• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

Republicans Urge Obama Administration to Draft Plan B on Debt Ceiling 'Just in Case'

Re: Republicans Urge Obama Administration to Draft Plan B on Debt Ceiling 'Just in Ca

Kandahar said:
This is bull****. I truly can't believe the Republicans are even THINKING about not raising the debt ceiling.
Click to expand...

everyone agrees the debt ceiling will be raised - the question becomes when it get's raised and what pain we go through until it does (if it comes to that).

that's what this is a question of - timing.

Even if they reach a deal, it creates more uncertainty for the NEXT time the debt ceiling needs to be raised.
Click to expand...

good. you don't help an alcoholic by making it easy to get booze.

It makes a default on our sovereign debt, which Ronald Reagan described as unthinkable, thinkable. We should get rid of the debt ceiling altogether. It is among the stupidest constructs of our legislature to date, and that's really saying a lot. No other country (that I'm aware of) takes on debt, and then calls a vote every year or so to decide whether or not to pay its debt.
Click to expand...

normally I would agree - but here it seems to be serving as a most interesting break on the very same bad behavior that it describes.



not raising the debt ceiling only means a de facto instant balanced budget amendment. :D get ready to cut off great massive hunks of the federal government, boys :mrgreen:

personally I'm hoping they start with defunding agricultural subsidies that drive up the price of food.
 
Re: Republicans Urge Obama Administration to Draft Plan B on Debt Ceiling 'Just in Ca

ryan IS a plan

cutting taxes and attacking medicare, in radically untried and unprecedented ways---why, politically speaking, that's revolutionary!

ryan was written up, moved thru committee, passed on the floor

hr1 was passed on boehner's first day

the united states house has fulfilled every budgetary responsibility, on schedule, with a hard bottom line

and it has worked each legislation to significantly cut and restructure govt

the senate, meanwhile, SQUATS

no budget in 2 years, finance chair baucus divulging that kent conrad is "unlikely" to produce one this year

reid openly adopting a "minimalist agenda"

in times like these

there's a reason, y'know, and it's not just campaigning

it's why the slasher's 2012 itinerary, published in february, the progressive's plum plan, went down 97 to 0

they can't write THAT STUFF up, they can't ENDORSE that amok keynesianism

not today

but it IS still, after all, their soul

ie, base

and yet claire mccaskill and ben nelson and joe manchin and bill nelson and about ten others upstairs CANNOT go home saying---we increased the debt ceiling carte blanche, no constraints

you're gonna see missouri's miserable ms mccaskill LOUDLY INSIST that the roof be raised ONLY on condition that the extension of MORE credit is accompanied by significant cuts, controls, caps and protections

watch how many HOUSE dems go this direction when boehner puts up his clean extension this week

the entire world is advancing ominously towards austerity

and republicans are leading the way

i'm surprised anyone could fail to note

either way, have a wonderful memorial day
 
Re: Republicans Urge Obama Administration to Draft Plan B on Debt Ceiling 'Just in Ca

april 11: Harry Reid calls for clean debt ceiling vote - Meredith Shiner - POLITICO.com

about an hour ago on cspan the vote on the clean raising of the roof by 2.4T, enough presumably to get us thru the next presidential, went down

forty four percent (97 to 82) of nancy's and steny's caucus voted with the united republican party against the progressives' plan

we've come a long way, baby, in seven worrisome weeks

what's miserable ms mccaskill gonna say?

joe manchin, ben nelson, bill nelson, kent conrad, combat boots webb, jon tester, bob casey, debbie stabenow, herb kohl, amy klobuchar, mark pryor, jeff bingaman, jiltin joe lieberman?

michael bennet, mark begich, difi, jeanne shaheen, kay hagan, mary landrieu, tim johnson, mark warner, patty murray and maria cantwell?

in august?

it's gonna be a long summer, senators---america's watching

you better hope for a lot better economic news than we got today---consumer confidence at a 6 month low, housing's double dip dropping more drastically, 14% of america on food stamps, up 11% this year

gas and food rising frighteningly

q1's gdp 1.8%, unemployment at 9.0...

two weeks ago medicare's trustees reported the program would "run out of money" 13 years from now

Medicare to run out of money five years sooner, trustees say - David Nather - POLITICO.com

whatcha gonna do about it, harry?
 
Re: Republicans Urge Obama Administration to Draft Plan B on Debt Ceiling 'Just in Ca

wow, you sure don't have to moisten your finger to feel that wind

AARP, the powerful lobbying group for older Americans, is dropping its longstanding opposition to cutting Social Security benefits, a move that could rock Washington's debate over how to revamp the nation's entitlement programs.

The decision, which AARP hasn't discussed publicly, came after a wrenching debate inside the organization. In 2005, the last time Social Security was debated, AARP led the effort to kill President George W. Bush's plan for partial privatization. AARP now has concluded that change is inevitable, and it wants to be at the table to try to minimize the pain.
Click to expand...

AARP Pivots on Social Security Benefit Cut - WSJ.com

seeya in committee, chums
 
Re: Republicans Urge Obama Administration to Draft Plan B on Debt Ceiling 'Just in Ca

AARP's decision, if the story is accurate and if AARP does not reverse itself (a risk given the divisions within the organization and possible backlash from its membership), would be a welcome development. If the organization takes a public stance on the position the article describes, that shift would reflect that the organization has come to understand that the financial challenges facing the nation's Social Security program make reform a necessity.
 
Re: Republicans Urge Obama Administration to Draft Plan B on Debt Ceiling 'Just in Ca

good point

aarp's not really noted for being overly attentive to its membership

the organization is simply bowing to the inevitable---mathematics dictates fundamental reform

else social security, like medicare and medicaid (as well as state pensions) will simply disappear, at least in the forms americans have come to expect based on generations of promises made to them
 
Re: Republicans Urge Obama Administration to Draft Plan B on Debt Ceiling 'Just in Ca

Dittohead not! said:
They are gullible if they believe:



Ain't happenin', no way. Anyone taking bets?
Click to expand...

Whether or not it actually happens is irrelevant in the negotiations. Democrats have to believe it WILL happen, or at least that there's a chance it could happen for Republicans to succeed in the negotiation. If there is no belief whatsoever or at the best, a minimal belief that the votes are there to vote down the debt ceiling increase, the Republicans have/will fail. Therefore the "Plan B" request is just that - centrist play at casting reasonable doubt the increase is not a good idea. I will go so far as to say, the Republicans MUST play up the down vote of the debt ceiling and prominent Republicans (not just Tea Party freshman) must back that view to the hilt, or the GOP will certainly fail in any political negotiation.
 
Re: Republicans Urge Obama Administration to Draft Plan B on Debt Ceiling 'Just in Ca

Ockham said:
Whether or not it actually happens is irrelevant in the negotiations. Democrats have to believe it WILL happen, or at least that there's a chance it could happen for Republicans to succeed in the negotiation. If there is no belief whatsoever or at the best, a minimal belief that the votes are there to vote down the debt ceiling increase, the Republicans have/will fail. Therefore the "Plan B" request is just that - centrist play at casting reasonable doubt the increase is not a good idea. I will go so far as to say, the Republicans MUST play up the down vote of the debt ceiling and prominent Republicans (not just Tea Party freshman) must back that view to the hilt, or the GOP will certainly fail in any political negotiation.
Click to expand...

I don't think the Democrats are that gullible. The "you must make significant cuts, or we won't vote to raise the debt" is just political posturing, an attempt to make the voters believe that the Republicans are more fiscally responsible than the Democrats are. It could work, you understand, but it is a hoax nevertheless. The Republicans are no more fiscally "conservative" than the Democrats. The so called 'negotiations" are a public show, nothing more.

Meanwhile, we really do need someone who will step up to the plate and say, "Enough! We have to make some real cuts!"

But, my innate cynicism says that won't happen.
 
Re: Republicans Urge Obama Administration to Draft Plan B on Debt Ceiling 'Just in Ca

a senator like claire mccaskill NEEDS substantial cuts

or SHE can't go home
 
Re: Republicans Urge Obama Administration to Draft Plan B on Debt Ceiling 'Just in Ca

Dittohead not! said:
I don't think the Democrats are that gullible. The "you must make significant cuts, or we won't vote to raise the debt" is just political posturing, an attempt to make the voters believe that the Republicans are more fiscally responsible than the Democrats are. It could work, you understand, but it is a hoax nevertheless. The Republicans are no more fiscally "conservative" than the Democrats. The so called 'negotiations" are a public show, nothing more.

Meanwhile, we really do need someone who will step up to the plate and say, "Enough! We have to make some real cuts!"

But, my innate cynicism says that won't happen.
Click to expand...

Not sure it has to do with "gullible". It's a bluff - or is it? You just don't know especially since there are enough Tea Party types now in the House which would make not raising the debt ceiling at least plausible if not fully possible via the number of votes. All the Democrats need to believe is that it's plausible... for the bluff (or the non-bluff) to work.
 
Re: Republicans Urge Obama Administration to Draft Plan B on Debt Ceiling 'Just in Ca

Ockham said:
Not sure it has to do with "gullible". It's a bluff - or is it? You just don't know especially since there are enough Tea Party types now in the House which would make not raising the debt ceiling at least plausible if not fully possible via the number of votes. All the Democrats need to believe is that it's plausible... for the bluff (or the non-bluff) to work.
Click to expand...

Correct. They have to believe that it is plausible. I'm not so sure that they do, which is why I said they aren't that gullible.

Democrats understand political posturing. They're just as good at it as the Republicans are.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom