

[Gattigap]

Originally Posted by Cletus Miller

Do you really think the Rs hate America that much?

I'm probably whiffing here, but assuming your question was serious, I think that a number of Rs got elected in this cycle promising that Debt was Evil and would be Conquered. Those Rs are not necessarily in the leadership today, and I don't think that Boehner really wants to shut down the government, but I think that some dancing in that direction may be necessary in order to placate those people.

And I think we really should avoid the dance if we can.

[Cletus Miller]

Originally Posted by Gattigap

I'm probably whiffing here, but assuming your question was serious, I think that a number of Rs got elected in this cycle promising that Debt was Evil and would be Conquered. Those Rs are not necessarily in the leadership today, and I don't think that Boehner really wants to shut down the government, but I think that some dancing in that direction may be necessary in order to placate those people.

And I think we really should avoid the dance if we can.

Somewhat serious.

Many of those who got elected were re-elected promising that debt was Evil, so they'd better be voting against the tax cuts, too. And not accepting the continuation of any part of HCR which costs any money.

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally Posted by Cletus Miller

Do you really think the Rs hate America that much?

I think they hate America that much.

I also think there are some Dems who would be only too happy to see the Rs try to shut down government. It didn't work so well when Newt did it, and the alleged Senate shut down this month came off as pretty silly, don't you think?

But I could see them trying to shut it down over Healthcare, and I'm not into playing high-stakes poker with the lunatics these days. And Gatti's formulation at least wouldn't involve approving another hundred billion in goodies.

[sgtclub]

Originally Posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy

You know what you said about negotiation yesterday?

It's a negotiation, and phase 1 is over, phase 2 is about to begin. Why the Rs didn't insist that everyone be at the table we'll never know. The most important thing the deal did, though, was break the Rs stranglehold on doing business. They failed to shut the Senate down.

The big question: will the house and senate dems just add some more ornaments to the Christmas tree (with one or two new ones for the members of the radical right who are bitching and moaning, like that tea partier from S.Carolina) or will they decide to do some paring as well. Right now, I'd predict they simply spend some more on their own priorities, since that seems to be the easiest way to get agreement quickly, and the clock is ticking.

But I don't see how they have any leverage. The Rs can wait until January to pass the house. The senate will pass even easier in January than now. Everything can be retroactive.

ETA: If I was advising the Rs, I would tell them to hold a press conference, praise Obama and the Senate Ds, pin this all on the House Ds, and tell the public that they will pass this in January retroactively.

[Cletus Miller]

Originally Posted by sgtclub

But I don't see how they have any leverage. The Rs can wait until January to pass the house. The senate will pass even easier in January than now. Everything can be retroactive.

ETA: If I was advising the Rs, I would tell them to hold a press conference, praise Obama and the Senate Ds, pin this all on the House Ds, and tell the public that they will pass this in January retroactively.

Which is why it's just another stupid, stupid move by stupid, feckless Dems.

[Adder]

Originally Posted by sgtclub

But I don't see how they have any leverage. The Rs can wait until January to pass the house. The senate will pass even easier in January than now. Everything can be retroactive.

ETA: If I was advising the Rs, I would tell them to hold a press conference, praise Obama and the Senate Ds, pin this all on the House Ds, and tell the public that they will pass this in January retroactively.

Clearly the Rs place some value on not having to do it in January, or they wouldn't have compromised at all.

Which brings us back to something like raising the debt ceiling, which should be rather meaningless, getting added and then everyone agreeing.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally Posted by Adder

Clearly the Rs place some value on not having to do it in January, or they wouldn't have compromised at all.

Which brings us back to something like raising the debt ceiling, which should be rather meaningless, getting added and then everyone agreeing.

I think the lefty Dems believe, rightly or wrongly, that Obama did not drive a hard enough deal, and it may be that they can live with what's on the table now if they find out it's the best they can do.

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally Posted by sgtclub

But I don't see how they have any leverage. The Rs can wait until January to pass the house. The senate will pass even easier in January than now. Everything can be retroactive.

ETA: If I was advising the Rs, I would tell them to hold a press conference, praise Obama and the Senate Ds, pin this all on the House Ds, and tell the public that they will pass this in January retroactively.

Haven't the Rs traditionally been opposed to retroactive tax bills? I recall some pretty vociferous rhetoric on that front, as well as some litigation. While I personally think the ship has sailed, that may still be a concern.

Also, I suspect there are some in the Republican leadership who are a little worried about what kind of mischief the radical right can do in the next session. Jim DeMint seems eager to lead a rebellion on this deal.

[sgtclub]

Originally Posted by Adder

Clearly the Rs place some value on not having to do it in January, or they wouldn't have compromised at all.

Which brings us back to something like raising the debt ceiling, which should be rather meaningless, getting added and then everyone agreeing.

Maybe, but I think both sides (other than House Dems) place value on it. It will be a total logistical nightmare for all the employers/payroll companies if this thing is not in place soon, but gets put in place after year end.

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally Posted by Adder

Which brings us back to something like raising the debt ceiling, which should be rather meaningless, getting added and then everyone agreeing.

I'd actually like to see them insist on some sort of bizarre ritual prostration of the President and Senate Majority and Minority Leaders to the house, maybe having them all kowtow and bang their head on the ground three times before making sacrifical offering of a very large pig at the foot of the speaker's podium.

I mean, if we're going to do meaningless rituals of submission, let's do them right!

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Well, Scott Brown just dealt a major blow to his re-election campaign.

[Adder]

Originally Posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy

Well, Scott Brown just dealt a major blow to his re-election campaign.

Despicable.

But I don't know about "major."

[sgtclub]

Originally Posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy

Well, Scott Brown just dealt a major blow to his re-election campaign.

What happened?

[Cletus Miller]

Originally Posted by sgtclub

What happened?

no on cloture for DADT.

[Adder]

Originally Posted by sgtclub

What happened?

Voted against cloture on bill containing the DADT amendment.