In answer to Steve M., there is no need to be so pessimistic about how the press would cover a second government shutdown. Here is how it would work. The president, Harry Reid and Patty Murray would praise the budget deal and pass it in the Senate with almost no Republican votes. The House leadership would praise the bill and whip their caucus to vote for it. Pelosi would pay lip-service to an inadequate deal and ask her caucus to go along and fight another day on unemployment insurance. But, the progressive caucus would simply withhold their support, forcing Boehner to go deep into his caucus for votes. If they can pass it, fine. But, if they can’t, it’s clearly John Boehner’s fault.
The Senate Democrats pretty much all voted for it. The administration supported it. A lot of House Democrats voted for it. It only failed because the House Republicans failed to rally behind their hero, Paul Ryan.
If the deal then needs to be sweetened, it it obvious that it can’t be sweetened for the benefit of the mouth-breathers, but must be sweetened to bring along progressives.
So, maybe there is a bit of ambiguity about who to blame, but it’s Boehner who failed.
And the only solution would benefit the long-term unemployed, which is the whole point of taking a hard line.
I like your logic, BooMan.
The only question I have is, how will the MSM handle this?
They almost always find a way to blame the Democrats.
And I can definitely see them putting blame on the target they love the most: The DFH left-wing Progressive Democrats – not that there are all that many of them (but, they thankfully seem to be growing in number).
FOX will lead the way.
Cup O’ Schmoe will parrot their take, and UpChuck Todd will follow. Then, Andrea Mitchell.
And CNN will work harder than either of them, to put the blame on the Democrats.
I hope I’m wrong.
Well, following on Robert Greenstein’s assessment and advice, the Democrats should hold out for UI extension, and I don’t think they should worry about the blame. Greenstein says that Dems should ultimately pass the agreement, but only after making “every effort” on UI.
I agree.
Logic and facts really don’t have much influence in the ongoing “both sides do it” narrative. Of course if the House fails to pass the bill, it will be the Republicans’ fault. It really can’t be any other way, seeing as how Republicans hold a majority of the seats in that chamber, and everything is a majority vote (no filibuster or obstruction by a dedicated minority allowed).
Back in October, when Boehner said over and over again that he didn’t have the votes to put the government back on track, nobody in the popular media could do a simple count, and nobody was going to call Boehner a liar. When Boehner finally let a bill come to the floor for a vote, it passed 285-144. And again, nobody said a word to Boehner about his apparent inability to determine if 285 or 144 was a bigger number.
So if this deal goes south, look for another herculean effort by the popular media to apportion blame to both sides equally (but maybe a little more to those DFHs).
Time to play Lucy Van Pelt to Paul Ryan’s Charlie Brown.
link
I presume you’ve seen this from Krgthulu:
http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/12/12/unprecedented-austerity/
Who do you think gets most hurt by that?
“If they can pass it, fine. But, if they can’t, it’s clearly John Boehner’s fault.”
No, no, no.
It we go over a cliff because THEY wouldn’t give us what we could not win by majority rule then it’s OUR fault.
Last time THEY were demanding what they could not honestly win, and that’s why it was THEIR fault.
If you have the same “by any means necessary attitude” as them – and it sure looks like you do – then that’s how it will be reported and perceived.
And the Dems will DESERVE the blame.
And get it.
Obama is fortunate to have such predictable opponents.
Pelosi is whipping, not simply paying lip service. They want this to pass.
Yup I was right. This wasn’t a bargaining tactic, Obama and his democrats have internalized the validity of the Ryan budget c. 2011.
Austerity we love you.