There was a weird roll call on the bill to raise the debt limit with no strings attached. The bill failed 97-318, with seven voting ‘present’ in protest. Most progressives, but by no means all, voted in the affirmative. Some centrists and Blue Dogs joined them. Pelosi voted against. I’m not sure what message, if any, the Democrats were trying to send. The vote that stood out for me was Rep. Martin Heinrich’s (D-NM), who voted ‘aye’ despite the fact that he’s running for Senate next fall. There could be considerations about his primary since he has some serious competition for the nomination, but he doesn’t appear to be worried that voting to extend the debt limit with no strings attached will come back to bite him.
Anyway, so that’s done. What does it mean? You tell me.
What it means to me…the DEMS had no plan on how to handle this vote. They should have hung together and voted FOR the debt limit increase because it’s the right thing to do and what needs to be done. Forget the 30 sec ads; it won’t matter in the large scheme of things and that’s what DEMS don’t get.
They needed to hang together and make a statement; if they couldn’t on a yes vote they should have all voted no in protest to the rules and had that be the message; either way it’s stupid the way it shook out and took the focus off Medicare which is where it needs to be.
This was a mess all around and the White House should have been focused in on this and working to pull together a plan with house democrats.
Then again, they seem to be focused on a Biden track for a solution and ignoring the House.
The Reps required a 2/3 supermajority rule for this bill to pass. They had no intention of voting for it. A Dem “yes” vote was absolutely preordained to mean nothing but grist for the ads that will follow. There was no substance here. But yes, too many Dems walked right into a simple trap.
Hoyer was whipping people to vote no.
Eventually the this vote has to pass and GOP has to go along or their Wall Street Daddys will be irate. This vote will not mean a thing at all.
It means the Biden group is going to have no trouble selling a couple trillion dollars in spending cuts over the next 10/12 years as the price of raising the limit.
Because there’s nothing in this world that gets congress randier than the ‘t’ word when it comes to cutting government.
Oh well, I trust Obama to get as strong a deal as possible under the conditions. We’ll just see what kind of fig leaf revenue raises are involved.
It means nothing at all. It means the idiot media had another mindless feeding frenzy.
The real question is, will the GOP subversives in the end bow down to their corporate masters or to their teabagger morons? And if the latter, will it finally be the spark that ignites the revolution for real?
The press is more focused on Palin and Wiener’s twitter account. Palin had pizza with Trump tonight. OMG, Lead STORY!
“What does it mean? You tell me.”
this is what it means to me, but real, and with horrible consequences for all of us:
I draw your attention to 2:19, “kicking the beggar”.
heh. indeed.
Lol, look at what Rand Paul is doing now. How many times does it needed to be pointed out that the Pauls are fucking frauds? So many on the left are just loving to jump on the Ron Paul bandwagon because of a few choice positions.
Rand Paul, Supposed Defender Of Civil Liberties, Calls For Jailing People Who Attend `Radical Political Speeches’
Rand Paul wants to know where every Middle East exchange student is at all times.
No, no…stop, I can’t possibly take it anymore. Lolololol:
Rand Paul calls for putting himself in jail. Or his own deportation.
This is what it means. Until Wall Street is clear that the Republicans really would refuse to raise the debt limit, the Republicans can continue to play their kabuki to try to force Democrats to vote against their key programs – Social Security and Medicare. Who causes the other to blink wins the narrative. Republicans are already arguing that Democrats have already cut Medicare (the same BS that won the GOP the House last year). But that argument after the Ryan budget has less traction.
There is one huge hot sweaty debate coming right before the August recess. (That’s assuming that the administration has not made savings that kick the can down the road.) Faced with the debt ceiling being reached while they are home talking with voters and getting their local organizations lined up for next year’s campaign, what will Republicans do? As usual, the disunity in the Democratic House caucus (thanks, Heath) is a problem.
The GOP media machine is getting more shrill, a clear indication they are getting worried that the extortion might not work and the hostage might escape.
Pre-August-recess is going to be a doozy of a time to be in Congress.
What’s to prevent Obama coming up with a radical expenditure reduction plan and say it was forced on him by the debt ceiling?
e.g. Bring home nearly all troops from Iraq and Afghanistan immediately, Cut all military procurement and foreign aid to Israel etc. Refuse all funding to states in trouble (and with Republican Governors)…
you get the general idea
Rationing payouts of Congressional pay is a possibility as well. Sec. Geithner would not be saying he wouldn’t pay Congress, just that they will only get a third of their pay in order to forestall the debt ceiling another few minutes. And that when the government could spend money again, they would get the remainder of their pay.
Except salaries are just pocket change for them. As long as the bribes keep coming, no wories.