GOP Dropping Obamacare in Shutdown Debate? (focusing on austerity instead)

[big_dog]

Source: CNN

The stalemate involves Republicans trying to use the spending and debt limit deadlines as leverage to wring concessions from Obama and Democrats. GOP Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky on Wednesday, "the only way you get concessions out of him is, unfortunately, you have to negotiate around this deadline."
Boehner and Republicans are demanding that Obama and Senate Democrats negotiate on deficit reduction steps that would be part of legislation to reopen the government and raise the limit on federal borrowing needed to pay the bills.
Obama refuses to enter formal talks until the shutdown ends and the debt ceiling has been raised to remove the threat of default, which economists warn could cause another recession.
White House spokesman Jay Carney said Obama was disappointed that Boehner was limiting attendance at Thursday's meeting to less than 20 of the more than 200 House Republicans. "The president thought it was important to talk directly with the members who forced this economic crisis on the country" about the potential harmful impacts from the shutdown and a possible default, Carney said in a statement, repeating that Obama "will not pay the Republicans ransom for doing their job."
Meanwhile, GOP leaders were distancing themselves from demands by tea party conservatives to also make dismantling Obamacare a condition for agreement.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/09/politics/shutdown-showdown/

[gopiscrap]

1. that might ahve been their plan all along

[obxhead]

5. I think it's just the next step.

The GOP must "get" something after all of this. This may just be them announcing that they know the ACA is up and running and they can't get that delayed.

Now they just try to get something to put in their TV ads next year.

Hopefully Obama and the Dems stand firm and don't give anything else we deserve away to end this thing.

[targetpractice]

13. I think you're right, but Ted Cruz, the narcissist grabbed the spotlight...

I do not believe the defund ObamaCare stunt was part of the original master plan.

[leveymg]

2. Every day this goes on the GOP can claim they cut "wasteful" federal spending (social programs).

They're right - that's exactly the effect because of the selective nature of the cuts and limited reauthorization bills for military-related programs.

They'll take this out to within a few days of the deadline, and then declare victory. And, you know what, to their RW constituents they're heroes.

[zeemike]

9. Yep, now we get to what they really want.

The dismantling of the social welfare system.
We will now see whether Obama gives it to them.

[leveymg]

10. They will probably take him up on his oft-repeated offer

of a Grand Bargain. We already know what he's willing to bargain away (SS and Medicare benefits) and what he wants (deficit reduction) because he's stated it before negotiations even start. There's a word for what comes out of that deal, one way or the other: Austerity.

[DJ13]

29. "There's a word for what comes out of that deal, one way or the other:"

Betrayal

[KansDem]

3. Hey, Repubs! You're damaged goods!

...the only way you get concessions out of him is, unfortunately, you have to negotiate around this deadline.

You don't get to "negotiate." Capiche?!!

[Uncle Joe]

4. The Republicans are just using their "Shock Doctrine" M.O. plunging the nation in to crisis

as an excuse or to create motivation to pass odious and detrimental legislation against our democratic republic.

Rolling back FDR's New Deal ie: Social Security etc. etc. has been in their cross hairs since inception, that's what this is all about.

To say the Congressional Republicans are scum is an insult to scum.

Thanks for the thread, big_dog.

[socialist_n_TN]

18. Yes they are Uncle Joe. Yes they are.....

nm

[Judi Lynn]

22. You've nailed it. They could only aspire to become scum! n/t

[geek tragedy]

6. So, the Republicans shut down the government over Obamacare,

then start talking about Medicare and Social Security, then bring up a debt ceiling extension, but leave the government closed?

Oafs.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

7. NO negotiation with people using Extortion to get what Constitutional means didn't give them. nt

[chuckstevens]

8. Hell No!

Not one fucking concession on ANYTHING! Polls show the public blames GOP for all of this. As a Cubs fan I know all about snatching "defeat from the jaws of victory." If the Democrats give one inch, they are fools. Hold Strong!

[MSMITH33156]

11. I have 2 words for them

"eff" and "you".

There are 3 parts of the government involved in passing a law: (1) The Senate, (2) The House, (3) The President.

We control 2 of 3. Why in the hell should we have to give into them? They are basically saying, "if you don't give us what we want, we will ruin the economy." That is absurd.

If the Republicans want to pass new laws, they need to negotiate that with the Senate and the President, and in those negotiations, they have to GIVE more than they TAKE. Anything else, and Democrats should completely refuse. Who is the minority party to try and inflict their will on the majority? In the W years, we didn't threaten to ruin the economy or demand concessions if he didn't end the Iraq War, or raise taxes, or some nonsense like that. We used proper legislative channels like everyone else always has.

And that's what the Republicans should be forced to do, and if they do that, then in those negotiations, they have less leverage than the Democrats, so the deal should favor liberals. Period. End of story. The idea that they sit here, make demands, and then say, "oh, he won't meet us half way" is so detached from reality. The reason they can't actually get any of their horrific legislative agendas accomplished is because they are a minority party.

[Myrina]

31. ^^ this ^^

yes.

[freshwest]

33. Until we get back the HoR, we don't control the purse, period.

And the wackiness is not really in Washington, D.C., it's nation-wide, wherever hate radio and Faux rules. Which is a lot of acreage.

[munster69]

12. Dems, don't give the GOP one thing

Otherwise boner will be on TV claiming he got 95% of what he wanted.

[bhikkhu]

14. Dropping Obamacare, moving on to Social Security and Medicare

where they believe the president will be more flexible.

I know many here worry that he will be more flexible, but recall that in every instance where he actually suggested any reform that reduced benefits, it was accompanied by inflexible provisions. Such as protections for everyone who really needed those benefits, and tax increases on the wealthy to pay for those protections. Addressing income inequality has always been the central non-negotiable focus.

[Rebellious Republican]

15. Simply put "O" No!

[kiranon]

16. Concessions go both ways - time for Democrats to raise sequestration

amount back to amount Democrats wanted originally and not settle for lesser Republican amount. No way should Obama agree to cut Social Security or Veterans Benefits or anything else. Austerity didn't work in Europe and it won't work here. Have Robert Reichand Paul Krugman assist if the Administration doesn't know how to hang tough enough in these negotiations.

[maindawg]

17. they already have that

hey now want more of the same. Thats why I learned to say ' thank you sir , may I have another' a long time ago.

[secondvariety]

19. They can have

the scrapings off Obama's shoe and nothing more.

[tclambert]

20. Just when you thought they couldn't get any dumber . . .

The deficit has been going down. The budget is smaller than the one Ryan wanted during the last election. The economy is ever so slowly, but steadily, improving. If they want to shift the focus to that, they make themselves look dumber yet.

I think they have already established that Tea Party member = dumbass.

[blkmusclmachine]

21. I suspect a truly horrible "Grand Bargain" be reached to avert catastrophe,

and that they expect us to be so relieved that we got a sh!t sandwich with only 1 patty instead of 2, that we won't realize how badly screwed we got anyway.

[Liberalynn]

32. +1

[duffyduff]

23. "Austerity" is a million times worse than gutting ACA.

Obama had better not put another goddamned "Grand Bargain" bullshit proposal like he did last time.

[ThoughtCriminal]

24. Here's an offer

Agree to dismantle Jupiter medium-range missile sites in Turkey and Italy.

[Monk06]

25. Obama to Boner, "You want a pack of Rothman's? Wot now?"

[Flatpicker]

26. The

Answer has to be NO negotiation.

Austerity programs have caused Europe to slow it's comeback. We don't need to see that here.

How hard is it to understand that the economy flows up and not down.

10 Lots of people with extra money
20 They buy more stuff
30 That causes more jobs as you keep up with demand
40 That allows for the upper management to take a percentage.
50 That gives more people extra money.
60 goto 10

Why is a simple concept so hard to understand. Put the damn money in the hands of those who will run it through the system.

[xfundy]

27. OH, come on, folks. Repigs SHOULD get something out of all this. Impeached, jailed, tried 4 treason.

[MannyGoldstein]

28. "Make No Mistake™... Now you're talking!"

Oh boy!

[Myrina]

30. So have the screaming children in the checkout line decided this is the candy they want?

"We have to have something. I don't know that we even know what that something is. But we have to get something."