GOP is in weak position in sequester fight

[ProSense]

The Morning Plum: GOP is in weak position in sequester fight

Posted by Greg Sargent

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The Hill reports this morning, however, that Republicans say they’re not worried about the political impact of the sequester. They tell the paper that they will be able to make the case to the public that the sequester was Obama’s idea, meaning he’ll take the blame for the damage it does.

This is ridiculous on the merits: Lawmakers in both parties voted for the sequester. But the more important point here is that this argument is an implicit admission of the weakness and incoherence of the GOP’s position in the sequester battle.

Here’s why: It’s an implicit admission that deep spending cuts are bad politically for whichever party owns them. After all, if this were not the case, then Republicans would not need to try to shift the blame to Obama for the cuts that are coming. Yet Republicans, and not Democrats, are the ones who are advocating for replacing the sequester only with deep spending cuts!

Indeed, in that very same Hill piece, Republicans also say letting the sequester go forward is the right thing to do for the country, since we need deep spending cuts to save the country from fiscal Armageddon. By contrast, Obama and Democrats are arguing against spending cuts of this magnitude; they’re insisting that the sequester cuts be replaced in part with new revenues drawn from closing high end tax loopholes, to avert layoffs and cuts to government that will hurt poor and middle class Americans. In other words, only one party — the GOP — is advocating for the very thing that Republicans themselves implicitly concede is politically perilous!

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/02/19/the-morning-plum-gop-is-in-weak-position-in-sequester-fight/

[ProSense]

1. Kick! n/t

[sheshe2]

2. K&R nt

[Bandit]

3. They have a well thought out plan

After the Sequestration happens they will introduce a bill to provide for Defense Spending that was cut and dare the Democrats to vote against Defense.. This will allow them to get back to their bandwagon of how democrats are weak on Defense and how Obama is unable to bring the Parties together to solve the countries problems...And they will get the benefit of shutting down a fairly large portion of Government....A win win win in their opinion..They also have the obstruction idea down pat as well. Congress only has a certain number of days it can spend on legislating. The more days the GOP burns through their obstruction and committee hearings the less days there will be to get any Democratic goals accomplished...They may be mean and callous and treacherous but they are not stupid...

[ProSense]

4. Why would that

"After the Sequestration happens they will introduce a bill to provide for Defense Spending that was cut and dare the Democrats to vote against Defense."

...work? Mitt Romney was proposing more military spending than even the defense department asked for, and he lost.

Most people recognize the defense budget is bloated, and would likely cheer those cuts.

The most likely scenario is that Republicans want to pin the pain of cutting social programs on Democrats.

[Bandit]

6. I don't know if their plan will work or not

It has worked in the past and Republicans are quite famous for going back to the well..This time may be different but somehow I doubt it. Democrats are quite terrified to be labeled Soft on Defense..It doesn't matter to Republicans if they get the blame or not because of their gerry-mandering they have a pretty safe bet they will stay in the majority in the House and because Democrats will be defending twice as many Senate Seats in 2014 as Republicans the odds are fairly good Republicans will win a Majority there as well, or at least pick up some seats. Many of the Democratic seats are in solid Red States.

[ProSense]

5. On the Democratic side, there are two camps

Howard Dean is for it: http://www.democraticunderground.com/1105610

Alan Grayson is against it: http://www.democraticunderground.com/1251288230