Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell pulled a 24 hour flip flop -- a highlight of how Republican lawmakers are using the fiscal cliff and the debt ceiling for nothing more than political posturing. The other day, McConnell put forth a proposal that would place the onus of the debt ceiling on the President. The very next day, Senate leader Reid called McConnell's bluff and put it to a vote.
Naturally, McConnell filibustered his own proposal; he didn't really want to give the President the power to increase the debt ceiling.
As you might know, by law the House is responsible for putting forth a federal budget. Even if taken at full face value, neither of Paul Ryan's budget plans (2011 and 2012) which were passed by Republicans, would have avoided a debt ceiling increase.
It doesn't get any more cynical than that: You hold the debt ceiling hostage, even when your own budgets require that the debt ceiling expands.
But like I've said previously, Democrats can simply call the GOP bluff (or identify their idiocy) and let the debt ceiling stay in place and let the nation go over the fiscal cliff. GOP dogma dictates -- as pointed out recently by Bobby Jindal -- that a balanced budget is paramount to the nation's economic health, because a large debt is bad. Going over the fiscal cliff would slice the deficit; keeping the debt ceiling in place would ensure it forever remain balanced.
Just once, can't we force them to own up to their dogma?
No comments:
Post a Comment