Tomorrow, August 1st, 2011. Both chambers of congress WILL pass legislation that will do three important things. 1) Raise the debt ceiling by 2.4 trillion effectively thwarting a global depression. 2) Cut deficit spending by 1 trillion over the next ten years. And most importantly of even the first two but what nobody realizes. Obama will deliver on one of his most important campaign pledges. 3) Change the tone in Washington!
There is a mechanism that is hard to explain in detail in this bill so I will sum it up as best as I can in a nutshell.....
DEMOCRATS: YOU HAVE UNTIL DECEMBER TO REDUCE THE DEFICIT BY 2 TRILLION DOLLARS OVER THE NEXT TEN YEARS. YOU WILL HAVE TO WORK WITH THE OTHER PARTY, YOU WILL HAVE TO MAKE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT CHOICES, YOU CANNOT DEMAGOGUE THE OTHER SIDE IN THIS PROCESS.
-WHY???-
BECAUSE IF YOU FAIL TO DO THIS THERE WILL BE ACROSS THE BOARD SPENDING CUTS THAT WILL THEN REDUCE THE DEFICIT BY 2 TRILLION AND IT WILL INVOLVE DEEP SPENDING CUTS TO MEDICARE! ON YOUR MARK, GET SET, GO!
REPUBLICANS: YOU HAVE UNTIL DECEMBER TO REDUCE THE DEFICIT BY 2 TRILLION DOLLARS OVER THE NEXT TEN YEARS. YOU WILL HAVE TO WORK WITH THE OTHER PARTY, YOU WILL HAVE TO MAKE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT CHOICES, YOU CANNOT DEMAGOGUE THE OTHER SIDE IN THIS PROCESS.
-WHY???-
BECAUSE IF YOU FAIL TO DO THIS THERE WILL BE ACROSS THE BOARD SPENDING CUTS THAT WILL REDUCE THE DEFICIT BY 2 TRILLION AND THE MOST CUTS WILL BE MILITARY DEFENSE SPENDING! IF THESE CUTS GO INTO EFFECT IT SUBSEQUENTLY BRINGS AN END TO THESE WARS THAT YOU HAVE FOUGHT SO HARD TO KEEP GOING. ON YOUR MARK, GET SET, GO!
Liberals and Conservatives hate this bill and that's why it MUST pass! They know that they will now lose their voices! If the American public has learned anything in the past 6-8 years is that the fringe elements on the left and right have no business governing! They have their place in keeping their party leaders on their toes, but when it comes to governing a complex nation such as ours, the moderate middle of both sides MUST have the majority of say and sway!
The liberal notion of "We must continue spending billions of dollars because if we don't America will no longer prosper!" is an utter joke! The vast majority of businesses are sitting on billions of dollars because of out of control spending in Washington! Our national debt is currently 14 trillion dollars and rising! Is that really a good thing liberals??? Spending cuts must be in the discussion and yes, that includes making tweaks and adjustments to medicare, medicaid, and social security! We must, and you can whine, and piss, and moan all you want but we must do this if we are to remain a strong and prosperous country!
The conservative notion of "We must cut and gut spending! No taxes, no revenues, no cuts to military spending!" is also an utter joke! We cannot, shall not, and will not ask the bottom 98% of American citizens to foot the bill on deficit reduction while the top 2% most wealthy Americans enjoy their tax breaks, subsidies, and loopholes! 1% of this country controls 90% of this countries wealth! We're not going to continue the gap of wealth in this country! We must reform the tax code, we must end the Bush tax cuts, we must end subsidies to big corporations who frankly don't need it!
Finally both sides will have no choice but to work together for at least the rest of the year! I believe it will give all of us a break from the extremes of both sides constantly yelling and screaming at each other. Liberals will be pissed and go and watch MSNBC to feel better because MSNBC will simply reaffirm their preconceived notions that more spending is the only answer and and those damn republicans are evil, evil people! Conservatives will be pissed and go watch Fox News to feel better because Fox News will simply reaffirm their preconceived notions that cutting, and gutting spending is the only answer and those damn Democrats are evil!
Meanwhile the vast majority of Americans will enjoy watching a functional government working together to solve a very serious problems! That we can tackle the hard things and get our fiscal house in order! The world is watching us! This past week in my opinion was probably the most embarrassing week this country has ever endured! Here we had two sides that were more interested in making the other side look bad than actually solving problems! I believe Obama just handed this country a great gift, a break from endless partisanship!
My only hope is that the next five months will make the American people realize how great our government works when the moderate middle is at the helm and the extremes of both sides are left to where they should be.... The talk radio, cable news, blogosphere sidelines!
Great post!
ReplyDeleteMost excellent post. Very good read. It's taken way too long for these guys to figure this out.
ReplyDeleteNicely put, Virgil. We have to reclaim the wheel from the lunatic fringe (on both sides.)
ReplyDeleteIt's sad they have to put a clause in that says 'you have to get along next time because we set it up to fuck the country automatically if you don't!' What happened to governing for the good of the public, not the good of the parties?
ReplyDeletefor a youngin' you hit the nail on the head Virg! We all know the teabaggers are evil right? Well now I can say I am so disappointed with the hard left progressives, even to the point I'm going back to calling myself a good 'ole hippie liberal!
ReplyDeleteIf everyone took the time to read the details I don't see how they could come to the conclusion Obama caved! Lawrence O'Donnell laid it all out tonight, it's very simple to understand. I am supporting my president on this deal.
I also agree with you on the cuts to Medicare. The left has to stop whining about that. My 81 yr old Mother lives with me and I see first hand the way Medicare over spends. Tests after tests after tests, til I say NO MORE chest X-rays and brain scans, ENOUGH! They just do it for the money! Waste is rampant in Medicare and it needs to end. It will not effect anyones health either. This is what Obama talks about, the providers will see the cuts, NOT the Medicare recipient.
I'm so glad I changed from an Obama basher during the HC debate to an Obama supporter in all he does. it makes for a nicer, calmer me!
Thanks Wit!:)
ReplyDeleteI agree. I'm sick and tired of both extremes wanting all their or no way at all.
ReplyDeleteThanks Bluz. I think people need to stop listening to various media tycoons. Like Paul Krugman and Howard Fineman on the left, and Karl Rove and Rush Limbaugh on the right.
ReplyDeleteAll four of those egg heads have no cares in the world about this country. They only want power and persuasion.
Both sides need to start challenging their own preconceived notions!
I believe that has slowly died ever since cable news has highjacked democracy!
ReplyDeleteThanks Sue, I too am finding myself equally as annoyed with liberals as I am with conservatives right now. The fact that the far left and the far right are pissed off about this bill is proof enough to me that it was the right thing to do for the good of the country.
ReplyDeleteVirgil: The liberal notion of "We must continue spending billions of dollars because if we don't America will no longer prosper!" is an utter joke!
ReplyDeleteThis isn't the Liberal notion. Liberals believe in balanced budgets. Bill Clinton, while not a Liberal, raised taxes and the result was a surplus. Liberals feel that we need to go in this direction. Right now, however, the economy is in recession and reducing spending will cause the economy to contract. Economist Paul Krugman says cutting spending now is like "medieval doctors who treated the sick by bleeding them, and thereby made them even sicker".
Virgil: The conservative notion of "We must cut and gut spending! No taxes, no revenues, no cuts to military spending!" is also an utter joke!
It may be an utter joke, but they aren't going to give it up. According to Robert Greenstein (founder of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities) [1] The joint committee could raise revenue but it will not. [2] Boehner will not appoint a single Republican that will approve any tax increases. [3] It is a foregone conclusion that the joint committee will fail. (Source: the 8/1/2011 airing of MSNBC's "The Last Word").
Americans will enjoy watching a functional government working together...
That's not going to happen.
I want my way or no way at all (or, that is one way to interpret my post on the topic).
I agree with some of what you say but not all. These triggers will force both sides to work together. The adults in both parties will finally have center stage.
ReplyDeleteFor all the liberals out their pissing and moaning about this deal I ask, could you honestly have done better had you been in Obama's position???
I highly, HIGHLY, doubt it!
Great, great post. I constantly learn from your knowledge. thanks so much.
ReplyDeletePaul Krugman pisses me off as much as Rush Limbaugh does! He just a high powered, self important know it all. While we on the left seem to adore this guys every last word, to the rest of America, he's just a strange guy with a beard.
ReplyDeleteThanks Dazee!:)
ReplyDeleteThe idea that because both sides are upset about the deal somehow means the deal must be good, is childish political thinking. To believe this will somehow quiet the extremes on either side, is also childish political thinking. In fact the deal is typical political maneuvering for a politician who wants to get reelected, Obama.
ReplyDeleteRepublicans win this round; they got a deal with no tax increases.Obama gets another outcome favorable to the right, to help his election in 2012.
Americans lose; our finances are as screwed up as ever.
Blah, blah, blah. Blee, blah, blo. Ho humm he, yacky shmackey, bluck! That's how you sound Tom. Now fuck off and go troll someone else's blog.
ReplyDeleteTom is the perfect example of what's wrong with America!
ReplyDeleteTom is the perfect example of what's wrong with America!
ReplyDeleteI don't think he is trolling there, Brohim. I think he is bringing a legitimate argument to the table. Hear him out, we want to promote discussion here, not ditto-headidness.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that is a fair assessment.
ReplyDeleteI don't mind discussion but some guy visiting and having no problem calling my opinions childish I take strong issue with! I don't expect ditto-headidness but I DO expect respect!
ReplyDeleteI do. Don't visit other people's blogs and call them "childish" if you don't agree with them. It's this thing called common courtesy.
ReplyDeleteHe is calling your opinion childish, not you. People should be respected, but opinions don't automatically get respect. Just give some supporting evidence for why it isn't childish. Discuss. There is no reason to get upset.
ReplyDeleteI won't waist my time discussing with people like this. You can go ahead and stand up for him all you want, nobody has the right to belittle other people's opinions. We don't want people like this here anyway Rev. Disrespect in any form will never be tolerated!
ReplyDeleteHe didn't attack you or behave in any inappropriate way. He challenged your opinion. Opinions can be belittled, it's up to you to defend it. That's not disrespect, it's discussion and challenge, the recipe for growth and understanding. I think he brought up a legitimate point and I would like to see it discussed rationally and politely. TOM was polite, he was just honest on his opinion of your opinion.
ReplyDeleteLooks like we're just gonna have to agree to disagree on this one Rev!
ReplyDeleteIt appears so.
ReplyDelete