The Problem with Veto Threats
Today President Obama issued a veto threat. Ricochet readers, please help me on this: I cannot remember a single other veto threat by Obama. By my memory this is his first. Specifically, he said:
I will not support any plan that puts all the burden for closing our deficit on ordinary Americans. And I will veto any bill that changes benefits for those who rely on Medicare but does not raise serious revenues by asking the wealthiest Americans and biggest corporations to pay their fair share.
Here's the problem with presidential veto threats. What if Republicans send him a bill that has bipartisan support, is popular with voters, yet violates the conditions he sets to get his signature? Further, what if the bill appears on his desk during the reelection campaign? Does he still veto it?
One of the most famous veto threats occurred when Congress considered "HilaryCare" in 1994. Bill Clinton promised to veto any bill that did not contain universal coverage. Here's a video of him making the threat.
Congress abandoned HilaryCare. But several months later, it sent Clinton an even weaker health-care reform bill, the Kennedy-Kassebaum bill. It passed nearly unanimously in Congress. Yet it did not contain universal coverage. Clinton signed it.
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Sep '11
Re: The Problem with Veto Threats
What's an ordinary American?
Dec '10
Re: The Problem with Veto Threats
Voters that vote for Democrats and who are the recipients of transfer payments - you know who they are, they're the sink holes for other people's money that agree "it's good to spread the wealth around".
Edited on Sep 19, 2011 at 10:39amDec '10
Re: The Problem with Veto Threats
Obama threatened to veto Cut, Cap and Balance when it passed in the House earlier this year.
Apr '11
Re: The Problem with Veto Threats
According to the liberal elite it's either a hypocritical, hate spouting, disingenuous environmental intellectual or someone who is suckling at the government teet. Most of these "Ordinary Americans" are located in states and locales designated with a blue color.
According to Americans who are proud to be American it's a person who does for themselves, their family, friends, neighbors, and those truly in need.
Re: The Problem with Veto Threats
Mr. Creque: You are a true student of politics! I'm impressed.
Jan '11
Re: The Problem with Veto Threats
Well, he did veto the foreclosure bull, er, I mean bill (Oct. 2010).
Dec '10
Re: The Problem with Veto Threats
Tim, it's just that I'm an avid Google-jockey.
Dec '10
Re: The Problem with Veto Threats
Obama's statement is so deeply ideological that it is hard to believe anything will be signed in the next year if he is sincere in his threat. With a divided government he will either have to learn to get along with others (no signs of it happening yet) or jut his chin out some more and blame everyone but himself for a completely catatonic government.