So What Do We Think Of The McConnell Plan?
Many conservatives seem to be in open rebellion against McConnell's plan for resolving the debt ceiling talks. He would allow President Obama to raise the debt ceiling three times in the next year for a total of $2.5 trillion. So what do Republicans get out of the deal? Well, the Wall Street Journal says they get to avoid the Hobson's choice of either going back on their campaign pledge by raising taxes, or taking the blame for any government shutdown as the U.S. nears a debt default.
McConnell explained that he's confident no deal that includes serious spending restraint is possible with President Obama. So what do you think? Is this a savvy plan or the worst thing any Republican has ever proposed?
For what it's worth, Gallup is reporting that nearly 6 in 10 Americans are following this debate closely and 53% of those watching very closely say they want their member of Congress to vote against the debt ceiling increase (only 37% want their member to vote for it).
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Apr '11
Re: So What Do We Think Of The McConnell Plan?
This was not the time for this plan. The McConnell contingency plan should have been employed in an actual contingency, like on July 28-30, not July 12 with three weeks of negotiating left.
Feb '11
Re: So What Do We Think Of The McConnell Plan?
Jennifer Rubin in the WaPost has much the same take as the WSJ.
The main thing for Republicans is to put the high stink of this economy around Obama's neck and drown him with it. McConnell's plan is one such maneuver.
Dec '10
Re: So What Do We Think Of The McConnell Plan?
On the negative, it raises the debt ceiling by two thousand five hundred billion dollars.
But it does give Republicans two more chances to play Mister Rogers to Obama's Mister T. I guess only elected Republicans can see that as a plus.
May '10
Re: So What Do We Think Of The McConnell Plan?
The continued abdication of Congressional authority is amazing. Every thing from base closing commissions to ceasing oversight, they refuse to play the role the Constitution requires of them.
May '10
Re: So What Do We Think Of The McConnell Plan?
I'm with EJ. This feels like responsibility avoidance. It feels like McConnell is more concerned with political impressions than with economic realities.
Jun '10
Re: So What Do We Think Of The McConnell Plan?
What EJ & Katievs said.
Jun '11
Re: So What Do We Think Of The McConnell Plan?
What EJ & Katievs said and that to which Sticker agreed.
Mind boggling. Did these people not understand what happened in the mid term elections?
Dec '10
Re: So What Do We Think Of The McConnell Plan?
Ditto Katie and EJ. I see nowhere in the enumerated powers of congress the power to divest themselves of responsibility. What congress should do is make their own plan (hopefully a sensible one, but that is hoping for the moon) and let the president perform his constitutional duty of either signing it or vetoing it. The fight right now should be with Hapless Harry in the senate, not with the president. The house has the brute force of numbers to put something to the senate. They already did that with a budget, now it's time to do it with a debt ceiling bill AND a balanced budget amendment. Boehner needs to dry his eyes, round up the caucus, and start doing the things his role as leader demands. Jonah Goldberg argues today that the presidency still matters in this discussion. I would tend to agree but with a caveat. He matters after a bill has been passed through both houses of congress. By playing games Obama has marginalized himself in the discussion. It's time to move on without him and leave him to do what he will after congress does what it will.
Re: So What Do We Think Of The McConnell Plan?
I like the idea that this might not have been a horrible idea if offered later in the negotiations. But what, exactly, do we think Republicans can realistically expect out of these negotiations?
Oct '10
Re: So What Do We Think Of The McConnell Plan?
"The entitlement state can't be reformed by one house of Congress in one year against a determined President and Senate held by the other party. It requires more than one election."
Don't know what kind of dope they are smoking at the WSJ, but the idea that the McConnell proposal will give the GOP one more election to win is delusional. Go with McConnell and the beltway crowd, and watch the Tea Party tear the GOP apart !
Mar '11
Re: So What Do We Think Of The McConnell Plan?
I'm pretty dubious about it. It seems to me to be another example of people valuing good political arguments over actual power. Obama and the high-level Dems (e.g., Pelosi) hardly ever make that mistake.
May '10
Re: So What Do We Think Of The McConnell Plan?
What I, for one, expect from Republican leaders is leadership, moral clarity, truth, and some sensible, explicable counter proposals.
I don't understand the thinking that every set of negotiations has to end in a deal. Remember Reykjavic.
Edited on Jul 13, 2011 at 7:07amMay '10
Re: So What Do We Think Of The McConnell Plan?
I think we forget that Republicans only hold one house of Congress and will never get the magnitude of spending cuts through the Senate. Nor will they get the president to sign off.
This morning's editorial in the WSJ probably summarizes it best. Since Obama only really cares about the 2012 election, he's trying to position Republicans as either agreeing to tax increases or obstructionists responsible for default (even though there are several ways to avoid a true default). Without any real power to pass what the Republicans want, the McConnell plan simply puts the onus entirely on the Dems and White House.
I think the debt ceiling is going to get raised either way and I think it's clear the only way we get meaningful cuts is to couple them with tax increases, which is a complete non-starter for me. I would agree this option would have been better put forth two weeks later and I'm not entirely sold on the plan but for those yelling sell-out, what is the alternative?
Dec '10
Re: So What Do We Think Of The McConnell Plan?
Has is occurred to anyone else that congress is debating how much more money to borrow to make ends meet without even having a budget? We would not even be in this mess if budgets had been debated and passed the last few years. They are essentially asking the nation to suck it up and cover for their childish refusal to perform one of their foundational tasks. That fact alone should be creating outrage at every level.
Mar '11
Re: So What Do We Think Of The McConnell Plan?
Having a contingency plan is not necessarily a bad idea.
But it does seem premature to bring it out at this early date. It seems to undercut the other Republican negotiating efforts that have been in progress.
And yet, I am skeptical of any claim that Boehner and Cantor were caught unaware that this was coming, or that McConnell dropped this bomb without consulting with the Congressional leadership.
So, my interpretation is that the Republicans are playing a double game: talks have basically broken down, and the Republicans saw an unwinable stalemate emerging. Since talks were even more stalled then things appear in public, the Republicans wanted to try roll out this plan, reframe the debate, remind the public that they are not willing to see the country default (despite what Obama says) and House and Senate leaders both agreed to put the McConnell plan forward as a way to try to break the deadlock.
How wise this is, and why they may have agreed to do it, ultimately points us in the direction of Mollie's question.
Jun '10
Re: So What Do We Think Of The McConnell Plan?
katievs
Remember Reykjavic. · Jul 13 at 7:06am
Edited on Jul 13 at 07:07 am
Remember Reykjavic
Yes!
This should be the rallying cry for the Republicans.
Feb '11
Re: So What Do We Think Of The McConnell Plan?
raycon: "The entitlement state can't be reformed by one house of Congress in one year against a determined President and Senate held by the other party. It requires more than one election."
Don't know what kind of dope they are smoking at the WSJ, but the idea that the McConnell proposal will give the GOP one more election to win is delusional. Go with McConnell and the beltway crowd, and watch the Tea Party tear the GOP apart ! · Jul 13 at 7:01am
Certainly what Obama is hoping for. Is the Tea Party going to turn into Obama's secret weapon?
Nov '10
Re: So What Do We Think Of The McConnell Plan?
Again with the confusing of debt ceiling and debt default.
Feb '11
Re: So What Do We Think Of The McConnell Plan?
Duh! What do you think all this kabuki has been about from the beginning? Economics?
Jul '11
Re: So What Do We Think Of The McConnell Plan?
All of you are forgetting the new paradigm of politics yet are so intricately a part of it. This move is about winning the game in the social media in 140 words or less. Obama's speech Monday left centrists feeling great and wonderful and while it was so easily deconstructed by the intellectuals here and those who apply common sense, so many conservative seniors wanted to believe in their heart we could all roll up our sleeves and get along. The president has positioned himself as the centrist and the media is 100% behind him, without laying forth any substance on paper whatsoever. The president is lying about the nature of his proposed cuts and he needs to be exposed fast as not negotiating in good faith to the centrists who swooned over his oratory Monday.
Procedure issues in both House and Senate make this a last ditch contingency in order to get things rolling by weeks end since it will take two weeks to get through.
The president has threatened seniors with no checks to make the GOP the fall guy. This McConnell proposal is a masterful parry at the perfect time and twitter will show it.