Posted on 07/12/2011 2:04:58 PM PDT by Hojczyk
Now that the table is set, heres how the proposed plan would work: Republicans in Congress would agree to vote to authorize the president to propose three separate incremental debt ceiling increases, spaced over the remainder of his term. He would be required to couple each request with a corresponding set of spending cuts that exceed the dollar amount of his sought-after debt limit hike. These cuts would be of his choosing alone. The first pair of requests would come prior to the August 2 deadline. It would be for roughly $700 Billion. The next requests, for $900 Billion, would come in the fall, and the final tranche (also for $900 Billion) would be scheduled for summer of 2012 in the thick of the campaign cycle.
In all likelihood, on each occasion, Republicans would overwhelmingly vote to disapprove of the presidents debt ceiling increase request. This allows GOP members (and almost certainly some vulnerable Democrats) to technically vote no on raising the debt ceiling. If, as is likely, simple majorities in both houses vote to disapprove of the presidents requests, hed be forced to veto each disapproval, pinging the issue back to Capitol Hill. If Congress cant override those vetos with 2/3 majorities (and Republicans wont have the votes, even with some Democrats), the debt ceiling will increase. But not without the exacting a substantial political price from the president and his allies in Congress. They will own the debt ceiling hike. Period. Members of Congress who vote with the president will set themselves up to be targeted by brutal attack ads (so-and-so has voted to increase the national debt limit three times in the last year alone, etc).
(Excerpt) Read more at hotair.com ...
Wow, what a cowardly way to play politics
What a boomerang!
If it will speed up the destruction of the country, hussein will be all for it.
I would agree that this is all comical event now...with this daily meeting of the President, his staff, the Democrats and the Republicans. Might as well allow the President to raise this on his own, and vote it up or down (would make this shorter in the long-run). If he screws this up...they vote all vote against it.
My guess is that Obama really doesn’t want that kind of authority...he’d just screw up the opportunity.
This plan is basically the only way the GOP comes out of this unscathed. Lay it all on Obama’s doorstep, and make him give specific details on spending cuts in order to raise the debt ceiling. I think it's a great plan.
And while we’re at it, let’s just send all the Senators home and let the writers at The Onion write our laws. We may as well put professional jokers in charge...
And threatening the elderly ain’t? If he wants it, let him bite it and make him chew it until he chokes.
And threatening the elderly ain’t? If he wants it, let him bite it and make him chew it until he chokes.
We should arm the Taliban while we’re at it.
At this point I'm convinced we're like an alcoholic... we need to hit bottom before we can start our recovery. This ought to help in that regard.
How about we DEarm them. Note, DEarm is not the same as DISarm.
Brilliant plan by the GOP.
Are you being sarcastic?? The democrats will prevent either body from reaching the two thirds to prevent the debt ceiling from rising and even if they do, the president will veto it.
This is just a way for the Congress to not have to do what it knew it was going to do anyway but didn’t want to take the heat for.
Do you have a better idea, at least in terms of politics, for the GOP? This is the only way to hold Barry's feet to the fire and finally make him show his cards. He blew it today with his threat to withhold SS checks, and putting him in charge of the debt ceiling is the combo punch.
Personally, I like the idea of making Obama (and lots of Rats in the House and Senate) eat not one, not two, but THREE sh*t sandwiches on the way to the Nov 2012 elections.
Render unto Caesar the things which are not Caesars, and unto God the things that are not Gods
Then you’re a fool. The power to borrow money constitutionally rests with the Congress. They should not take their own responsibility and place it with Obama, who will obviously abuse it. There is no check with this plan. Obama gets his increase unless the congress gets a two-thirds majority to stop it (which would never happen). And then Obama would veto it if it did.
Yes I have a better plan in terms of politics. Let the phony August date pass, just like the phoney May date and force Obama to prioritize spending. If we spend 2.6 trillion this year, there’s no need to borrow any more money.
Dude, this man has been giving military weapons to the Mexican drug cartels. Do you need any more evidence of what kind of cards this man holds ?
No. No. No. No. NO.
Once again, politics and getting re-elected are more important than what is best for the country. Time for a third party.
This is simple, a press conference by Mcconnel and boner..
Mr PBO, unless your suggesting a tax holiday for all businesses, and all workers, which we would welcome in the middle of a depression...money keeps comming in to the treasury. If you and turbotax timeh, choose to rob seniors of their SS checks, while continuing to funding abortions around the world, well that’s your choice, Oh and BTW, after running guns illegally, passing no budget in 800 + days, and a litany of lesser high crimes, if you choose to rob seniors, and fail to cut spending, Please understand you will face investigations, and impeachment proceedings until we ride your corrupt butt clean back to Chicago, and maybe the way Blago choose to go!
Completely unnecessary. I didn't read past this insult.
Ready. Aim. Fire.
It's a deliciously devious plan . . . me likey.
Make him come to Congress. Their is a great advantage in selecting the place of negotiating and so far he has all the advantage. Change that!
All these actions, or rather, inactions, of Congress do seem poised to make Feckless Leader consider them, ultimately, irrelevant. Not to mention poor little old us, the American people. How can McConnell think that people cannot already see what a weasel Floppy Ears is? Moreover, how can a more or less sentient being believe that essentially giving a would-be dictator more power is ever a smart idea, much less beneficial to one’s self? He is proposing that Congress give him another taste of carte blanche, basically. Sheesh.
Is that what you think the highest priority is - to come out of a fight unscathed? There's a word for people who think that way.
Doesn’t sound practical. Infact, it probably has enough loopholes for Obama to ride right through. Hope this is just a proposal that McConnell expects Obama to reject, because it’s wacked.
It gives Obama 3 trillion bucks. Stoopid!
If you aren't taking politics into at least a little bit of consideration, then you're not being realistic about 2012.
Tax hikes are what they plan to slip in under the propaganda about the debt ceiling. McConnell’s plan is really a way to talk about the debt ceiling three times over the next year and a half while slipping big tax hikes into those bills.
Talk about not being realistic!!! Not only will it be possible for Obama to do so... he will, with every media talking head agreeing with him! You and McConnell both make the same mistake: you assume that anyone in the media will call Obama on his lies. Well, the press hasn't to this point.
In fact, if Obama went on TV and blamed this very law for the economy, McConnell will have ten Sunday-shows calling to ask why he wrote a law specifically designed to destroy the American economy.
You (and McConnell) need to be realistic. There's no way to "spin" this without the press' help. That's why Republicans need to achieve something... not place their hopes on political spin...
I have a news alert for you, Obama is going to blame the GOP no matter what happens.
What the GOP should seek is clarity. Namely, that Obama favors a debt ceiling increase so he can increase govt spending while the GOP opposes a debt ceiling increase because the GOP wants to decrease govt spending. Provide the voter with that clarity and let the chips fall where they may.
If our fellow citizens are worthy of the free Republic that we have inherited, then they will do the right thing. And if they are not, then no amount of tactical cleverness by the GOP will save them.

Jon Stewart could do a week on each of the phony votes against the 3 increases.
This could be laid at Obama's door, only if the MSM goes along, which they won't. It will be pointed out that Obama was allowed by the Republicans to have this power, and that he was forced to use the power because the Republicans wouldn't raise taxes.
Here is reality. No debt ceiling hike, and Obama continues to destroy the economy at a faster rate, deliberately, and he'll blame the GOP for it. I just don't see why this is such a terrible idea (other than the 2/3 vote; I'd like to see a simple majority vote in the House).
It seems like I remember a time in the recent past when a republican led senate tried to enact a line item veto structured somewhat like this proposal. It was struck down as being unconstitutional because congress can not transfer to the president that power assigned them by the constitution. A change in constitutional power requires an amendment to the constitution. It is not enough just to desire to shift blame for unpopular policy.
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