(1) House Republicans are walking into an enormous trap. The Boehner plan is sufficiently similar to the Reid plan, in virtually all important respects, that its passage will lead to the following compromise: The adoption of Boehner’s ten years of sham cuts,which will be ephemeral beyond fiscal year 2012. Even John McCain said tonight that Gramm-Rudman (whose “sequestration” provisions are the enforcement mechanism for Boehner) | Read More »
The main problems with the Boehner proposal are: Most of the initial $1.2 trillion of discretionary cuts are (1) from defense, or (2) are phony, out-year, and easily avoided. The compensatory immediate $1 trillion increase in the debt limit is, on the other hand, very real. Even worse, however, the notion of giving a Reid/Pelosi/McConnell/Boehner-appointed commission the power to devise non-filibusterable, unamendable tax increases (or, | Read More »
Analyzing the six-page “Gang of Six” proposal for rewriting the federal budget is like measuring a bucket of water by holding the water in your hands. Having said this, it looks like Coburn, Crapo, and Chambliss got their clocks cleaned.
Those of you who have read my pieces in the past know that I was pushing for congressional Republicans to fight for deficit reduction on the continuing resolution. This didn’t happen. Instead, explained the GOP, (1) it would be so much easier and risk-free to use the debt limit, and (2) besides, they were about to unveil a budget which would be widely applauded because | Read More »
From the diaries by Erick Barack Obama has taken a page from the Clinton playbook, and is threatening to cut social security if a deal is not reached to extend the debt limit. Social security and interest on the debt are, collectively, less than half of the revenue stream which would continue to come into the government, even if the government couldn’t borrow a penny. | Read More »
Earlier this week, House Speaker John Boehner spoke to a group of legislators in an effort to sell his impending deal with Barack Obama. Before his presentation, not only was staff cleared from the room, but waiters and waitresses busy bussing the room were thrown out also. Why do you think that is? Don’t know? Well, let me ask a follow-up question: How many secret | Read More »
From the diaries by Erick Watching House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell negotiate with Barack Obama is like watching a drunk try to run across the Beltway. Whether it’s ObamaCare, the financial reform bill, the Kagan nomination, the disastrous Lame Duck agenda, the Senate rules battle, the pathetic “continuing resolution deal,” or the current debt limit fight, you know both of them | Read More »
Today, House Republicans got a royal “drop dead” from Assistant Attorney General Ronald Weich. Weich had earlier written Congress to deny wrongdoing by BATF in connection with allegations that it was intentionally allowing firearms to fall into the hands of Mexican drug cartels. This Justice Department denial by Weich turned out to be false. Weich had also refused to respond to repeated congressional demands for | Read More »
From the diaries by Erick Remember the sleazy tactics used by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to pass ObamaCare? The secret meetings? The refusal to let the American people see the language? The “amendment tree” used to block Republicans from offering amendments on the floor? The use of a House-passed bill as a vehicle to circumvent Senate procedures? Well, all of that sleaziness is back | Read More »
Consider this: A monumental piece of legislation — affecting a sector spanning over one-sixth of the economy — is negotiated behind closed doors by legislators for the purpose of slamming through the finished product before anyone has an opportunity to figure out what’s in it. ObamaCare? No… It’s the continuing resolution (CR) about to be sprung on Congress by the Democratic and Republican leadership. And the | Read More »
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