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EDITOR OF REDSTATE

Dear Mr. Speaker

By: Erick Erickson (Diary)  |  July 14th, 2011 at 05:00 AM  | 

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Last night the President engaged in off Broadway theatrics trying to scare the Republicans into folding on debt ceiling negotiations. Playing the role of Hollywood President, not the real President, the President said he didn’t care if this brought down his Presidency and he would not yield. He then dared Eric Cantor to call his bluff.

Mr. Speaker, this is a man giving away the game. This is the poker player smiling and shifting in his seat trying to fake you into thinking he has an awesome hand. The dramatics are a Hollywood production — a facade hiding a bitter reality for Barack Obama.

Mr. Speaker, this is the strongest sign yet that you should hold the line.

David Gergen and I had a conversation last night with Nichole Wallace and Anderson Cooper. Mr. Gergen said something interesting, Mr. Speaker. It got me thinking. He said President Obama had to raise the debt ceiling. He said President Obama just had to do whatever it took to raise the debt ceiling and deal with everything else later.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Gergen is right.

See, in history, we remember James Buchanan causing the Civil War. Not Congress.

We remember Abraham Lincoln winning the war. Not Congress.

We remember Andrew Johnson failing to finish reconciliation the way Lincoln wanted. Not Congress.

We remember Woodrow Wilson failing to establish the League of Nations. Not Congress.

We remember Herbert Hoover causing the Great Depression. Not Congress.

We remember Franklin Roosevelt for saving us from the Depression and war. Not Congress.

We credit John F. Kennedy for inspiring a nation of youth and leading us to the moon. Not Congress.

We credit Lyndon Johnson with passing the Great Society. Not Congress.

We blame Jimmy Carter for out of control inflation in the 70?s. Not Congress.

We credit Ronald Reagan with cutting taxes. Not Congress.

We blame George H. W. Bush for raising taxes. Not Congress.

We praise Bill Clinton for balancing a budget. Not Congress.

We credit George W. Bush with No Child Left Behind, Medicare Part D, Immigration Reform attempts, TARP, and the GM bailout. Not Congress.

Hell, when people hear Osama Bin Laden is dead, Barack Obama gets the credit, not the SEALs. And we credit him for passing Obamacare, for better or worse, even when Congressional Democrats did all the heavy lifting.

You see Mr. Speaker, we know Barack Obama is thin skinned and we know he is mindful of his legacy. This is why Barack Obama stormed out of a meeting with Republicans last night when they confronted him with the fact that his supposed spending cuts are accounting gimmicks.

Barack Obama, for the sake of his legacy, cannot afford to be the President under whom America’s credit tanks and under whom America defaults on its debts.

History will not blame Congress. History will blame Barack Obama for not doing what it takes to lead and for failing to do what it takes, no matter the cost, to keep the U.S. solvent.

Some are saying Mitch McConnell looked into Barack Obama’s eyes the other day and saw a man who won’t swerve in the game of chicken, so McConnell blinked.

That doesn’t mean Obama won’t swerve. That just means Obama is a better poker player than Mitch McConnell.

Obama knows his history. Obama knows default would be his, not Congress’s legacy. He cannot afford, for the sake of history, to be the guy who collapsed the United States.

Mr. Speaker, you can win this fight. Don’t blink. Bring Cut, Cap, and Balance to the floor. Hold the freaking line. You can do this Mr. Speaker. And if you can’t, we’ll find someone else who can.

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  • nepanyrush

    A notable exception was the federal government shutdown of 1995 and 1996, which got blamed on Congress, not on Clinton.

    But Clinton did get the credit for welfare reform and a balanced budget, even though it was clearly the Republican Congress.

    The Republicans have to play this right or they will get the blame, because the media remains overwhelming in Obama’s pocket..

  • sowa1

    Do not raise the debt limit without trillions of dollars of cuts, and make sure they have to be implemented. Usually, we are promised cuts and they never come to pass. The people stand with the Republicans. CUT,CAP, and BALANCE. DO NOT GIVE IN!

  • mirac777

    that do lead to very good discussion of the debt-ceiling battle/fraud/ theater.

    I agree that if they ignore our constitution today what difference will an amendment make? Calif has a balanced budget amendment? What is that, a sick joke? So that means every state leglislature has broken state law through accounting gimmickry and lies for at least the past decade in Calif right? Thus I make my point as to a big reason as to why this has happened in America. (14 trillion in debt)

    Elected officials, especially in the U.S. Congress today are not held accountable for what they do.They in fact, ignore the rule of law on a daily basis without any punishment whatsoever. They pased Obamacare through illegal maneuvers and against the will of the people. ( the informed ones)
    Here in Florida we have an impeached Federal judge beingre- elected to Congress 7 straight times! ( Hastings) We have the FBI creating laws by re-writing their handsbook. We have the EPA making laws and regulations with ZERO input from Congress.We have the so-called Justice department caught selling guns to Mexican drug cartels, giving foreign terrorists expensive civilian trials to enrich Eirc Holder’s lawyer pals from his old firm, and the blatant ignoring of the black panthers felonies at polling stations in Philly. We have numerous people in congress guilty of felony income tax evasion, and federal employees behind in paying their taxes for years.We have the DHS refusing to enforce Federal immigration laws or secure our sounthern border.

    All of the above mentioned crimes have not resulted in one day in jail, as a matter of fact, the criminals facillitating these crimes against the people…. are STILL IN OUR GOVERNMENT!

    A nation that ignores the rule of law is ripe for an Oppressive Dictator and his cronies to take over and that is happening right before our eyes. Our only hope is in if our Military will stand with the people of this great nation in rounding up these anti-American infiltrators within our government and charging them with the crimes they have committed. Is our military as infected as our Congress and the office of the President? If it isn’t, why are illegal immigrants being allowed to serve in the U S military today? Why did an anti-American Muslim, posing as a U.S. Soldier kill all those innocent people at Ft Hood? Why hasn’t that same Muslim been tried and executed yet? Yes our military is infected also, it seems.

    NO ONE is above the law, not even the Marxist/Socialist radical in our White House! When we talk about the debt ceiling being raised to put America further in debt, it isn’t about R’s and D’s. It is simply informed true Americans against the rule of law ignoring radicals that Barack Hussein Obama was mentored under such as Bill Ayers and the nasty anti-American Rev Wright and their ignorant sheep.

  • holystone

    The pouty professor is no Bill Clinton.

  • http://www.helpawhiteguy.com livefreenh

    No wonder these folks are so bad at managing the nation’s economy. There is no constitutional requirement for doing so. If they are looking for ways to save (us) money, they should restrict their activities to things that they are constitutionally empowered to do. I have a document here somewhere that lists those things.

  • jeffex11

    Great posting…Obama is holding the executive gun to the head of HIS base …the entitlement class . The first time he mentioned this he included Federal Workers and Welfare recipients.

    This time he is just holding the gun to the Seniors head. He has no game…no hand. The Republicans should spent all their time informing the public as to exactly who and what this guy is….a fake , phony , and a fraud . The Presidents role is that of cheer leader for Capitalism, the rule of Law, the constitution, and our defense. Obama is none of these things.

    I can’t wait for Sarah Palin to jump in and show America these things…What is my litmus test you ask? Just look at Trumps numbers when he talked hard truth on Obama. He put out that fraudulent piece of paper he called a Birth Certificate . WE all know that if that was real he would have never paid big money to hide it. THIS is what the majority of people want this time around …a proper vetting of this Manchurian President.

    Dam right Red State! hey Republicans CALL THE BLUFF!!

  • trutexan

    Next time you’re in front of the cameras, suggest you remind the public the 14th Amendment of our Constitution states “the validity of the public debt shall not be questioned”. Supplementing other countries with billions and billions of our tax dollars is not “public debt”. For our President to stamp his foot like a child, threaten to withhold valid public debt such as Social Security checks to the elderly, and demand Congress play by his rules, and his rules alone, is not only unconstitutional but an impetuous act unbecoming of a statesman. The American people spoke loud and clear last November and we are with you to stand against this type of obnoxious behavior.

  • http://undo4me.com WmCraig

    Rule 9 The threat is more terrifying then the the thing,

    Obama is nothing more than a glorified organizer. He rose to power using the tactics of organization against the intransigence of government. HE IS THE GOVERNMENT.

    He knows he is in trouble, because, if he CHOOSES to stop paying social security it will be HIS choice. We can use that and the death panels to eliminate Obama Care.

    He knows that the people that will most be hurt by his stand will be the leaches depending on Washington power to feed there greed. The rest of us, our lives will go on.

    Rule 8. Keep the pressure on.
    Disband the EPA and terminate all EPA rules and regulations. Authorize the states to protect their own ecology (they already have EPA departments).

    Defund the CZAR CORPS.

    Pass legislation requiring the treasury to pay interest first.

    Eliminate Obama Care eliminate all funds for it.

    Start from scratch, build a balanced budget and fund only those discretionary spending items that we can afford. Propose raising the debt ceiling enough to cover minimums.

    RULE 12 The price of a successful attack is a constructive alternative.
    A modern form of federalism.
    The problem in America today is lack of industry. Want small business to create jobs? Encourage big business to return. Big business drives prosperity, small business provides the jobs.
    The alternative to Washington’s corrupt, fascist like solution is a return to federalist principles where the states compete for prosperity.

    Rule 13 Pick the target and freeze it.
    Obama, his choices, his failures, his lack of responsibility.

    WmCraig

  • zzpat

    When republican leaders say nothing can pass this house, it’s hard to imagine it being a problem created by the president.

  • rbdwiggins

    According to the Supreme Court, Social Security is not valid public debt. It is an insurance program.

  • rbdwiggins

    A product of failed government schools, and completely out of touch with reality.

  • throwback59

    that Presidents are often known by a single statement. “He freed the slaves,” “He won the Cold War” ect. You instantly know who is being referred to. Obama’s line will be “He made things worse.”

  • swamphermit

    Good observation! He admits to bluffing, so raise him!

  • jeffex11

    good post…..Glenn Beck exposed us to their game book and the weather underground manifesto….they are following it to the letter.

  • 4suramcan

    on this. And right before our eyes it IS happening. Our only recourse is to pray to God for his help and to come back to Him in our hearts.

  • heroone1

    With all that is going on in the world we now have a President Teenager, the parents”which are the voters” want to take the credit cards away now that the Teenager an Chif has run up the cards to the limit, an the he just cries just get more credit cards. Now the parents have to SHOUT NOOOO.

  • bk

    The GOP House passed a budget for the next fiscal year, which the Democratic House failed to do for the last fiscal year.

    Obama offered some pseudo-budget framework something six months or so ago.

    The Democratic Senate did not amend the budget bill and send it back. They just said no and went back to doing nothing. Except that they also gave zero votes to the Obama “budget”.

    Now we have Obama promising a bunch of cuts that are so phantom that they are not made public. Dems are howling that these invisible cuts are unfair to their voters. Obama is also demanding tax increases that are most definitely real and visible or else there’s no deal.

    Who is it who is doing nothing? The House passed a bill, the Senate did nothing, and Obama has done nothing concrete except to demand massive tax increases.

  • bk

     

  • kidcandlelight

    the whole end game is that barack obama looks like a Knight in shining armor at the end of the day , no matter at who’s expense and of course its always ours,the peoples. the republicans are the blinkers,like deer in headlights . where is a ronald reagan when you need him ? Character,no compromise on beliefs ,morals,ethics and love of country first not last like this idiot. morals

  • http://www.doctor-bob.biz rsklaroff

    …after having watched MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” [circulated with local politicos]:

    http://www.redstate.com/erick/2011/07/14/dear-mr-speaker/

    This “says it all” in a terse, entertaining fashion.

    Note that BHO has trotted-out gambits which have been promptly/thoroughly shot-down within hours [to insiders] and within days [overcoming media-obstructions].

    They tried the 14th Amendment [which you decimated almost glibly] and now they tried Social Security [which is in a separate-fund, functioning within a lock-box].

    Now petulance has supplanted reason, validating Krauthammer’s prediction–virtually in “real-time”–as was apparent between the two “Fox All-Stars” segments last night. At the end of the first [@ 6:48 p.m.], Charles said BHO held all the poker-cards except for the lack of reason behind his demand that only a long-term fix could be accepted; this was obviously a politically-motivated demand, lacking any governmental import. At the beginning of the second [@ 6:51 p.m.], the series of announcements emerged regarding how BHO had been provoked to walk-out after Eric pushed for a short-term decision. This shifted the pressure back to BHO, just as BHO’s self-imposed week’s-end deadline looms.

    Toomey on MSNBC is now simply saying, “You can have your increase, but you must agree to a balanced budget.” He was confronted by charts from Steve Rattner that dramatize the debt/deficit; the total liability was confirmed to be at least $54T…and must now be reversed, citing Moody’s. Mika was given the opportunity to support her claim “the GOP is giving nothing”; he contrasted the GOP’s plans [based on Ryan] as opposed to the absence of any D-plan [either from the D's in Congress or from BHO]. Toomey challenged her when she claimed BHO “put onto the table” the entitlements, noting the absence of specifics. Scarborough reinforced it, and Mika was rendered speachless; this carries tremendous implications…as Toomey watched her preen, and then melt. Then Joe yelled @ her, with the nytimes columnist rescuing/interrupting; she had no answer to his direct query regarding any vote the D’s have made on the debt/budget…in YEARS. Joe then attacked the mainstream media for not focusing on this particular issue. Heilmann claimed the ryan vote wasn’t “tough,” and toomey reminded the listeners that pelosi disproved this assertion because she has been celebrating that vote ever since [citing the special election in NY, also].

    This report is pivotal, for the GOP wins the argument from both the POTUS perspective [unilateral walk-out after demonstrating that he's "wearing no clothes"] and the Congressional perspective [D-desire to avoid specifics]; the D’s can’t kick-can-down-road any longer [such as after 11/2012] when Moody’s looms.

    Keep exposing BHO’s vacuity as he threatens to “go to the American People,” for the 2012-Election campaign is already in full-swing!

  • acat

    It’s one thing if your first or last reaction is to talk to your god about it. It’s quite another if – as you say – it’s “our only recourse”.

    I disagree.

    Somewhere along the way, we stopped holding politicians personally responsible. We started behaving “civilly” toward them, even when they’re screw-ups. We stopped with the tar-and-feathers and running them out of town and instead treat them with a deference that, in an earier age, would have been reserved for royals.

    We can bring that back. It certainly had an effect on whats-his-name from Nebraska, when he and his wife were driven out of a restaurant by hecklers over his vote for Obamacare. That didn’t happen because of prayer, it happened because people made it happen.

    By all means, if you think it helps, pray. Just .. don’t “only” pray. Or we really are screwed.

    Mew

  • http://www.FranBaker.com frankieb

    We can only hope!

  • bushhog

    have been made to a “trust fund”. While that fund has been subject to wholesale sacking by the Congress, it is still a “trust fund” — and management of those funds should be considered a fidicuciary obligation of the Administration — giving social security payments a standing immediately below the Constitutional mandate of “no default” on our national debts.

  • acat

    and Clinton was getting more of the blame.

    Newt couldn’t play poker.

    Mew

  • http://www.doctor-bob.biz rsklaroff

    Heilmann is now claiming the GOP “overplayed its hand” by converting the debt-ceiling issue into an ideological fight, even after it was noted that the GOP Freshmen were committed to no-new-taxes; this was promptly ignored.

    If this is the best they can do to defend BHO, it won’t work..noting Moody’s, etc.

    The effort to demonize Eric is remarkable, for having pushed this issue and for handled himself in a fashion that isn’t “kosher” because he circulated a document from Biden that contains potential spending-cuts.

    Ultimately, the GOP is characterized as “uncompromising.”

    This is a microcosm of how CNN/FNC have provided reportage, but pivotal is the fact that only the GOP’s approach addresses JOBS/JOBS/JOBS.

  • swi2522

    at the end obama will just ignore congress and raise the debt without any cuts to spending
    he will have some hack liberal lawyer help justify his actions with the constitution and the msm will say obama is the only adult in the room
    right after he does this the dollar collapse will accelerate just as obama plans
    i know evil when i see it

  • cordpt

    What matters is who American voters, especially the swing electorate, are going to blame in 2012.

    Obama is bluffing. His chances of re-election in the context of high unemployment, stagnant economy and a raising federal deficit that he owns are muddy at best. His chances of re-election in the context of an economic chaos that he’s going to blame republicans for are higher.

    He won’t compromise. Obama doesn’t care about the country and is way too soon to care about legacy (and the idea that the Treasury would allow a default on public debt is illiterate – no such thing will happen, they’ll prioritize those payments). He cares about being re-elected.

    Force him to own the debt. For him to own the deficit. Force him to own the economy. Don’t give him an easy way out: he’ll take it. And just like Trumman or Clinton, he’ll be successful.

    If the alternative of former DeLay/Bush-turned-movement-turned TeaParty/DeMint conservatives to the McConnell’s plan is re-electing Obama and a Dem majority in 2012 because they believe that moral victories are political ones too, bring back McConnell’s plan right now.

    If it isn’t, I’m still waiting to understand what is it. This is absolutely insane, achieves nothing in terms of policy and assures a republican defeat in 2012.

    Obama owns the mess the country is in. He’ll lose because of it and we can finally start working out of here and solving the overspending problem. Don’t give him a way out of this for nothing but the folly of a few talk-show hosts who have a record of being consistently wrong and a few niche politicians who care about themselves first, second and third.

  • http://www.doctor-bob.biz rsklaroff

    proof-positive that Eric was careful, when educating his colleagues [as befits his job] is this excerpt from Politico]:

    “Cantor detailed the Biden framework in a slideshow presented Tuesday to the GOP Caucus. Cantor aides cautioned that the leader never endorsed any of the revenue options, and if he does, they would need to be offset by spending or tax cuts.”

    http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0711/58944_Page2.html

  • Marcus_Traianus

    I believe there is enough proof to indicate Boehner will also fold after a long bluff that can’t ultimately be sustained.

    Why hasn’t he already brought legislation to the floor raising the debt ceiling, listing offsetting cuts and showing no tax increases or gimmicks?

    Rhetorically, it would reveal his true intentions and actually put them on paper.

    I can pretty much guarantee this won’t end in a way we will be happy.

    That we have such weak people representing us is bad news for the American people and our future.

  • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

    .

  • smitch61

    With or without cuts, who cares at this point. The current POTUS cannot win re-election no matter what he tries. The media cannot help him this time. You cannot sugar coat how bad things are. The next president can slash the hell out of the budget and get things back on track.

  • renny

    The government will have nearly $200 billion in revenues: $29 billion ffor DEBT SERVICE (which is why we do not want to borrow anymore) $2.9 billion for military pay, $12.8 for unemployment payments, $32 billion for military contracts, and so Social Security?s $49 billion along with Medicare’s and Medicaid’s $50 billion can be paid (Wall Street Journal).

    The president has declared off limits $128 billion in unspent stimulus money (it would pay for 2 months of Medicare/Medicaid or Sec. Sec. checks–but he needs it for reelection), $137 repaid TARP monies, $53 for ?green? technology (there is one month of Soc. Sec. checks) and high speed rail (no state wants) and student loans (subsumed into the Patient Protection Act), or any monies spent for PPA implementation, whatever that amount is, as we have no budget from the Senate for 2 years to be able to tell.

    Not paid would likely be agricultural subsidies, fed. road and construction work, maybe federal employees–but we all need to share the sacrifice and o just gave his staff an 8% RAISE, and all the various and unknown gadzillions of expenditures that Dem. Congresses have invented in the 60 years they controlled the gov’t since the last Great Depression.

    It would be a good time to find out exactly what they are, and if discretionary, axe them now. But to solve the entire problem, we need a Rep. pres. and Rep. Sen.

  • smitch61

    Continue the fight, but the reality is that nobody cares right now, they are trying to hang on to what they have and keep things afloat. Obama already has the blame.

  • GopTiger

    Cordpt, you get it. Unfortunately, I’m not sure many do.

    Did you mother ever read or tell you the story about Brer Rabbit? Last night’s walk-out by Obama wasn’t Barry losing his nerve. It wasn’t Obama being a drama queen. It wasn’t Obama’s mile-wide narcissistic srteak on display.

    Last night was Brer Rabbit Obama begging Brer Fox Boehner and Cantor to not throw him in the briar patch.

    When are conservatives going to realize Obama doesn’t care about a deal, a debt ceiling increase, or even getting Republicans to raise taxes. All of that would be just icing on the cake-the cake being the (perceived) political benefits of shutting down the government.

    Obama believes he, the elected Democrats, and all of the unelected Demomediacrats can win the public relations battle of a shut down. Considering the orgy of adulation that was the Election of 2008, does anyone really think the mainstream media is going to suggest that Obama might be at least somewhat responsible for the shutdown? Uh, no.

    I know a few will say this is not 1995 and Obama can’t get away with such a cynical move. You are right. It is not 1995. IT”S WORSE. The mainstream press is even more partisan, even more desperate to prop-up their great affirmative action, hope and change, multi culti figurehead.

    But go ahead-throw Brer Rabbit into the Briar Pitch. Many are itching to do so.

    I’m fairly sure an increasingly-conservative Republican party can win the 2012 election if the election is based on Obama’s performance.

    I’m fairly sure Republicans will not win an election if the main issue is who caused the Great 2011 Shutdown and all the real and fictional evils it brought.

    And if we lose in 2012, what makes any of you think Obama will abide by any so-called budget deal he made in 2011?

  • renny

    Seniors whom o has scared the most are also major members of tea parties and keep well up to date on real info and are not taken in by o’s fits and starts.

    And his betrayal of the “no drama Obama” persona will be a shock and repulsion to young people who were once attracted to him for his “cool.” Having lost whatever cool he had (simply silent arrogance), his total inexperience and immaturity will look less and less “presidential.”

  • http://www.doctor-bob.biz rsklaroff

    …that BHO is “toast”; did you note his campaign-$$$ haul?

    The GOP must do what the electorate demanded be done.

  • steve53

    Didn’t Newt Gingrich “look into” Bill Clinton?s “eyes and see a man who would not swerve in the game of chicken,” so Gingrich blinked? Didn’t Gingrich cave? Didn’t Gingrich blink? Didn’t Gingrich wimp out? Of course Congress got the blame – and Clinton became the hero – because Gingrich failed us.

  • jerry39

    I would argue that if the SS “trust fund” was a “trust fund” in any true sense of the word, then SS payments would have a standing even higher than the Constitutional mandate of “no default.”

    The meaning of a trust fund is that you are holding somebody else’s money in trust. It is not your money. Therefore any default on the payments could invoke the due process clauses of the Constitution by depriving people of their property without due process of law. In fact a lawyer with more time on their hands than me, might seek social security reciepiants as Plaintiffs in a Declaratory Judgement action, seeking a declaration of SS’s priority – based on Obama’s threat not to pay.

    As a lawyer, I hold the retainers I receive from clients in trust. I must set up a special trust account at the bank specifically for this purpose. If this account is ever overdrawn, the bank must report it to the Supreme Court of Ohio by law. The shortest path to disbarment (and the most common) is for a lawyer to use money from this trust account for anything besides its intended purpose. I cant pay my bills or my employees or my rent or leg surgery for little Timmy who will surely die if he doesn’t get the surgery out of this fund. Its just that simple. I must go down in flames before I can take my clients money. And there are weeks that I don’t get paid even though I’ve got tens of thousands of dollars in my trust fund. I guess this answers the age old question of who is lower in the pond scum category between lawyers and politicians.

    Now, I don’t claim to know the actual legal status of the SS “trust fund” versus a real trust fund. But if they want to use Orwellian tersms to describe this account, then they should be held to those terms.

    The audacity of Obama indicating that payments from funds held in trust for seniors and the disabled would be the first to go should be seized on like a junkyard dog by every candidate and media outlet of good repute and should not be released until Obama’s pants are ripped off and the true import of his threat stands naked before the American people.

    Think about it. He is suggesting his multimillion dollar monthly vacations, his bloated staff, Pelosi’s billion dollar studies of frogs in San Fran Bay, Michelle’s revamping of every food pyramid chart in a public school ….. etc etc etc would all supersede seniors recieveing their own money back. If our people cannot muster the courage to explain this to the American people, then it seems there is no lie or distortion this man cant get away with.

  • jeffex11

    That the Obama has set aside money to spend already. With each CZAR went a budget that was at HIS discretion…not congress’. He will use those funds to buy votes just as he did to buy Obamacare.

    He will threaten a sector of the economy with regulatory destruction and only back off with capitulation. We all have to be prepared to risk everything or Obama will knock us off one by one with his progressive bureaucrats.

    The battle over the debt limit is just political theater for a dipshidiot audience that has no idea that Obama is hell bent on transforming America in to something …well…UN _ American….Marxist states of Normerica????

  • georgeclymer28

    Does anybody really think that Obama’s walkout wasn’t premeditated? Come on! This is standard Alinsky protocol. Personalize the dispute. Now it’s all about Eric Cantor. Not Obama.

    Republicans are being played by a two-bit Chicago machine politician.

    The best approach is that Republicans have to make the whole negotiation process public! Then this he said/she said nonsense won’t work. People will be able to judge for themselves.

    Obama doesn’t want a deal! He would LOVE a crisis. House Republicans should pass a no-strings short term debt ceiling hike and let the Senate and Obama react. Then they should insist on the Senate putting together a real budget, in a public process.

    I’ve been a Republican all my life, going back to Reagan 1. This is one of the worst slow-motion train wrecks I’ve ever seen from them.

  • acat

    I can’t say “pray and…” ?

    Seriously?

    Mew

  • MuskegonCritic

    President Obama is willing to drive this country into the ground to reach his end.

    You know that to be true.

  • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

    I’m the one who got told that telling people to reform the IL GOP from within is to endorse corruption.

  • Whacker77

    Why haven’t the Republicans just listed a series of cuts that total $2.5 trillion, placed them into a bill, and voted on it? Why do they continue to negotitate with someone who is clearly trying to screw them? Do they think Obama would and the Senate would actually turn down their bill at crunch time?

    For all of the happiness we felt on election night, we knew Republicans hadn’t won so much as Democrats had lost. Right now, Republicans are showing they don’t deserve to lead. They would rather cower than fight.

    We need two or three strong voices out there promoting the message. Honestly, Boehner and Cantor aren’t cutting it. Neither does McConnell. As a Kentuckian, I’ve known for a long time he’s always interested in a deal only for the sake of a deal.

    Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, and Mike Lee should be the voices from whom the public hears. Not these dried up duds who keeping screwing things up,

  • http://www.doctor-bob.biz rsklaroff

    [He prompted Joe to dress-down Mika effectively.]

  • acat

    although you said to reform the combine, which is the corrupt cross-party outfit…

    Reforming the Illinois GOP is a somewhat easier task.

    Mew

  • ghostship

    The truth is that the establishment Republicans don’t want to actually cut spending anymore than the Democrats and desperately want to raise the debt ceiling themselves. The idea of taking a stand and making actual cuts terrifies them.

    We Conservatives know that after the dog and pony show they’ll eventually cave. After all, it’s what the Republicans always do. We should be kinda used to it by now.

    If the house Republicans were serious then they would tell the WH and Senate that raising the debt ceiling isn’t up for debate and pass a bill with real spending cuts to fund the essential parts of government after Uncle Sam’s credit card is revoked. Of course, they’re not going to do that so we get this whole charade that makes pro-wrestling look realistic in comparison.

  • Bill S

    Yeah….no.

    “Obama’s Bad Fundraising Quarter”

    Redstate’s front page is your friend.

  • BA Cyclone

    …and literally holding the debt ceiling hostage to *sending out* the Hatch-Lee-Cornyn BBA to the states for ratification.

    It can be a two-sentence press release, repeated ad-nauseam by every GOP talking head:

    “The Republicans in the House and Senate are committed to raise the debt ceiling as soon as the Hatch-Lee-Cornyn Balanced Budget Amendment is sent to the States for ratification. This is the only measure available to us to definitively bring fiscal responsibility to Washington, D.C., because the politics of the past are what got us to this point.”

    That line even uses an Obama catch phrase against him.

  • wilgolden

    and an inside straight, we have been given the power to finally bring down the progressive / socialist monster that has been forced down the throats of the American people since the beginning of the 20th century.

    HOLD THE LINE!!

    The Poser-in-Chief is bluffing. “Ignore the little man behind the curtain!”

    Go all in. Spit in his eye, call him a lying so-and-so to his face, while the cameras are running. Your worst enemies (the LSM) will do all the rest of the work of publicizing your position for you.

    You see, the American People KNOW he is bluffing. They don’t believe “Teh One” anymore. They can see with their own eyes that the Suit has no Emperor.

    He talks about defaulting on America’s Debt. I won’t debate the wisdom of that course of action now, only point out that the Constitution constrains him (and his sock-puppet, little Turbo-Tax Timmy) from doing so.

    He talks about not paying the military. Really? Not pay the people that are in THREE DIFFERENT WAR ZONES? Not pay the ONLY institution of the U.S. Government that actually has the respect of an overwhelming majority of the populace? Really?

    Not gonna send out Social Security Checks? That fails on SOOOOOO many levels. I’m 55. I know that I will never collect a single penny from Social Security, and have planned accordingly since I was 25. My Father was of a like mind, so Mom is well provided for, even without the SS Checks she has earned. That threat don’t fly, either.

    Also, ANY OF THE ABOVE would constitute Impeachable Offenses.

    The new attack ads about the alleged 100 billion taken out of Medicare in the Budget? Where are the Republican ads about the half TRILLION taken out by OdumboCare?

    Go for it. You have ALL the cards. Bring to the floor and pass (with 218 Republican votes. Any more than that, and the bill is too far to the left!) a Debt Ceiling increase of One Trillion, accompanied by a Trillion dollars in cute to the Ryan Budget passed last April, and total repeal of all of OdumboCare.

    Then, adjourn until Labor Day, holding 15 minute, pro-forma sessions every three days until then, just to keep his awfulness from doing anything stupid.

    And laugh in his face.

    We got yer back, John. Go for it!

  • harley01

    His real intensions to bring down this GREAT country 75% of us love so dearly. Look at all the facts ,even a blind person could see. The gulf oil tragedy company’s still unable to get permits to drill.loss 15-20 thousand jobs, all the knew regulations on company’s look at what is happening to that poor sister state Arizona how would any of you like hundreds of thousands of people that you don’t know if their drug runners/murders/terrorist, just destroying and making YOUR! YES YOUR! PROPERTY UNFIT TO LIVE OR PRODUCE ANY LEAGLE PROFITS.Lets not stop their how about the 500 billon he stole from seniors from medicare to fund OBAMA CARE! HO!do you want to talk about all those SHOVEL READY JOBS where? where are they? how much of my/your tax dollars did it cost have you all forgotten 800 BILLION give or take 200 BILLION.job unemployment would not go above 8%ha! what is it today 9.2! WAKE UP AMERICA! what about the BEOING THING YES! poor south c. 3=5 THOUSAND JOBS at 15-$30 a hour.that they shut down.HO! real numbers UNEMPLOYED TRY 14-18 MILLIN PEOPLE. and please do not forget WELFARE 40-45% OF ALL AMERICANS getting some type of govt. help.AND NOW THIS MINUTE HE WANTS MORE OF MY/YOUR TAX $ look around you we are em-ploading he do ‘s not care .

  • rightwingmom52

    God’s warnings more often than not included instructions to act. Noah, Moses, Abraham, Paul, etc. I’m definitely going to keep praying, but I’m getting involved. Go to the next meeting of your local GOP and get started.

  • ghostship

    One of the many frustrations that we Conservatives have with the Republican party is how it takes a herculean effort to get the party to do more than just lip service and stay true to a Conservative agenda.

    We Conservatives need to truly understand that we can’t give them any leeway whatsoever or they’ll squirm their way out of any promises they made to their base when it was election time.

    Their was a time when I naively believed that the politicians in the Republican party actually believed in the same principles I do, but that was a long time and many stabs in the back ago. Now I know that unless the base constantly holds their feet to the fire they will shirk those Conservative principals at the first chance they get.

    Sometimes I’m envious of the left because they have a party that will fight for their ideals while we Conservatives can’t get our party to do anything for us unless we hold a gun to their heads, figuratively speaking of course.

  • http://www.doctor-bob.biz rsklaroff

    …and these dwarf the GOP, thus far, absent Perry.

  • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

    Seriously now.

    The GOP in that state needs reform. And it’s not going to happen top down. People from the bottom are going to have to push up and push out the problem children.

  • restoretherepublic

    They are destroying our country. Save it while we can. Our founders had the balls to revolt over a 2% tax increase, we have become such lazy asses we sit back and accept when congress willingly turns this Great Republic into a dictatorship. Let me ask this question, with all of the times Osama, oops, I mean Obama has flat out ignored the Supreme Court and Congress is it so hard to see him ignoring the elections and refusing to leave? Especially after Congress has handed him complete control of this country? Stand up for your rights, act upon your words because if you don?t very soon you will not be able to speak them.

    That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. ? Excerpt from The Declaration of Independence

    Help us save this country if the votes in November are destructive to our freedoms then it is our DUTY to take the country back.

  • SoulEspresso

    nt

  • acat

    I was very pleased to vote for some outsiders who I know aren’t corrupt in the last election.

    It’s going to take a while for us to get enough “hardy crabgrass” can’t-be-bought types to where they can influence the top, but .. it’s happening.

    Mew

  • cwfoster

    BUT the SecTreas will pay what his boss (POTUS) tells him to prioritize. Thus Obama COULD tell him to pay of his welfare constituency, at the expense of grandmas social security check, and pay for our deployed troops. NOW is when the Republican leadership should not be waffling over caving, but conducting a full court press and daring the lamestream media to ignore a press conference called every hour by different Senators and Representatives, detailing how the money is THERE but if the troops don’t get paid, and Grandma doesn’t get her social security check, it’s because the Demonrats chose to buy crack instead of paying their bills!

  • cwfoster

    Willfully defaulting on the “full faith and credit” of the United States of America would be an unmitigated impeachable offense of the first order! I doubt our Republican ‘leadership’ would have the sand to tackle that either, given the dog and pony show they put on for Clinton.

    On the up side, if Obama WERE to force a default, that would accomplish one good thing! Thomas Jefferson, when asked about one thing he would change about the US Constitution, said he would take away the authority of Congress to borrow money. If our credit were bad enough that might do it!

  • earlgrey

    it is shocking to me that so many still support this guy. He caves to our enemies and bullies our allies. He shows more respect for Hugo Chavez than he does for his fellow Americans. Or does he consider himself above being an American?

  • mspector

    Obama does play poker, though as I remember the articles I read he is a very conservative player, only putting his money in when he’s reasonably certain he has the best of it.

    One axiom in poker is “when weak, act strong; when strong, act weak.” Obama is acting (meant literally) strong; in fact he is weak. Yes, he “inherited” a $9T deficit, but in two years he has increased it to $14.7T. Rather than stop digging he reached for a bigger shovel. Now he wants a deal that contemplates cuts in the dim and distant while hiking taxes now. We have to continue to make it clear that this is upside-down: cut spending now, and only raise revenue as is actually and clearly necessary. Freezing the debt ceiling is merely the harshest way to force spending cuts today.

    And notice his language: “Don’t call my bluff”. So he knows he is bluffing. Acting strong, weak in fact, and admittedly so. Hang tough, guys.

  • unclefred

    Allow me.
    This is not 1995 in a very profound way. While the mainstream media is far more partisan, the independents ARE NOT LISTENING. The price that the MSM paid for electing Obama is that once the country realized what they’d bought they held the MSM responsible. The left doesn’t care and the right was never fooled. It was the people in the political middle who got taken. Most of them were not very political anyway. They listened to some pundit or some various force fed half truths on the evening news. Now they are living with the consequences of making the mistake of not paying attention. It is a mistake that many are not willing to make again. They are on the net now doing their own cross checking.

    Unlike 2008 (or 1995 for that matter) the right controls the discussion and sets the terms of the debate. If the house republicans stand as one, any attempt by the media or Obama to blame them will fail.

  • unclefred

    Funds given to republicans now are for primaries not the general election. Funds given to Obama are for the general. – Many people are waiting for the republican field to firm up and thin out before contributing. Many more will wait until the nominee is either clear or actually chosen.

    While I will be modestly contributing during the primaries, I am holding most of my resources until we have a nominee.

  • unclefred

    as it currently is to the left, the left would have this problem instead of us.

    It’s not that the left has a party that will fight for their “ideals”. In fact I doubt that many leftist politicians have any ideals. It is that the as long as they vote the way the media wish they are portrayed as courageous heros. If they cross the media it’s open season and they know it.

  • jim91010

    President Obama knows he does not have a defensible position, so the only thing he can do, other then surrender, is to stand his position until he is defeated. (Like the Japanese in the Pacific during WWII.) The speaker, along with all Republicans must hold their position and victory will be won.

  • redbadger

    When has Obama ignored the Supreme Court? Do you really believe he would refuse to leave if he is not reelected? That sounds absurd.

  • mutantone

    I am a firm believer that the Constitution limits the terms of the congress to years and not decades. They have interpreted it in their own way to assure their jobs over and over again. It is time to follow the Constitution as written, where it states how long they can hold the office. Far to many of them have made a career out of running for or holding office to the determent of the people.
    They have shown us what they want to cut benefits for the citizens, let them start with their own benefits and funding first. Remove their staff, make them work for their constituents. Take away all foreign donations to the likes of the Muslim Brotherhood, and any other nation that is against us. Stop funding 22% of the UN which has placed enemies to civility in positions of power. How in the world is North Korea going to be in a position to watch over weapons. How is Iran going to be in charge of human rights when most Muslims think that a woman that has been raped needs three male witnesses to prove her claim and if not is put in jail herself for being an adulteress?
    Stop supporting others until we can care for ourselves and the needs of our population. Eliminate funds to Unnecessary projects like how much booze does it take to make a monkey drunk, or the number of aids carriers in the prostitution field in Asia. There are far to many supercilious programs being funded by the tax payers.
    Time to change all that instead of cutting the necessary programs for the citizens of our nation remove the funds going to other programs first and if they do not come to the budget, freeze their pay all of it until they come to a balanced budget.
    ? the People of the United States are the rightful masters of both congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution, but to overthrow the men who pervert the constitution.? Abraham Lincoln

  • redbadger

    The only thing Glenn Beck exposed us to was a new level of sensational political punditry and theater. Don’t kid yourself.

  • rightwingmom52

    He tells Obama to “quit lying.” Finally, a Republican who’s not afraid to say it.

  • ghostship

    I disagree with you that many Democrat politicians don’t really believe in those leftist ideals. They really do believe in it and they are willing to fight for it. Obama, Reid, and Pelosi are true believers and have the will to fight.

    We Conservatives just want some Republican leaders who will actually fight. Right now the house holds the upper hand but they don’t act like they do at all. The Dems need the debt ceiling raised if they are to continue their reckless spending. We do not need to raise it all if we’re serious about cutting spending but the Republicans in congress, despite all their talk, are scared to death of really making cuts. They don’t have the guts and that’s why there’s even talk of reaching a deal.

    The Republicans need to revoke Uncle Sam’s credit card, pass actual cuts in the house to keep the essential parts of the government running, and send those cuts to the Senate and White House as an ultimatum. The House has the power of the purse and it’s high time they threw the weight of that fact around. If the WH or Senate don’t like it, tough.

    Yes cutting spending will hurt but it’s like going to the dentist for a toothache. It may hurt but it will be nowhere close to the agony if you don’t go get it taken care of.

  • http://travismonitor.blogspot.com Freedoms Truth

    Clinton won the PR war, but Gingrich did NOT blink and the budget WAS cut. After 3 weeks of Govt shutdown.

    lets not rewrite history.

    Also, the GOP Congress … was re-elected!

    Default is far more serious than a govt shutdown, but the idea that only Republicans will get the blame for it is wrong.

    In truth, Obama WANTS the default crisis to SHARE blame.

    The GOP needs to be firm but not brittle. Enough of this ‘no debt ceiling increase’ nonsense. Bachmann is no help to us. We need a consistent message – “debt ceiling increase only with spending cuts”. Pass it in the House and give it to the President. “Here’s our plan, whats yours?” Challenge him to pass his plan in the Senate. And negotiate from there. That line will hold.

  • http://travismonitor.blogspot.com Freedoms Truth

    That can pass the House.

  • ihateliberals

    On Average what ever happens in government good or bad falls on the President. This is as it should be. The President is ultimately responsible for approving or Vetoing the bills. Congress can pass any bills they want to but without the President to sign them or a Veto override it is the President who makes it happen. If it get’s to the point of paying the SS checks and the military and Obama chooses to default on them he thinks he wil be able to pass the blame to the Republicans. he forgets that the seniors of today are much more intelligent than he is or that they were 15 years ago. We would not be very easily sawed to believe it is the Republicans fault. I know how much money is coming in and what the normal prioritizes are for making payments. Obama or Gitner would have to deliberately defer the money to some other bill. So Mr. Speaker please keep your focus. don’t blink and cave into this guy. He is all talk and no action. Just look at wht he hasn’t done over the past 2 1/2 years.

  • http://travismonitor.blogspot.com Freedoms Truth

    I agree with you and have come to this conclusion.

    Obama is the President. If he wants a default, he can get it.

    “I know a few will say this is not 1995 and Obama can?t get away with such a cynical move. You are right. It is not 1995. IT?S WORSE. The mainstream press is even more partisan, even more desperate to prop-up their great affirmative action, hope and change, multi culti figurehead.”

    YUP.

    This is why it is important for the House to pass a debt ceiling increase. Do it with spending cuts, but DO IT.

    Dont let Obama off the hook. Dont let him engineer the crisis and get GOP to get the blame.

  • http://travismonitor.blogspot.com Freedoms Truth

    A plan to give it all to obama for now.

    Such cowardice however is not good policy nor good pr.

    I have a better option:

    Pass a $200 billion debt ceiling increase that has ONE additional provision – it adds the Full Faith and Credit clause that requires the first payments be for interest on debt and social security payments. And it adds a provision to pay our military during a govt shutdown.

    THEN … we refight the battle on Oct 1. With FY2012 budget.

    only this time, the default and social security cards are off the table. Its “Deal or Shutdown” time.

  • rickey5825

    Absolutely right!Pray to God for wisdom,strength,and courage,but don’t expect God to do the work for you.Get out and get involved!

  • steve53

    I distinctly remember Gingrich caving. Gingrich panicked and then he warned “recalcitrant” freshman Republicans – who wanted to stay the course – he would impose discipline on them if they did not go along with his betrayal. Gingrich warned freshman Republicans he would not help them in their campaigns for re-election to Congress. It is you who are re-writing history. Present your evidence. Present your documentation that Gingrich held firm and did not cave. Bachmann, at present, seems to be the only Republican candidate out there with a backbone. When you go to war – a metaphor for politics – you’ve got to be prepared for difficulties, hardships and set backs. You’ve got to be prepared to stay the course until you are victorious. You appear to be an advocate of surrender and retreat. Am I wrong about you?

  • zzpat

    The republicans haven’t passed a budget in the House. They voted on the Ryan plan which remains widely unpopular with the American people and it’s not a budget. A budget consists of 13 appropriation bills and none of them have been written or passed yet..

  • zzpat

    Cantor says there isn’t a single debt ceiling plan out there that can pass, not even one written entirely by republicans. If he’s telling the truth, than the gop has ceased to be a viable political party.

    If they can’t pass a debt ceiling limit, what chance do they have at passing a budget or anything else?

    Btw, can you NAME a single piece of law created by this House without Googling it first? If not, then you can see where the problem lies.

  • zzpat

    This game is over and Obama won it big time. Obama ran out the clock by putting up one thing after another and then waited to the end to put in tax increases which the gop won’t do. Talks collapsed and the McConnell deal was created…a way to give Obama authority to bypass the House because it can’t do its job.

    When a party can’t govern and this is a solid example of the gop not governing, what’s left for them to do but campaign?

  • zzpat

    The problem this observation is that the House hasn’t produced any bills. Blaming the president when the House stops functioning is silly.

    Again, can you name one piece of legislation passed by this House that did anything of value…and can you name one law that was created.

    Pretending to legislate, but always being on vacation is not legislating. It’s being on vacation.

    Look at the Speakers Schedule on his website. Week after week of vacations.

  • trutexan

    Wish I had your eloquence. Yes, if the government takes my money and holds it for me (against my will) then the government is in debt to me to pay it back. And I’m the “public”. So? Public debt. But I like the way you said it better.

  • David123

    I would recommend it.

  • rbdwiggins

    The government has taken your money in the form of insurance premiums, but they have not held it for you. The “Trust Fund” is no more than an accounting gimmick.

    You have no accrued property rights.

    The funds may, or may not, be there when you choose to retire and receive your benefits. They have been used to pay the benefits of past and current recipients.

    To clearly validate that Social Security is little more than an elaborate ponzi scheme, the Supreme Court has ruled that government benefits, including entitlements, are not valid public debt.

    Flemming v. Nestor, 363 U.S. 603 (1960)

    2. A person covered by the Social Security Act has not such a right in old-age benefit payments as would make every defeasance of “accrued” interests violative of the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment. Pp. 608-611.

    (a) The noncontractual interest of an employee covered by the Act cannot be soundly analogized to that of the holder of an annuity, whose right to benefits are based on his contractual premium payments. Pp. 608-610.

    (b) To engraft upon the Social Security System a concept of “accrued property rights” would deprive it of the flexibility and [363 U.S. 603, 604] boldness in adjustment to ever-changing conditions which it demands and which Congress probably had in mind when it expressly reserved the right to alter, amend or repeal any provision of the Act. Pp. 610-611.

    Ironically, the personal savings accounts put forth by conservatives and like-minded Republicans, the same ones that were so routinely demonized by the left, would have conveyed “accrued property rights,” and depending upon your chosen plan, put you right in line for payment alongside the bondholders.

  • rbdwiggins
  • edintexas

    While Dear Leader is no Bill Clinton, the MSM is even more invested in him than it was in Slick Willie.

  • edintexas

    But in the Buffalo, NY Congressional District special election they were scared (and scammed) into electing a Democrat with an overwhelming Republican registration advantage. The claims of doing away with/cutting Medicare and Social Security were patently false, but enough “bought” them. And a “candidate” who had run multiple times as a Democrat suddenly became a “Tea Party” candidate and sucked off votes from the Republican.

    The “Seniors” (and I’m one) can be suckered and scared. Most don’t spend a couple of hours per weekday reading political information, as I do. I know many do not have the familiarity with the web to enable them to get unfiltered information they won’t get from the MSM. They could go to the library and use the computers, but computers are also unfamiliar.

  • gregory1972hunt

    No, he couldn’t be that. He’d have to lie about being unbiased first.

  • jerry39

    posting it now