Wednesday, October 9, 2013
A reminder of how fickle politics can be.
"The fact that we are here today to debate raising America's debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the US Government cannot pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government's reckless fiscal policies. Increasing America's debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that, 'the buck stops here.' Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better."
~ Senator Barack H. Obama, March 2006
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5 comments:
The debt ceiling in 2006 bill had majority support in both houses and was clearly going to pass. Rather than doing the right thing and voting "yes," Obama decided to make a "no" vote and then deliver a speech denouncing George W. Bush's fiscal policy. straight political theater. Notice though that he did not demand anything for a yes vote, nor did he filibuster the vote. I personally have no problem with what the House of reps. are doing with the debt limit as long as it is all budgetary and not repealing laws or parts of laws like Obamacare. However, since the republicans in congress have refused to conference with the senate dems after finally getting the senate to pass a budget, I do have a problem if they try to legislate finality into any debt limit increase.
remember one thing....this is the republican party that can't even pass their own farm bill, so there is some dysfunction with them right now.
by the way, the bigger worry for me are the members of congress who seem to think it will not be that big a deal if we don't raise the debt limit that we would not default. I would suggest they look up the word default.
Bush's fiscal policy was prodigal, but Obama makes Bush look like a skinflint. What you call "straight political theater" I call the height of hypocrasy.
The fact is that Obama had to deal with the recession. A recession that contracted our GDP in 2009. A recession that reduced tax receipts from from 17.8% of GDP in 2008 to 15.1% in 2009 and 2010. A recession that thru federal law required the executive branch to increase spending on the "safety net".
This is what I don't get. If the republicans want to change how these safety net programs work, then write the legislation to change them. when I was taking unemployment, I became ineligible for an extension because of a compromise between the two parties on who is entitled to the extension. That shows there is compromise. It just seems to me right now they want it there way or the hiway. Currently the dems in the senate are willing to accept a CR at the house budget number and yet that's not even good enough for the house of reps. I am clueless at what they are really holding out for, if anything at all.
and if Obama is being hyprocritical, then I would say many republicans are also being rather hypocritical now. all part of the game.
Tom, you just don't get it. They're all a bunch of hypocrites; it's just that Obama is arguably the biggest hypocrite.
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