McConnell: If Obama stiff-arms us, we'll go to the people

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The simplest way to view the debt ceiling debate in Washington is as a struggle over the kind of government we want. If you want a government that runs everything from the student loan business to car companies, then taxes will have to go up. If you think government is too big already and should start to pull back, then Washington has to change its ways — fast. This is the message I have brought to the White House for more than two years in an effort to persuade President Obama to rein in a government that has lost all sense of limits. This is also why, when those discussions failed to bear fruit, I had hoped an approaching limit to the president's borrowing power would cause him to think again.

Unfortunately, it was wishful thinking. As it turned out, the president is simply too committed to big government to agree to serious belt-tightening. At the same time, however, the president realizes that most Americans fear government is too big already. That's why he has tried to portray himself in recent weeks as advocating a "balanced approach."

But the facts speak for themselves.

So now both sides are threatening to "go to the people". Like the people could tear themselves away from their reality shows long enough to pay attention. This is nothing but an elaborate dance. TPTB have probably already given these guys their marching orders, and what we want won't mean diddly. Why can't the liberals realize we are spending 1.6 trillion more each year than what we are bringing in? Even if the republicans went along with taxing the rich more that won't even put a dent in what we need. They are going to tax the middle class, they have to in order to continue their profligate spending. It is the Willie Sutton principle, you go where the money is.

That's a negative way to think, OP. I like to look at this as a chance, a beacon of hope and light. A "maybe we do have a chance" sort of situation.

Originally posted by Davian
That's a negative way to think, OP. I like to look at this as a chance, a beacon of hope and light. A "maybe we do have a chance" sort of situation.

A chance to do what? Crash the system? IMO that is now the best we can hope for here.

reply to post by sonofliberty1776


I may be wrong, but I think that they’ll pass another debt ceiling. There are too many influential powers and businesses that are calling for it to be passed. They’ll opt to continue to kick the can down the road rather than face reality. It may buy some time, but not for long.

I believe that the system will crash within 5-10 years and that there will be no way of stopping it.

We, the People, are so screwed.

Originally posted by TDawgRex
reply to post by sonofliberty1776

 

I may be wrong, but I think that they’ll pass another debt ceiling. There are too many influential powers and businesses that are calling for it to be passed. They’ll opt to continue to kick the can down the road rather than face reality. It may buy some time, but not for long.

I believe that the system will crash within 5-10 years and that there will be no way of stopping it.

We, the People, are so screwed.

Alright, negative nancies, doomsayers, continue with your fearmongering, I'm out.

reply to post by Davian


I don’t believe that I am doom-saying at all. Just addressing the facts as I see them. Like I said, I may be wrong.

What the two parties are doing could be likened to rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic as it sinks.

They are not addressing the problem. Taxes unfortunately have to be raised, on everybody. Entitlement programs need to be slashed and in some cases, eliminated. The Pentagon budget needs to be reduced, Companies need to be penalized for shipping their labor overseas and on and on. And above all, the size of the Government needs to be reduced, drastically.

My refusing to believe that my house isn’t on fire doesn’t change the fact that I am now homeless. People continue to fail to make the hard choice.

reply to post by Davian


How about explaining this "chance" you refer to? I can't see anything positive coming out of this, but maybe I am being short sighted. Tell me what you see here.

reply to post by sonofliberty1776

"going to the people" would do NOTHING to help solve the idiocy in Washington, it is just another political ploy to help rig the coming elections. How is going to the people going to produce ANY results that are favorable prior to Aug 3rd? it isnt, this is just another attempt to polarize the people to the red side, or blue. both parties are guilty of this sham.

the only thing blues and reds are convincing Americans with their current bickering and back biting is that neither party is governing and neither deserve to be in a position of power over the people.

only one way to fix all of this in Washington, cooperation and compromise.
we really need to vote both parties out of congress they are solely responsible for the state of things today.

i want a constitutional amendment limiting any partys influence in Washington to no more than 1/3 of congress. that way to get anything done all parties would have to work as a TEAM (crazy thought i know) to get things done and complete control of our govt by one party impossible.

reply to post by CaDreamer
IMO, the only way to fix our debt woes is to stop spending so much. Cut spending.

reply to post by sonofliberty1776


Flash crash on Wall Street. America takes a diaper filling dump. States panic.

"Pwease Mr President and kongress, sabe us". Spending cuts, empty promises to raise taxes.

This could happen.

Originally posted by TDawgRex
I believe that the system will crash within 5-10 years and that there will be no way of stopping it.

5-10 years? I pray that you're right, and that it doesn't happen in the next year.

This is a good thing (for those sensible people). If both sides present this case to the American people, Obama will be laughed (or screamed) back into his office.

Originally posted by sonofliberty1776
reply to post by CaDreamer

 

IMO, the only way to fix our debt woes is to stop spending so much. Cut spending.

i agree but under the current system which allows a party to gain enough power to cripple our government thru inaction, it is completely impossible to be constructive. the two parties are damn near diametrically opposed on most topics. the topics that they agree upon are not considered because when they realize that they agree, they change their stands.

I wonder why going to the people is a threat for both parties to use as leverage? Shouldn't they be going to the people anyways?

I mean it is the people who are gonna have to clean up the mess they have created with their irresponsible spending and inability to budget. Why wouldn't we be involved in the decision making process??

It is concerning to me that the people don't have a voice in this anyways. We should have been the first persons involved when they realized that they were unable to fix the problem. I mean seriously, who lets someone who has shown they are incabale of budgeting to continue to make financial decisions for you? Personally, I would have fired my financial planner if he caused such havoc with my money...

maybe thats why...cuz we the people would find someone more capable of doing the job

what a child ! "I'mmmm teeeeeeeeeeeelllllllllllllling on you !!!!!!!"

a real leader wouldn't take his ball and go home and tell on you

ok, back to the subject at hand. the republicans think we are all stupid. that's right. they think they can intentionally screw the economy, try to blame obama, and win the next potus election.

are you that stupid ?

can you see through them ?

they are willing to have all of us suffer for another year and a half just to get their stooge in the white house

the only surprising part is obama hasn't called thier bluff yet.

as has been pointed out by ditto heads around here when deflecting blame from bush for the horrible debt record, it is congress that controls the money

ok boehner, fix it

Originally posted by sonofliberty1776
reply to post by CaDreamer

 

IMO, the only way to fix our debt woes is to stop spending so much. Cut spending.

Or......we could cut spending, return to the Clinton era tax rates and eliminate the tax loopholes that allow over 40% of american corporations to pay absolutely zero dollars in taxes and stop rewarding them for outsourcing our jobs overseas. We could demand that the various "Free Trade Agreements" of which we are a party to, be renegotiated into "Fair Trade Agreements." We could demand that Europe fund it's own security and cut off all foreign aid to countries, like Israel, who are more devoted to conflict than peace.

You people act as though Obama just ran for office in order to destroy America when in reality it was Bush who steered us down this road by initiating two wars, one of which was a total lie from the very beginning, while simultaneously enacting tax cuts. (craziest crap I ever heard of in my life.) All the while, congress continued to approve increases to the debt limit in order to fund this idiocy. On top of that, the party of NO in congress refused, via their newfound "filibuster everything" mentality, to allow Obama to return us to the pre-bush tax rates during the last lame duck session. Now that the bills are coming due, you want to blame Obama for attempting to fulfill our financial obligations while simultaneously trying to maintain some kind of normalcy here in America, please!

If I were Obama, I'd be "Stiff Fingering" McConnell, along with the rest of the republican/tea party, at every opportunity. The current republican/tea party mentality is the most destructive force, with regards to American values, that I've witnessed in my lifetime and the sooner they meet their demise, the better.

"Go to the people"?

Hilarious when you consider the fact that no one in Washington gives a damn about anything "the people" want.

Originally posted by FlatfishIf I were Obama, I'd be "Stiff Fingering" McConnell, along with the rest of the republican/tea party, at every opportunity. The current republican/tea party mentality is the most destructive force, with regards to American values, that I've witnessed in my lifetime and the sooner they meet their demise, the better.

Yup. It's the Nixonian 'we the people' vs. a shadowy 'other' that has lead us to this point. Once upon a time same lower and lower-middle income people would've laughed at the notion that FDR 'destroyed' America and guys like Nixon and Reagan were some kind of everyman saviors. It is truly the most effective political dupe in history....that the ultra-rich, ultra-elite Republican right has ANYTHING in common with the average person or that the repubs are looking out for the financial well being of the little guy. Sadly, even the left has started to fall down this hole, as it takes millions upon millions to get elected in this era of big-money politics and once it's that expensive and that controlled, special interests rule the day. Somewhere in the last 50 years or so we've lost our political process in its entirety...replaced by a system ruled by bank balances and lying to the electorate to maintain said bank balances.

Originally posted by sonofliberty1776
So now both sides are threatening to "go to the people".

What they mean is "I will manipulate the people into supporting me".

That's obvious. It's not possible for the majority of the people to support both sides, is it?

reply to post by sonofliberty1776


Obama has his own Plan B.

Do not raise taxes.
Do not reduce spending.
Just issue an executive presidential order to raise the debt ceiling by $2.4 Trillion.
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If Obama agreed to a band-aid short term fix then we would be right back here in February 2012.
It's hard to get re- elected with that staring him in the face.
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It won't be long before Turbo Tax Cheat Timmy Geithner will be selling Treasury Notes like crazy.