Posted on 06/10/2011 10:26:16 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Democrats in the House have little relevance in the 112th Session of Congress. The Republicans have a large enough majority to pass any bill they desire, as long as it passes muster within their caucus. Other than using a discharge petition, Democrats can’t even get a bill to the floor without GOP cooperation, and once there, can’t get one passed without significant Republican support. Boehner has allowed Democrats to bring a few bills to the floor already just to make a point about their irrelevance by seeing their proposals go down in flames in full floor votes.
However, there is functional irrelevance, with which every minority party caucus has to contend, and political irrelevance — which Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) apparently wants to perpetuate (via Instapundit):
A group of House Democrats is calling for any deal to raise the debt ceiling to bring about the end of the Bush tax rates for the wealthy.
The lawmakers, led by Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), also say that, following last week’s weak job report, they are concerned that certain decreases in federal spending could hurt the economy’s recovery.
“At this point, both government and private-sector economists agree that sharp immediate cuts in government spending risk plunging our economy into a double-dip recession that will cost further jobs and ultimately worsen our fiscal situation,” the lawmakers wrote in a letter obtained by The Hill.
They added that allowing the Bush tax rates for the wealthiest to expire at the end of next year would by itself “stop the growth of the deficit over the next decade.”
Not only do Blumenauer and his cohorts demonstrate their political irrelevance, they’re also displaying astonishingly bad math skills as well. The projected revenue from hiking the top tax rate to its pre-Bush rate, even using static tax analysis, is around $700 billion over a decade. A $700 billion infusion would not eliminate the “growth of the deficit” over a decade, not at current rates of spending and growth in entitlement spending projected over that period; in fact, it wouldn’t even cut this year’s deficit in half.
Clearly, though, voters are even less interested in tax hikes than they are in raising the debt ceiling. The latter is wildly unpopular with voters, who want spending cuts to resolve the deficit problem. In April, a CBS poll showed 63% opposed to a debt-ceiling hike, a finding confirmed by one poll after another. Telling voters that they can only get a debt ceiling hike if a tax increased is attached is somewhat akin to having someone say he’ll only steal your wife if you let him clear out your bank account, too.
Besides, Barack Obama took this issue off the table until the end of 2012 for a reason. Voters had just clobbered the Democrats in the midterms over spending and possible tax hikes. Not only do these Democrats want to renege on the bargain that Obama cut with Republicans at the same time that the White House is trying to wheedle Republicans to give on budget talks by claiming their trustworthiness on spending reductions, they will end up hanging the label of tax-hikers back on the Democratic Party for the 2012 election, too.
Blumenauer and his gang of math-challenged spenders are mainly irrelevant in terms of shaping policy, but he’s a great reason why voters need to keep Blumenauer irrelevant after 2012, too.
LOL. OK. I agree. No tax hike and no debt ceiling hike. Problem solved.
It's never about the environment when democrats are in charge. It's about money.
The party of Weiner wants to tell the adults what to do. Got it.
RE: LOL. OK. I agree. No tax hike and no debt ceiling hike. Problem solved.
No, No, No. The Dems want TAX HIKES in exchange for no debt ceiling hikes.
Cutting unnecessary programs, you say?
uh, obama signed an extension of the so-called “bush tax cuts for the wealthy”
So now they are “The so-called obama tax cuts for the wealthy”
House Dems are completely irrelevant. It’s a pity the Senate Dems aren’t.
It reality, it needs to be both. Massive cuts and tax hikes.
There is no money, and there is a lot of debts. I hate to say this, but it is going to take a lot of pain to fix. I would rather have it now then on my children.
If Boehner caves on the debt ceiling then it is all over for the Republicans and America. If it is raised and the Dems start borrowing heavily, which you know damn well they will, you can bet that money will the be used for the so called “shovel ready jobs” just in time for the 2012 election. Millions of workers will go on “the dole” of taxpayer funded jobs.
Of course these jobs will only last thru the election when we will be faced with an even bigger deficit and no way to pay even the interest on the debt. Interest rates will skyrocket if you can even get a loan, inflation will take off and resemble the Weimar Republic, the dollar will no longer be the world currency, and every American will be on their own to try and survive.
This is why the Dems want the debt ceiling to rise once again. All they have to do is retain power for 4 more years and the America we all know and love will no longer exist.
In actuality the America we all hold dear in our memories hasn’t existed for quite some time. But at least there is a chance we can restore her back to health. The time is rapidly approaching when we will not be able to restore America without bloodshed. Even at that what chance would Patriots have against the resources of the US Government?
This may seem extreme to many of you but we truly are in a precarious situation. We simply can not hold out economically much longer and because the Democrats (communists) have their people in all key government and Judicial positions, control the military, and all police forces they will simply fill the vacuum. We will be presented with a fait accompli.
Also understand that if the debt ceiling is not raised, which we hope it will not be, the Dems will do everything in their power to make life even more miserable. Deep cuts in spending will have to be made but you can rest assured the Dems will not make cuts that make sense. Everything will be geared so they can say ‘see we told you so.’
Bottom line: it is imperative that Boehner and company hold the line on this and for all to realize there is no painless way out of this mess. We are only standing at the threshold of the misery that awaits us. There will be pain and suffering no matter who comes out on top. But rest assured that pain and suffering will be exponentially worse if the Democrats prevail.
http://www.zerohedge.com/article/german-rating-agency-feri-downgrades-us-government-bonds-aaa-aa
http://www.zerohedge.com/article/dagong-rating-agency-us-has-already-defaulted
The problem always becomes that the political class sees the extra revenue and spends them well ahead of the increased revenue. Mostly to get reelected.
The spending by Obama has been for one class and for one purpose - assure reelection. He gives taxpayer money to tax takers - municipal unions, federal gov’t unions, and private unions. Look at the stimulus - all went to unions and people on the receiving end of government checks.
The way to fix it is simple - slightly lower taxes; less regulation (get out of the way) and an real energy policy to tap our vast, and I mean vast, resources here in the US. Oh, and end corporate subsidies of all kinds; especially green energy.
I read both of those this morning. Thank you for posting those links. Anyone who isn’t aware of this info should check out the links griswold3 took the time to post for us.
And so it begins...
You are right, but lets be honest. No one will ever cut SSI, the seniors will revolt. We are to the point that there is no more money, and few good options.
How about we repeal Obamacare in exchange for an increase in the debt ceiling.
I'm not sure how the Dems do this since they don't control the House and have no hope of holding it in '12.
It's all about the elections. If we get a GOP Presidency and/or Senate we get spending cuts AND upgrades by ratings agencies since we have a newly raised debt ceiling.
If they raise the debt ceiling it will be now. Not in 2012. Once they open the floodgates again spending will go ballistic.
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