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President Obama again re-affirmed his line in the sand over the debt ceiling saying, “while I will negotiate over many things, I will not have another debate with this Congress over whether or not they should pay the bills that they’ve already racked up through the laws that they passed.” While his statement sounds firm there are three big reasons to be concerned he will not stick to it.
1) Failure to stick to previous lines in the sand – In past negotiations Obama has failed to stick to his previous lines in the sand. Obama did not stick to his demand that the Bush tax cuts end for income over $250,000. Similarly, despite saying he would not play games with the debt ceiling, Obama seemed to treat it as just another bargaining chip when trying to get a deal with John Boehner.
2) Dismissing unilateral action – The Obama administration has dismissed unilateral action to address the debt ceiling. Doing something like invoking the 14th amendment would probably be the easiest way to defuse the fight, but the administration has declared that “not an option.” Even if the Obama team didn’t think it was a legally viable solution, by completely removing the threat it has weakened its bargaining position.
3) Allowing the creation of a new super cliff in two months – When VP Joe Biden took over the negotiations from Sen. Harry Reid the major concession he made was to have only a two month delay of the sequestration cuts instead of a one year delay. From the Huffington Post:
Perhaps the most important concession he wrangled from the administration, which Reid had been unwilling to make, was a two-month extension of the sequester, automatic cuts to defense spending and domestic programs that were supposed to be triggered Jan. 1. Reid wanted much more, worried that the two-month period will simply set up another colossal showdown that will also rope in the debt ceiling and funding for the government. “The deal itself is OK, but sets up Democrats for [a] worse fight and strengthens Republicans’ hand for what they really want: cuts,” said a Democratic source close to Reid. “Biden gave away the store on timeline. Two months and we’re back at this and in worse shape.”
This is a very troubling concession because two months is also when the debt limit should be reached. While Obama says he will not negotiate over the debt limit, he has said he plans to negotiate over the sequestration cuts, which thanks to the deal reached by the administration will now acquire at the exact same time. Obama has potentially given himself a way to save face by claiming to only negotiate over the sequestration cuts even though he is really also negotiating over debt limit.
Photo by James O’Malley under Creative Commons license.
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It turns out that when, early on, Obama paraphrased FDR to the effect that,
“I agree with you, I want to do it, now make me do it,”
he was talking to the right, not to the left.
Could be that or it could be he’s still working through some “daddy issues” …
Obama is being completely honest, Jon, he will, most definitely, NOT have another debate with THIS Congress, which ends tomorrow, January 03, 2013 … about anything.
“Railroad Crossing, Look Out for the Cars.” Can you spell that without any “r’s”?
In the words of that wise Hamsher woman, “Can We Please Stop Pretending Obama is Capitulating …?” Or “caving”?
What President Obama wants, President Obama gets …
Thank you for these posts, Jon. Have you any thoughts as to what might be, in another four years, Obama’s true legacy? Not the partisan dewy-eyed hagiography, but an honest appraisal? How will Obama be remembered, do you imagine?
DW
Or….
4. Obama doesn’t want to hold firm. He’d rather have Congress consumed with idiocy like the debt limit, the budget cliff, and the sequestration than spend political capital on gun safety, climate change, and immigration reform. He does not seem to have learned that his highest political capital is just after he’s inaugurated, or during the lame duck sessions.
Really smart to go to a gun fight and declare that “my gun isn’t actually loaded”.
One of Obama’s aids or he needs to watch “Pawn Stars” once and see how to actually negotiate.
And never forget reason 6: our Greatest President is a Good Person, a Decent, God-Fearing Man to His Authentic Core, and would never, ever, tell a Lie.
This would involve direct violation of a federal statute 31USC3101(b) that Obama himself signed into law. At a minimum, it would cause a “constitutional crisis,” and would be very foolish, especially given the fact that he has an explicit statute 31USC5112(k) that give him a perfectly legal alternative.
Why, yes. Yes he Is.
Given that Obama has no interest in gun control or fighting climate change (remember Copenhagen?), I’m sure that suits him just fine.
[Random BtVS quote] “Death is your art. You make it every day.” [/Random BtVS quote]
As a serial killer who has chosen to assassinate multiple U.S. citizens without a trial, who drone-bombs anyone and anything he feels like, Obama’s faux-emotional performance over the Newtown shootings was hardly to be believed. Much more important for the gun lobby to keep getting their profits than for murders to be prevented, in his eyes.
Similarly, it wasn’t the 1% who died from Hurricane Sandy, or who will die from other climate-related events, so Obama is hardly going to jeopardize his future Clinton-sized bribery payouts (er, “speaking fees”) by trying to protect the planet. Not only does money not grow on trees, but trees don’t pay you money, and that’s all the Assassin of the American Dream cares about.
“To kill without remorse is to feel like a god.” All hail the Obama!
This is exactly right, although I’ve never seen any evidence that Obama himself ever said anything like this, directly or in paraphrase. It was a meme batted about by credulous Obama supporters, ever eager to convince themselves that he shared their goals.
We hear a lot less of it these days, for obvious reasons.