Are the Republicans Pinned and Trapped?

Question

Make no mistake: what Barack Obama did today just before 6 PM Eastern Time was drop a grenade into the middle of the House and Senate GOP caucus. After an afternoon meeting at the White House with the congressional leadership, Obama came out for the cameras and said he would give Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell the weekend to come up with a bipartisan plan in the Senate to avoid the tax hikes and spending cuts set for Tuesday. If Reid and McConnell are unable to do so, Obama made it clear that he would push Reid for an up-or-down vote on Monday, on the record, for a scaled-back plan to raise taxes on family incomes above $250,000 a year and a continuation of unemployment benefits. In either case, the Senate would be amending a House bill to incorporate Plan A or Plan B and then sending it to first the Senate floor and then the House, forcing both Mitch McConnell to let it come to a vote in the Senate, and then forcing John Boehner to bring it to a vote on New Year’s Eve, with Wall Street and the world economy watching.

Obama is allowing McConnell first crack at coming up with something in Plan A that would be aimed at allowing McConnell to swing House GOP members to vote for it. In his comments after the president’s remarks, McConnell’s tone seemed to indicate that he was working to get this done. But the whole plan also requires McConnell to ensure there will be no last-minute filibusters from the loons on his side like Rand Paul. If Reid and McConnell fail to come up with a bipartisan package, Obama wants the Senate to send over a simple Plan B, “f*ck you” package to the House that only comprised the tax cut legislation and the unemployment insurance extension, which would force John Boehner to either get it through with Democratic votes or worse yet, make him cave to his Tea Party lords and not bring it to a vote at all, thereby making the GOP take full responsibility for the market reaction to follow.

McConnell probably has enough control of his caucus to get something out of the Senate, and if he doesn't, he wears the blame for the aftermath and can compete with Boehner for Dog of the Year. In any event, Obama will make the GOP leadership and their caucuses take the full blame for what follows if no bill gets out of Congress.

Will · Accepted Answer

Honestly they've been pinned and trapped since they swung hard to the right in 2008. They got their way in 2010, people saw what it got them and they cooked their goose. You see Boehner trying to moderate the party a bit by compromising with Obama but radicals like Paul Ryan shut the bill down in Congress before they could even try to get enough votes on the compromise. People will say that these congressmen and senators will be voted out in 2014 for more moderate Republicans or Democrats but it's just not true because the people they represent are just as radical as they are and that's why they're still there.

-Bill

Pragmatism Please · Answer

I think there is a deal to be had with normal Republicans and a small minority of tea partiers are thinking about moving off the Grover pledge as well. McConnell is no friend to Democrats but I think he understands what the tea party guys for the most part don't get: Obama is in a no-lose situation here.

If there is no deal, we go off the "fiscal cliff" and then what? Obama could easily introduce legislation in January or February that reinstates Bush's tax cuts for 98% of Americans. It will certainly pass the Senate and how about the House? What tea partier could get re-elected in 2014 if he votes nay on a tax cut for 98% of Americans?

The only real benefit for Obama in a deal is that while we will blame Republicans if there isn't one, it will have happened while he is president. In other words, a deal is simply cosmetic.

Anonymous · Answer

This is your take on it not mine ''President Obama'' ran off to pick up some R/R in Hawaii much as he did when those Americans were fighting for their lives in Libya except that time it was Vegas then comes back and plays ''Mr Take Charge'' look he is spending more then he takes in it really is that simply no individual no company can do that for as long as ''President Obama'' has, he going to have to give in the Conservative have said they could steal more from the successful but ''President Obama'' feels he has a divine mandate and will not compromise on anything
Close to half of Americans do not want him office as we saw how over his head he really is but we lost but we not going away and will stand up for ourselves and our country

? · Answer

you're describing the 'capture' that Obama and the Democrats walked into in 2008. authentic-wingers consistently blame the Democrats for the failure of Bush's deregulated economic device. .

? · Answer

I don't seem to remember the Pelosi, Foley, Hastert, Gingrich, O'neil economy or tax plans.

I remember the Obama, Bush, Clinton, Bush, Reagan ones though.

Anonymous · Answer

then i remembered the YouTube video of an encounter between an octopus and a moray eel the poster characterized as "octopus OWNS eel"..when I WATCHED the video it showed a brief struggle and ended with the eel swallowing the octopus..so it seems to ME you 'tards have no idea how to characterize these things!

? · Answer

I guess when Obama is pinned under 4 tons of recession, all of his own doing, you'll then know what pinned and trapped is.

There are consequences to everything.

lp

Anonymous · Answer

Obama either signs off on whats been proposed or we go over. You've got it backwards

Gone Rogue · Answer

Yes and it is sad for the country

Anonymous · Answer

Like rats...

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Are the Republicans Pinned and Trapped?

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