Quick Thougts on the Debt Ceiling Debate
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Jul 24, 2011 at 9:57am
During the debate over the debt ceiling, House Republicans have been repeatedly cast by the mainstream media as 'extremists' and derided because their plans 'can't pass the Senate' or get the President's signature. What is left out of the whole discussion is the simple fact that Washington Democrats led by President Barack Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid are seeing to it that these plans will not become law. Meanwhile, they have offered zero plans of their own to get our country out of this fiscal mess.
It's time for the left and the media to stop pretending that Republicans in the House are the 'extreme' people in Washington. The fact is, they've already passed a plan to raise the debt ceiling and balance the budget over time. The only extremists in Washington are the President and Democrats in the Senate, who have done nothing but blame and demagogue the people actually doing the hard work that governing requires.
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Oct '10
Re: Quick Thougts on the Debt Ceiling Debate
Kevin Eder: "It's time for the left and the media to stop pretending that Republicans in the House are the 'extreme' people in Washington."
The “left” and main stream media are concentric circles. You are asking a fish to stop breathing in water. It's the only narrative they can fathom given their worldview.
Jan '11
Re: Quick Thougts on the Debt Ceiling Debate
It takes two to stonewall.
The Republicans have been willing to accept tax reform, flattening the tax and broadening the base, so long as the rates don't go up. There's a good reason why Republicans don't want the rates to go up. Higher rates kill jobs, and in this economy, that's disaster. That's a practical reason why the Republicans hold out on that point.
On the other hand, Obama insists on rates going up. Even though the extra revenue wouldn't solve the problem (not even close) Obama insists on it for ideological reasons.
The media will not, of course, portray the debate as the practical versus the ideological. Instead, they portray it as the radical tea party against the adult in the room ... yes, the whiny, petulant, spoiled, crybaby "adult in the room."
Sep '10
Re: Quick Thougts on the Debt Ceiling Debate
The speaker needs only to say that if Obama has a balance approach plan he can send it to the house and the Speaker will bring it up for a vote. There are political reason why he won't do this.
Jul '10
Re: Quick Thougts on the Debt Ceiling Debate
Where is the journalism of the Right? If there is a war here to be won, it begins with feet on the ground primary journalism conducted by principled professionals that appreciate the traditional American world view. The best ones I find are freelancers. Michael Yon comes to mind, an extraordinary fellow who has leveraged blog economics into a serious career.
Locally owned family newspapers and radio and television stations filled this gap, and still do in some places, but corporate news has been easily coopted by the Left in most cases. Murdoch has things to answer for, but the WSJ operates under different rules than News of the World.
Where are the local owners? The sympathetic wire services?
Why does the Right think they should get a fair shake from a media market the Left has coopted fair & square? How is it not whining when the Right complains about media unfairness?
Not a shot at you at all Kevin, I have been on this issue since the Washington Star folded in my home town.
Edited on Jul 24, 2011 at 10:45amSep '10
Re: Quick Thougts on the Debt Ceiling Debate
While slanted coverage is a problem, Fox skews one way, the rest the other. The superficiality with which the story is being covered on all networks is the real problem. Virtually all are hyper concerned with the politics of the problem and almost none the fundamental issues. Tiny Tim may well have painted himself into a corner. He could easily drag this out for 3 – 5 months without any action by congress, but has chosen to pick a drop dead date and stick to it. Next week will prove to be interesting.
Jul '10
Re: Quick Thougts on the Debt Ceiling Debate
John Podhoretz on Obama's Friday press conference:
An enraged Barack Obama just took to the nation’s airwaves to announce his effort to strike a deal with Republican Speaker of the House John Boehner has fallen apart. Perhaps for the first time in American history, this president is literally using this press conference to create a financial panic over the weekend about the opening of the markets on Monday. He is warning of disaster on Monday. Clearly, he wants to use this as leverage to frighten the GOP into passing the plan proposed by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, which will push the debt ceiling problem into 2013, but it’s still an entirely new and astonishingly reckless gambit.
Jan '11
Re: Quick Thougts on the Debt Ceiling Debate
Here's the phrase that scares me ...
"I can't believe they would be so stupid [irresponsible] [partisan] as to allow the country to go into default ..."
Oct '10
Re: Quick Thougts on the Debt Ceiling Debate
Sisyphus: Where is the journalism of the Right?
Talk radio, Daily Caller, Fox . . . libs still dominate but their ability to completely define the boundaries of discussion lessens with each passing month. Got to take the long view here . . . tide is turning in our direction. Keep hope alive! [:-)
Nov '10
Re: Quick Thougts on the Debt Ceiling Debate
Here's is the verdict from the UK government:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/8658197/Vince-Cable-launches-attack-on-right-wing-nutters-over-US-debt-deal.html
Jul '11
Re: Quick Thougts on the Debt Ceiling Debate
Where's the Joe Wilson here to grab some headlines?
No question the president has made a habit of lies throughout this.
Will anyone question if Obama institutes the anti dog eat dog rule?
Jan '11
Re: Quick Thougts on the Debt Ceiling Debate
I can't understand why the Republican leadership keeps on meekly going back to the drawing board. The House voted for the Ryan plan; the Senate rejected it. The House voted for CCB; the Senate rejected it. Seems to me that Obama and the Senate Democrats are demanding that the Republicans keep aiming at an invisible target, and they'll decide when/if we hit it. Nobody wants a crisis - but isn't it about time to tell the Democrats that we'll be happy to vote on a plan of theirs when/if they come up with one?
Jan '11
Re: Quick Thougts on the Debt Ceiling Debate
The Republican leadership's messaging has been pathetic. They appear to be waiting for the mainstream media to treat them fairly - they never will. It kind of reminds me of the contemptable attacks Bush endured but never countered.
Each press interview/conference should state as a type of preamble, that the House of Rep's has done their work ahead of schedule and several times now (the budget, Cut-Cap-Balance) The Senate has yet to produce a budget in two years, have not passed anything that can be scored by the CBO - neither has the president. The press must be actively engaged and challenged.
Any Republican interviewed should challenge the interviewer as to the amounts the Dem's want tax/cut, when these go into effect, what are the rate of growth assumptions - by doing so you will expose the charade this whole thing is and move opinion.
Sep '10
Re: Quick Thougts on the Debt Ceiling Debate
KC Mulville: ...
On the other hand, Obama insists on rates going up. Even though the extra revenue wouldn't solve the problem (not even close) Obama insists on it for ideological reasons.
... · Jul 24 at 10:20am
I agree with everything in your post, K.C., except your implicit assumption that increasing tax rates results in extra revenue. Not necessarily so.
Jul '10
Re: Quick Thougts on the Debt Ceiling Debate
Talk radio, Daily Caller, Fox . . . libs still dominate but their ability to completely define the boundaries of discussion lessens with each passing month. Got to take the long view here . . . tide is turning in our direction. Keep hope alive! [:-)
Fox is one owner away from done, and not even an American owner. Not much primary investigative journalism going on otherwise without a left filter.
I do not advocate despair here, but rather make a call to arms. Yon and Breitbart and Malkin and the rest have picked up some of the load, but Yon is the only one who is usually the primary journalist on his stories. It takes time and dollars and staff to produce primary investigative journalism. What is left of that activity is predominantly on the left.
And then there is academe, where we train our next generation of aparatchik.
Edited on Jul 24, 2011 at 9:52pmSep '10
Re: Quick Thougts on the Debt Ceiling Debate
Latest rumors from Wall Street. The drop dead date may not be Aug 2 but possibly Aug 15 or latter. There may be a way the Fed can funnel cash to Treasury without Treasury issuing a debt instrument. Sounds as if Tinny Tim has called on some of his friends to help defuse the situation.