Let's HOPE He's Wrong: Robert Reich: "Why Mitch McConnell Will Win the Day"

[kpete]

Robert Reich

Why Mitch McConnell Will Win the Day
Posted: 7/13/11 11:25 AM ET

The GOP will weave Obama's decision to raise the debt ceiling into the 2012 presidential campaign -- as well as Senate and House races -- so 2012 becomes what they hope will be a referendum on Obama's "big government."

McConnell's compromise will win the day. Expect much grousing from the GOP, especially those who feel they need to posture for the tea party. But McConnell -- or something very similar -- is the only way out. Obama can't agree to a plan lacking tax increases, especially on the wealthy. Republicans can't agree to one including them. In Washington, when an immovable object meets an irresistible force, something's got to give. A compromise that allows both sides to save face is the easiest give of all.

Moreover, as the August 2 deadline approaches, big business and Wall Street (who hold the purse strings for the GOP) are sending Republicans a clear signal: Raise the debt ceiling or capital markets will start getting nervous. And if they get nervous and interest rates start to rise, you guys will be blamed.

Washington insiders will look at the the McConnell compromise and consider it a win for Obama. But the rest of the country hasn't been paying much attention and won't consider it much of a win for either side. Their attention is riveted on the economy, particularly jobs and wages. If those don't improve, Obama will be a one-term president regardless of how the GOP wants to paint him.

the rest:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-reich/mitch-mcconnell-obama-debt-ceiling_b_897040.html

[edhopper]

1. It always should have been

a straight vote to raise the ceiling without the bs.

[gratuitous]

7. Yeah, but where's the fun in that?

If Republican elected officials start getting about the business of governing, they're not scoring political points. So creating a "crisis" and diverting attention from the actual working of governance is far preferable. Sure, they raised the debt ceiling over and over again when it was their boy Bush in the White House. Nary a peep about it any of those times. But a chance to gin up a controversy and distract the easily-distracted media? Political gold, baby!

I suspect the only regret they'll have about this whole circus is that they had to delay their August recess until almost August.

[former9thward]

16. They have already taken that vote.

The House voted it down 318-97.http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/05/house-rejects-debt-ceiling-increase.php

[Inuca]

2. They would accuse Obama of being

"big government" no matter what.

[tridim]

3. Reich is the biggest Debbie Downer on the planet

He is constantly negative, unless he's talking about the Clintons.

It's really too bad, because I think he's a pretty smart guy.

[Bandit]

15. What is negative about what he is saying here?

He is exactly right. This is the ONLY way Republicans can save any face what-so-ever. Obama kicked their ass severely and they know it.. Their ONLY hope now is to try and make it a campaign issue and Obama says "Bring It On".. The Debt Ceiling has to be raised and it will be but not with all the Republican BS attached. It is going to be clean and then the Debate will begin on tackling the Deficit and Debt issue and Republicans don't have near the leverage they thought they had.

[KittyWampus]

18. He's totally and utterly wrong. Obama is in the process of taking the Deficit Issue from Republicans

It's that simple.

Reich is too myopic to see what is going on.

[Bandit]

22. Do you even understand what it is that McConnel has proposed?

Republicans have surrendered.. Obama won and won handily.. This is Republican's way of trying to save some face but EVERYONE knows they were beaten and beaten badly. McConnel's proposal is a very positive thing for Obama.

[tridim]

20. "McConnel will win the day"

You don't think that's negative?

I can't think of anything more negative to say about the politics we all witnessed yesterday.

[Bandit]

21. The idea McConnel raised will win the day

The idea is to hand it over to Obama and let him raise the Debt Ceiling without Congress casting a vote. No that is not Negative at all. In fact it is the ONLY positive thing Republicans have done in my memory.. The win will be among Republicans not against Obama. This is the republicans official surrender.. Don't understand why you would think that is a Negative thing for Democrats or Obama.. It is among the Republicans that the battle now rages and let us hope McConnel wins the day..

[tridim]

23. I think you and Reich have a problem seeing the forest for the trees.

Obama won the day, period.

Crow and Peas must be a hallucinogen.

[Bandit]

24. You don't seem to understand where the battle is now.

It is not between Obama and the Republicans. Obama won that battle, it is between McConnel and the Republicans and let us hope very much that McConnel wins the day..

[msongs]

4. the counter to that is an ad showing how many times repubs raised the limit under Bush nt

[KamaAina]

5. "big business and Wall Street (who hold the purse strings for the GOP)"

As opposed to the Dems, whose purse strings are firmly in the hands of We the People.

:sarcasm:

[joeybee12]

6. He's right...pundits are calling it a win for Obama...but who is actually

listening to that other than other pundits?

[ProSense]

8. "But McConnell -- or something very similar -- is the only way out."

So that's what Reich considers winning the day? That's absurd!

McConnell's proposal sucks, but the second he made it was a capitulation. He knew this round was lost and is now trying to salvage the GOP's ability to look tough.

Boehner’s uncomfortable pause

McConnell waves white flag on debt ceiling?

Reaction to McConnell's debt-ceiling proposal highlights deep fissure in GOP

Time To Declare Victory

[Major Hogwash]

9. Reich hasn't been right in a dozen years!!!

Fuck, he's talking about the future that HASN'T HAPPENED YET!!!

[former9thward]

17. He has been right about almost everything over the last dozen years.

Too bad Obama has not listened to him.

[Walk away]

10. Let's see how the media eventually spins it out to the public...

With a of the hot water the radical right wing media is in they might have to tone down the propaganda for a few years. You never know, it could happen.

[Lil Missy]

11. Bullshit.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

12. This political pissing contest has no winners. But, the losers, as usual, are the people.

[damntexdem]

13. Nonsense: the children have tired of playing chicken with the economy.

So it's time for the adults to guide the economy.

[gkhouston]

14. Yeah, don't think so. McConnell was trying to look like he's still relevant.

He's not. I'd like to know what's going on behind the scenes with the Senate Dems and the House teabaggers. They're the ones who could make this really interesting.

[JoePhilly]

19. So which is it Bob, the Americanpeople care and it will be an issue in 2012,or ...

the American people aren't paying attention the debt fight, and so Obama's victory on it doesn't matter.

In the span of 4 rather short positions, you take both positions.

Paragraph 1: The GOP will weave Obama's decision to raise the debt ceiling into the 2012 presidential campaign -- as well as Senate and House races -- so 2012 becomes what they hope will be a referendum on Obama's "big government."

Paragraph 4: Washington insiders will look at the the McConnell compromise and consider it a win for Obama. But the rest of the country hasn't been paying much attention and won't consider it much of a win for either side. Their attention is riveted on the economy, particularly jobs and wages.

Maybe I can sumerize Bob's position ... Obama Bad Obama Bad Obama Bad Obama Bad

[Odious justice]

25. The public does not care!

You mention debt ceilig and you lose 90% of any crowd. Here is what the public cares about: food in the fridge and cable on the tv. You keep these two things in homes(yes they need homes as well) and people are not going to riot. Religion is no longer the greatest opiate...

The people that acutally discuss this stuff- and maybe care- represent a scant minority. This is a highly specialized forum....go to yahoo and look at what the top trending stories are today...

TRENDING NOW

>>Oprah Winfrey
Ted Danson
Angelina Jolie
Cindy Anthony
Cloud computing
Rodney King
Jake Gyllenhaal
Exchange-traded …
Contact allergies
Netflix


People are more upset about netflix raising their prices.......

[SolutionisSolidarity]

26. What he's saying is that Obama won't get much credit for the compromise,

but the argument over spending will carry on into the 2012 campaign. If the economy hasn't improved significantly by then, Republican demagoguery about deficit spending will be effective. He's right on both counts; if the American people were paying attention to this issue, 60+% of them wouldn't be supporting default. People are grossly ignorant about what default would mean, it's just too esoteric. Unfortunately, the idea that the root problem is deficit spending has taken such root that Obama sounds little different than McCain did in 2008 these days, so you can easily anticipate Republicans using the debt limit, the stimulus, HCR, and even the wars as targets for Obama's "crazy spending". It's a terrible thing - I don't see the economy recovering without greatly increasing spending for a long time, but Obama doesn't want to argue for that right now. He no longer seems to have a grand plan for turning around the economy, but the Republicans do. Their plan is suicidally stupid, but they have one, and they are already laying the PR foundation to sell it to the country. I hope our side plans to start soon.

[Hydra]

27. I think Reich is missing something

I heard that the debt ceiling raise had to be tied to a cut plan(not increase of revenue), so in essence, the Repubs win everything if this compromise is taken:

Taxes will not be raised...EVER

Harsh spending cuts which will not be Military or Wall St. related will be pushed through

Obama will be on the hook for all of it, and with the economy never recovering, he'll own that too

Not seeing how this was a victory for "our side" or even a stalemate. It's a HUGE loss, if accepted.


And if this wasn't creepy enough...consider a GOP President with this kind of power down the road...

[some guy]

28. agree with almost all that.

The exception is McConnell's proposal is specific to the term of the Obama presidency (there's better phrasing than I'm using, though.)

[Hydra]

29. Oh, thank god!

I was having nightmares of a future President like GW popping the deficit by $2 trillion or more and offering the kind of cuts we'd not like...and then having to stop that by a 2/3 vote.

[indepat]

30. Seemingly no one has ever worked harder to be a one-termer: but then I never could fathom

multi-dimensional chess. :patriot:

[boston bean]

31. sort of sounds like an OP I wrote this morning..

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1479456