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Mitch McConnell Just Proposed the “Pontius Pilate Pass the Buck Act of 2011"
Redstate ^ | 7/12/2011 | Erick Erickson

Posted on 07/12/2011 2:23:28 PM PDT by Qbert

Mitch McConnell is right now talking about making a historic capitulation. So fearful of being blamed for a default, McConnell is proposing a compromise that lets Barack Obama raise the debt ceiling without making any spending cuts at all.

Consider sending McConnell a weasel as testament to his treachery. His address is 601 W. Broadway, Room 630, Louisville, KY 40202 and the phone number is (502) 582-6304.

McConnell’s idea is to make the debt ceiling automatic unless Congress, by a 2/3 vote blocks the increase. Oh yes, he put a salve on it by dressing it up in tough talk that, to quote the Wall Street Journal, “[a] ‘eal solution’ to U.S. fiscal problems isn’t possible as long as President Barack Obama remains in office.” So since no “real solution” is possible, McConnell proposes to go Pontius Pilate and wash his hands of spending, blaming Obama while doing nothing himself.

Here is how the plan would work.

In a nutshell, the President would get to raise the debt ceiling three times in the next year at several billion bucks a pop without making any spending cuts unless two-thirds of both houses of Congress disagree. In his press conference, McConnell says he would not give the President “unilateral authority to make spending cuts on his own,” but this plan would allow the President to raise the debt ceiling pretty much automatically.As the Politico notes,

Senate Republicans are actively pursuing a new plan under which the debt ceiling would grow in three increments over the remainder of this Congress unless lawmakers approve a veto-proof resolution of disapproval.

In effect lawmakers would be surrendering the very power of approval that the GOP has used to force the debt crisis now. But by taking the disapproval route, Republicans can shift the onus more onto the White House and Democrats since a two-thirds majority will be needed to stop any increase that President Barack Obama requests.

Yes, instead of putting the burden on the White House, McConnell would make it damn near impossible to block a debt ceiling increase. We’ve seen this before. The House once had the Gephardt rule that required the debt ceiling vote be attached to a more popular measure so members of Congress could escape a tough vote.

Consequently, the debt ceiling has gone up to $14 trillion without Congress ever having to make a tough choice about debt.

And now Mitch McConnell wants to make it even easier by allowing Congress to go through a dog and pony show of feigned cuts that never get cut while allowing escalation of our national debt. So much for accusing Barack Obama of smoke and mirrors.

2014 cannot come soon enough to destroy the political future of this weasel.

———————————– Editor’s note: I decided to make the title less incendiary.

Consider the Associated Press’s headline right now: “GOP Leader McConnell proposes giving Obama new power for automatic debt limit increase”

Updated again: Changed to title to something less incendiary. I still encourage weasels be mailed.

UPDATE: Some of the most willfully ignorant and willfully naive McConnell supporters are coming out of the woodwork to say this is not *the* plan, but a contingency plan if *the* plan can’t be agreed to. So let’s get this straight: if Democrats won’t agree to make spending cuts, we’ll fall back to the contingency where they get to raise the debt ceiling without making spending cuts.

That’s not a contingency, that’s handing the Democrats a silver platter.


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events; US: Kentucky
KEYWORDS: debtceiling; debtdeal; debtlimit; gopigs; judas; judasparty; mcconnell; mcconnell4mcconnell; mitchmcconnell; moderates; stupidparty
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To: Still Thinking

Yeah... they have the photos... ready to print and the obligatory bimbo to go on record with TMZ.


101 posted on 07/12/2011 11:38:24 PM PDT by antceecee (Bless us Father.. have mercy on us and protect us from evil.)
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To: Qbert

Not an accurate description of what mitch proposed...


102 posted on 07/12/2011 11:38:57 PM PDT by wardaddy (Palin or Bachman..either with Marco....I'm often on a DroidX..in bed late...hence my spelling..sorry)
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To: nascarnation

Abraham Lincoln with 39%.....plurality votes are very very dangerous in contentious times


103 posted on 07/12/2011 11:41:08 PM PDT by wardaddy (Palin or Bachman..either with Marco....I'm often on a DroidX..in bed late...hence my spelling..sorry)
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To: Qbert; MestaMachine
It is a cleverly designed ploy to force Obama to reveal specific cuts he would make which the Bummer has so far refused to do. If the Bummer refuses to accept the challenge, the Republicans can say that the President is not serious about avoiding "default". If the President accepts the challenge, he risks alienating many segments of his constituency.

No matter how the Bummer responds, the ball is in is court. Politics is a clever chess game.

BTW, you will find this conclusion gaining acceptance with political analysts.

104 posted on 07/13/2011 7:31:18 AM PDT by verity (The Obama Administration is a Criminal Enterprise.)
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To: Still Thinking

“They PAID the POS Off, has to be the reason,NO sane person could do this!

Or they have something to hang over him.”

Exactly ,maybe pictures of the Gobbler in a Gay Bar??


105 posted on 07/13/2011 7:48:13 AM PDT by Cheetahcat ( November 4 2008 ,A date that will live in Infamy.)
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To: Cheetahcat
Exactly, maybe pictures of the Gobbler in a Gay Bar??

These days, being seen in a STRAIGHT bar is probably more damning, especially if you're.....SMOKING!

106 posted on 07/13/2011 7:55:48 AM PDT by Still Thinking (Freedom is NOT a loophole!)
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To: Still Thinking

“Exactly, maybe pictures of the Gobbler in a Gay Bar??

These days, being seen in a STRAIGHT bar is probably more damning, especially if you’re.....SMOKING!”

Gasp!! Especially a Cigar like the Rushbo!


107 posted on 07/13/2011 8:03:20 AM PDT by Cheetahcat ( November 4 2008 ,A date that will live in Infamy.)
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To: Cheetahcat

OMG! Even one of those fake electronic ones like Rush has! What about the cheeeeeeeeeelrun???? [/ liberal weepy voice]


108 posted on 07/13/2011 8:05:17 AM PDT by Still Thinking (Freedom is NOT a loophole!)
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To: verity

“BTW, you will find this conclusion gaining acceptance with political analysts.”

Well, that’s not what I’ve seen, but at any rate, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid really like the plan...

http://www.redstate.com/erick/2011/07/13/nancy-pelosi-congratulates-mitch-mcconnell-on-his-pontius-pilate-act-seriously/


109 posted on 07/13/2011 8:37:43 AM PDT by Qbert ("The best defense against usurpatory government is an assertive citizenry" - William F. Buckley, Jr.)
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To: Qbert

You are certainly welcome to your own conclusion.


110 posted on 07/13/2011 10:19:13 AM PDT by verity (The Obama Administration is a Criminal Enterprise.)
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