How's that again?
House Speaker Boehner has pulled his debt limit bill to rework it after the Congressional Budget Office showed it saving $835B over 10 years instead of the $1T claimed by Boehner. According to Capitol Hill reporter Jamie Dupree, the bill also would save only $1B in the first year, whereas the GOP budget bill would save $30B. There is a Keystone Kops aspect to the budget disagreement that is disquieting.
As a follow-on, Dupree tweeted at 8:45 that the CBO says that Senate Majority Leader Reid's bill saves $2.2T over 10 years, a finding that he will no doubt trumpet later this AM. All well, and good, but wasn't the target closer to $4T? Still, half a loaf is better than none . . . but, the devil is in the details of how that $2.2T saving is attained.
High stakes
From the Journal via AP comes another report of good gun control. Two masked morons attempted to knock over a poker game in a Raleigh but drew poor hands in so doing, as one or more of the intended victims upped the ante by tossing a few bullets into the pot. The fracas ended with one would-be robber permanently cashing in his chips, while the other folded for the night, and will be charged when released from the hospital. The homeowner, a former major league baseball player, was charged with gambling.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/N/NC_POKER_ROBBERY_NCOL-?SITE=NCWIN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
I still can't figure out why the House insists on passing bills including a Balanced Bubdget amendment that they know won't get through the Senate. It's Boehner's job to push through a bill that is acceptable to the Senate, and he's failing miserably at it.
ReplyDeleteHi dotnet!
ReplyDeleteHe certainly is not doing a good job at it. He's talking tough to President Obama, plus wasting time on a bill that his Senate opposite number has declared will be DOA in the Senate. But, he is also ticking off the Tea Party faction in the House, with some calling for his replacement as Speaker. If Boehner doesn't get his act together, the Tea Party will get half its wish, but the replacement will be Pelosi.
Of course, Boehner isn't the only fly in the ointment. Insults are flying both ways in Congress, and up and down PA Ave. Meanwhile, the UR remains unattended while these pinheads throw sand.
@dotnet: nothing's happening because the Tea Party does not want a deal, and the sane Republicans are afraid to stand up to them. Plus they see it as to their political advantage to keep this going -- they think it's making the President look bad.
ReplyDeleteNever mind the effect on the economy, never mind how many lives would be ruined. They just want to bring Obama down. There's no use calling them crazy (as P.K. said, that's just like calling a wolf a carnivore), but I've decided there's no use talking with people like that.
The President should just invoke the 14th amendment and have the courts sort it out; but he's so cautious, I don't think he will. But the stakes are too high.
The Tea Party Republicans have misread the mood of the voters who put them in office.
ReplyDeleteI just sent the following email to Rep. Foxx:
ReplyDeleteI vote straight Republican, and normally do not support President Obama's agenda. However, I agree with him regarding the budget and the national debt: compromise is necessary.
Revenues, no let's call them what they are, taxes, can be increased slightly. Raise the marginal rates on incomes over $500K, 750K, 1MM, pick a number. Uncap Social Security withholding. End the "borrowing" from Social Security.
But, first and foremost, cut a deal and avoid default. President Obama will not be the only one looking bad should default occur. Let default occur, and Mrs. Pelosi will reclaim the Speaker's chair, in my opinion.
Thank you for your service to us.