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McCain Warns Bachmann

She is acting “sort of like Senator Obama did.”

Over in the House, “I am told that it is very difficult,” McCain says. “There are Republicans who are committed, like Michele Bachmann, to vote against raising the debt limit under any circumstances.” Bachmann, he warns, is acting “sort of like Senator Obama did.”

In 2006, then-senator Obama refused to lift the debt limit. Speaking on the floor, Obama ascribed his opposition to the “failure” of George W. Bush to address the country’s fiscal problems.

McCain has little patience for such posturing. He tells me that political disagreement with the president — any president — should not jeopardize the credit rating of the United States.

“What some of my colleagues on the Republican side don’t understand is that sometime before August 2, the markets would start reacting in a negative fashion,” McCain says. “Sure, we might be able to divert funds from one pot to another to keep things going, but that’s not what the president is going to do.”

Read the rest here.

New on The Corner. . .


COMMENTS   30

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   07/14/11 12:20

Better to act like Senator Obama did than to act like Senator McCain did -- and surrender gracefully to the enemy.

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   07/14/11 15:56

McCain is not the guy that you want to be making enemy surrender jokes about.

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 RTP
   07/14/11 12:22

"What some of my colleagues on the Republican side don’t understand is that sometime before August 2, the markets would start reacting in a negative fashion," McCain says. "Sure, we might be able to divert funds from one pot to another to keep things going, but that’s not what the president is going to do."

Don't just stand there! Cave in already!

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   07/14/11 12:23

In other words, McCain is saying that since the President is going to do the wrong thing, we should fully cooperate.

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   07/14/11 12:24

Well, there's a good indication that she's on the right track.

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 Vox
   07/14/11 12:53
   07/14/11 12:29

And the McCain pendulum swings back to the left. How about we see what the farm looks like before we give it away this time, Johnny? You squishy moderates make me want to puke. Just let the leaders lead, Mr. Runner-Up.

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bigStar
   07/14/11 12:36

A.K.A. "Mr. Irrelevant"

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   07/14/11 12:51

In the presidential race, the 'runner-up' is the VicePresident. It is the Vice President who gets the presidency should the President be unable to continue.

However, there is a term for Senator McCain's actual status--

John McCain, is more properly termed 'the Loser'.

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   07/14/11 13:34

@Azathoth - that's funny, I had selected "Loser" at first but went with "Runner-Up" because it sounded less harsh. :-)

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Quayle Partridge
   07/14/11 12:33

Washington DC: where complete insanity is always passed off as incremental pragmatism.

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   07/14/11 12:34

Man I don't like John McCain!

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   07/14/11 12:35

Quick, someone has to remind the good ole senator that the election was over; "You lost, John!" Now, he needs to go away, fades into the sunset for the good of the country, senator.

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mst
   07/14/11 12:35

"...should not jeopardize the credit rating..."

There are several ways to jeopardize your credit rating. One is to not pay your obligations. A second is to spend so far beyond your means that you *won't be able to* pay your obligations. Senator McCain has been fully involved in the second for decades, mostly through this kind of go-along-get-along capitulation. If there is someone to blame for jeopardizing our credit rating (GASP!) it is not Michelle Bachman.

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 Dave
   07/14/11 12:36

SENATOR Obama's vote was meaningless political posturing, seeing as the debt limit was going to be raised anyway. It was completely cost-free.

This vote, however, is clearly different.

Perhaps Senator McCain should think about what that difference means.

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   07/14/11 12:38

McCain---the poster child for Term Limits.

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   07/14/11 12:39

Typical McCain.

Instead of addressing Obama with HIS flip-flop - first opposed, now supporting raising the debt limit - he pounces on the Republican by smearing her with a comparison to pre-flip-flop Obama.

It's not a boundary if it is allowed to keep moving. All it becomes is a foolish test to determine the boundary of our creditors' tolerance for our fiscal irresponsibility. And, when that bubble reaches the bounds of it's elasticity, people like McCain will have nothing to offer but the useless excuse that they didn't see it coming.

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Mr. Sandmich
   07/14/11 12:42

Obviously the markets would love $1.5T deficits from here to oblivion as well.

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   07/14/11 12:45

"McCain has little patience for such posturing."

McCain only has patience for his own posturing.

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Indy
   07/14/11 12:47

Sen. McCain,
Please focus your energies in the Senate, how about calling out the fact that it has been over 800 days since the Senate submitted a budget, reach across the aisle and make a little noise over there sir.

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