From Wednesday night’s Fox News All-Stars:
On the debt-ceiling meeting yesterday at the White House with Obama and the House Republicans:
If the [dead-ceiling] vote yesterday was a stunt, then the meeting today was a stunt. It isn’t as if, as Juan implied, the president had to have the Republicans in to present their proposal. He knows it quite well — as does everybody else. He and the other Democrats have been demagoguing it for three weeks now.
The reason he had the Republicans in [was] so he can look bipartisan.
Obviously, nothing happened. Then what we heard from Jay Carney [is that] in a forum like this, with so many people in the room, you can’t possibly have specifics. Why then didn’t the president invite just the leadership to talk about specifics?…
What is happening here is exactly what has happened for the last year — and for decades. When you ask voters: Do you want to cut the deficit — as in the [debt-ceiling] vote yesterday, where you got overwhelming majority [voting] yes, and as you’ve got in the public opinion polls running nine to one against simply raising the debt limit with nothing else — [you get] overwhelming public support for cuts.
Then you offer them a real cut in Medicare — and you get NY-26 [a major electoral defeat]. The president is laying a bet that, by opposing specific cuts, he wins politically.
The president has chartered a course of remarkable cynicism in the way he attacked the Republican plan and presented none of his own. He hasn’t offered anything. And the Senate, for example, hasn’t even offered a budget — which is required to do by law. The Democrats are placing a bet on cynicism. They might win the election on that.
So Charles, should we just give up then? I am stating the think the die has been cast.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseCan you imagine running on this dreadful Democratic Partisan record?
Not even passing a budget?
If Democrats did not have the massive Media bias, they wouldn't win an election. They survive on pure fraud, political bigotry, utter ignorance.
This was enlightening, even if we already knew the pathetic reality:
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The answer is actually simple, propose large cuts but don't touch Medicare or Social Security. Wait till after 2012 to see if you have the numbers to then reform Medicare.
For the GOP to propose dramatically restructuring Medicare when Democrats control the Senate and White House is absurd. What's the point?
Obama WILL win on the spending issue if Republicans make it about MediCare.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseA House race can turn on a policy issue, but the Presidential election is all about the economy. I don't think voters are going to want four more years of this misery.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseMr. O cooly continues to follow the Alinsky playbook: "First, make things worse."
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseNow if only we had more than one congressman who was boldly stating this is unacceptable - and a freshman congressman at that.
And of course, who or what body is going to force the senate to pass a budget as required by law?
The democratic senate knows this full well and banks on it - they are above the law.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIf the Senate is required by law to pass a budget (which is what Mr. Krauthammer says is the law), then is the failure to follow the legal obligations an impeachable offense? And if so, should not the House (or whichever branch is appropriate) begin impeachment proceedings against those Senators who refuse to follow the law?
Other option to consider: what about starting a mandamus proceeding to force the Senate to follow the law?
Perhaps someone who spends more time practicing in that area could chime in.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIf the Senate is required by law to pass a budget (which is what Mr. Krauthammer says is the law), then is the failure to follow the legal obligations an impeachable offense? And if so, should not the House (or whichever branch is appropriate) begin impeachment proceedings against those Senators who refuse to follow the law?
Other option to consider: what about starting a mandamus proceeding to force the Senate to follow the law?
Perhaps someone who spends more time practicing in that area could chime in.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThe Democrats won an election already on medicare cuts. I doubt will happen again. There is too much time between now and November 2012 for the facts to get out. If the Republicans can't get their message out between by then, they don't deserve to win.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseHow about cutting a deal w/ the progressives: You can have your own country made up of the liberal bastions of CA, OR, WA, MI, WI, IL, NY and New England (save NH), plus FL (so they can provide 'Medicare as we know it' to all of the seniors they so dearly love), and the rest of us poor rubes can have 'fly-over country' and the hot and humid east coast. Oh, they can have DC too ;)
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"The Democrats are placing a bet on cynicism. They might win the election on that."
The simple minded voters deserve what they voted for.
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