Midas on January 15, 2013 at 11:55 AM

You said it. I am sick to death of being told “this is not the right fight” every single time any sort of confrontation whatsoever is required. And so the left wins by default every single goddamn time, and the country goes further and further down the toilet.

Oh, and Ed? When Frum is on your side, that’s usually a sign that you need to rethink your position.

But the GOP quickly abandoned it after they won the 94 elections using it. The American People saw this an punished the Republicans for abandoning the Contract. That is what hurt the GOP it had nothing to do with the Debt Celling Debate.

Conservative messaging always works. GOPe message always loses that is what lost.

The result of this fight though was an actual balanced budget. America actually took in more than it paid out for four years. Only GOPe reactionaries would consider this a political loss. It proves smaller spending is possible with great results. It is a political loss because the GOPe made it thus. The GOPe hated the Contract and did all in their power to make it a loser so Conservatives would not win in 1996 they cared less that meant Clinton would get a second term. They eventually forced Newt out of Congress a complete disgrace after he gave us the House. The GOPe is the problem.

Instead, we get surrender. Then the surrender monkeys try to purge the only ones that are willing to take a stand.

Quartermaster on January 15, 2013 at 12:56 PM

Perfect.

xblade on January 15, 2013 at 2:38 PM

.
The GOPe-media will betray you!

(paraphasing Dire’s oft used quote)

Even more to the point and ripped copy/pasted from the Headlines

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/general_politics/january_2013/63_of_gop_voters_think_republicans_in_congress_out_of_touch

Do you like apples, Ed?

For the same reason we reject the “fact” that bigfoot is real.

xblade on January 15, 2013 at 2:38 PM

Good God you are in DENIAL.

We can’t even get the Rethuglican CINOs to fight when they’re on DEFENSE and half the population is Democrat welfare slaves.

Part of developing a winning strategy is picking the right ground for a fight, and the debt ceiling is simply not it.

Ahhh yes, the clarion call of the squish….the battle at hand is NEVER the one to fight, it’s always some other battle, until that battle arrives. I bet I can even write part of the article you’ll put out when the CR debate arrives. It will probably go something like this:

Part of developing a winning strategy is picking the right ground for a fight, and the debt ceiling continuing rsolution is simply not it.

That sound about right?

Why can’t the GOP and the readership here grasp this simple fact?

libfreeordie

For the same reason we reject the “fact” that bigfoot is real.

The House GOP should put the Dems and the President on notice that they will negotiate a bill for raising the debt ceiling that will carry the government through the remainder of the year, but will not submit it for a vote until the House has determined President Obama has fulfilled his obligation to submit his 2013-14 budget to Congress for fiscal year 2013-2014, as prescribed by Title 31, Subtitle II – The Budget Process.

The purpose for doing this is to reestablish the need for regular order in the budgeting process for the next fiscal year, as defined in Subtitle II.

The House GOP should also put the Dems and the President on notice that until such time as the President submits his budget and it is determined to be complete as prescribed by Title 31, Subtitle II – The Budget Process, the House will not submit any other bills for a vote except one, daily, to fund the government for the following day.

The problem is there are political realities they have to deal with. Namely that the Dems control 2/3 of the government.

Which 2/3 is that, pray tell?

From here they seem to hold the Presidency and half of the Legislative branch, and the Supreme Court is ostensibly impartial, though practically a toss-up. So it seems to me that the Dems control about half of the government – AND THE GOP CONTROLS THE PURSE STRINGS IN THE HOUSE – why is it again that the Republicans keep proffering up their spotted backsides for the Dems to do with as they wish?

Why can’t the GOP and the readership here grasp this simple fact?

libfreeordie on January 15, 2013 at 1:53 PM

Problem is the GOP hasn’t defended jack squat, or even really TRIED.

We get that we’re not going to override most of your god-king’s whims; you’ve got almost 50% of the populace on your welfare-for-votes scheme and most of the gov’t. But when the GOP never does a thing but backstab and surrender…

A Democratic president was elected. A Democratic Senate was returned. And while the Republicans held the House, they lost seats and received fewer total votes. This is not a mandate for anything big and bold. This is the time for defensive play, for rethinking, rebuilding and retooling.

Why can’t the GOP and the readership here grasp this simple fact?

RUN AWAY !!!

While resolutely resolving to make a stand later at the Continuing Resolution … right up until the collective hive mind of the GOPe once again yells,

RUN AWAY !!!

Might I poliely suggest you and the others join the Democratic Party and provide them with the benefits of your guidance?

Why is this so difficult for your geniuses to understand???

The Republicans have been consistently surrendering as you suggested since 2006. How well has that worked out?

For the love of God, we are in an existential battle for the country and all these morons can council is weakness and surrender. In battles like this you fight over every inch of ground. When you fight progtards you fight for every inch. You fight ruthlessly and without let up.

Instead, we get surrender. Then the surrender monkeys try to purge the only ones that are willing to take a stand. The GOP must die.

Obama is dunce and/or bad guy when it comes to policy…;BUT THAT IS NOT THE POINT.

Repubs need to get smart about politics…that is the business they have chosen.. good public policy can only be accomplished if you win at the political game and clearly we have been LOSING big time at that

Why is this so difficult for your geniuses to understand???

This fight if for nothing but to keep you locked into each twist/turn that will result in 1 outcome, and you all know what that outcome will be. The republicans will cave.

This is something new, that Obama was not held to, but we should be using it now too.

So Obama raised taxes by about $.1T with his recent tax increase.

That still leaves a deficit in the range of $1.3T.

So the Republicans should call Obama’s plans an addition $1.3T tax increase. Because it is. Someone will be paying that $1.3T either in additional taxes or in inflation.

Ask the American people if they want a $1.3T spending cut and they will say no. Ask them if they would rather have a $1.3T spending cut or a $1.3T tax increase and the answer will be differen.t

We can stop funding non-strategic expenditures without getting close to default. We should begin with a halt in funding of Obamacare for starters. That and defunding Energy, Commerce, Transportation, Interior, Ethanol and other farm subsidies. Education, WIC program, etc… too many others before ever having to consider “default.”

Spending is the real problem, but our reluctant, cowardly leadership, at every level of our government has looked the other way while building this incredible mountain of debt obligation, with only token resistance the past 4-years!

Forcing spending cuts by shutting down government services Raising taxes is not only a breach of the “rules of the game,” it is also tactically reckless.

Perhaps GOP leadership is asleep once again. Maybe Boehner and McConnell didn’t hear our President put the blame on them in yesterday’s press conference.
Let’s recall what President Obama said:

And Republicans in Congress have two choices here: They can act responsibly and pay America’s bills, or they can act irresponsibly and put America through another economic crisis.  But they will not collect a ransom in exchange for not crashing the American economy. The financial well-being of the American people is not leverage to be used. The full faith and credit of the United States of America is not a bargaining chip.

GOP leadership, this is the part where you hold a press conference setting the record straight on the debt ceiling. Own the arguments by being on offense, not defense. Haven’t you learned that it’s a bad idea to let the President win public opinion on an issue by allowing him to repeat false information over and over unchallenged?
On his radio show last night, Mark Levin emphasized the key point:

We, as a nation, will not go into default anytime soon because our revenue exceeds our debt payments. So the full faith and credit of the United States is not in danger unless the President puts it in danger.

See what Levin did there? He told the truth, then put the debt ball right back in Obama’s court. In other words, Mr. President, we’re not giving you a limitless credit card to steal from future generations. And we’re not going to let you lie about the consequences of not hiking the ceiling, either.
In a recent segment with Levin, Sen. Ted Cruz articulated a similar point:

Not raising the debt ceiling does not mean we default on the debt. And President Obama saying that is just fear mongering and deliberately deceiving people. The average tax revenues for the federal government are roughly $200 billion a month. Service on the debt is between thirty and forty billion dollars a month. There is ample revenue to ensure that we service the debt…

What is the purpose of a debt ceiling if you’re going to hike it up on a constant basis? If I gave myself a monthly spending allowance in order to save money, but then hiked up the spending limit every few months in order to spend more and more, what would be the point?
There would be no point whatsoever. I know that. Obama knows that. GOP leadership knows that. And every American family living on a budget knows that.
This is not rocket science. It’s something that families everywhere can understand. Hence why Obama turns to scare tactics, the blame game, and misinformation. And he will get away with it over and over if the GOP doesn’t smarten up and realize the importance of publicly–and repeatedly–setting the record straight on these issues.
GOP leadership: If you don’t combat deception, it sticks. Two Obama election victories later, isn’t it time to wake up?

If we always have to increase it everytime we bump up against it, what’t the point of even having one?

So if the Republicans ever achieve a majority that the Democrats can use it as a weapon, as Obama and co did in 2006-8.

But the Republicans don’t want to cut spending anyway, so expect them to cave.