Romney Laments That Democrats Didn't Raise The Debt Ceiling Themselves Before His Party Got Involved

[Zorro]

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) bemoaned Thursday that Democrats didn’t just raise the debt ceiling themselves before Republicans got their grubby mitts on it.

“Don’t forget that that could have been solved a long time ago by our Democrat friends simply in their reconciliation bill doing what Leader McConnell asked them to do, which is just raise the debt ceiling yourselves — didn’t need a single Republican vote, not a single vote!” Romney exclaimed at a Senate Budget Committee hearing. “But they chose not to because politicking is the way of this city and it makes the American people sick — frankly, it makes a number of us who serve in these positions a little ill as well.”

Let’s break this down.

Romney is arguing that Democrats let politics get in the way of raising the debt ceiling last congressional term, since they could have raised it with a bare majority. And that’s probably true! At least on paper, Democrats had the votes, but they didn’t want to be saddled with (false) Republican attacks that they’d ballooned the debt.

It was also political motivation that prevented Republicans from voting with Democrats to raise the debt ceiling then, the better to either attack them by conflating raising the debt ceiling with enormous spending, or to preserve leverage for a later date.

Distilled, Romney’s message is this: Darn you Democrats for not taking care of the debt ceiling then, because you knew we’d refuse to raise the limit unless you conceded to our demands, and look what a sticky spot we’re in now.

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/romney-debt-ceiling-democrats

Democrats are forcing us to shoot the hostage and destroy the country's and the world's economy -- that's the Republican spin.

[Mad_Machine76]

1. If memory serves

Manchin and/or Sinema prevented such a move. Although, of course, if Romney and a few other Republicans pushed the issue, it could have been resolved, right?

[brush]

5. Exactly. Romney always pretends to be a sensibe repug but conveniently forgets the...

Sinema/Manchin faction.

[The Unmitigated Gall]

2. Was a weasel. Is a weasel.

Always WILL be a weasel.

[no_hypocrisy]

3. Bottom Line:

Republicans are mad at Democrats for not saving them from themselves.

[inthewind21]

4. Well

I care what Romney thinks or says about as much as I do about what any other republican half wit thinks or says. Which is ZERO!

[apnu]

6. What a great endorsement of your party Mittens! (Nt)

[AllaN01Bear]

7. rmoney , at it again eh?

[Raven123]

8. Why should the Dems put it in their reconciliation bill? Lets the GOP off the hook

[BlueTsunami2018]

14. Because we could have avoided this nonsense.

How does it “let them off the hook”?

It lets them blow up the economy and blame it on the Democrats.

They should have eliminated it altogether. It’s stupid and pointless.

[Raven123]

15. I agree with your third point.

[liberalmediaaddict]

20. Manchin refused to even consider it

The majority of Democrats were sounding the alarm about the need to lift the debt ceiling before Republicans took back the House. But they couldn't get around "Mr. Bipartisan" Joe Manchin.

I'm sure Sinema would have tried to block it too.

[BlueTsunami2018]

22. There always seems to be someone on "our" side willing to sabotage everything.

Whether it was Traitor Joe Lieberman under Obama or the Greatest Democrat Ever™️ Manchin now, there’s always someone throwing a wrench in the works.

It’s just infuriating.

[JHB]

9. "Why yes, my party has become a pile of poop. That's why it's the Democrat Party's responsibility...

...to fix us, while "reasonable" Republicans like me sit back and let them do all the work, because we're their betters and they should know their place."

[Fullduplexxx]

10. "But they chose not to because politicking is the way of this city and it makes the American people

“But they chose not to because politicking is the way of this city and it makes the American people sick"
THEN WHY DO YOU DO IT YOU ENORMOUS POMPASS HORSE'S ASS

[In It to Win It]

11. What stopped him from crossing the aisle if he didn't want to let politics get in the way?

I'm guessing politics stopped him.

[keep_left]

25. Yep. Anyone remember Romney's little open-mic moment at that fundraiser or whatever...

...event it was where he pontificated about how we're all moochers? Romney is supposed to be one of the nice, respectable, moderate Republicans...and even he gets caught on a hidden microphone making snide remarks about the "47% takers"!

Romney is just as willing to destroy whatever is left of the safety net as MTG is. If the country defaults, well, hey, no more "takers"!

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=17766028
https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=17838100

[Midnight Writer]

12. "Look what you made me do!"-Every abusive partner ever

[barbtries]

13. So Democrats should be blamed

for operating in good faith. It seems that's the trend.

sick of it.

[BlueTsunami2018]

17. Yes, quite frankly they should be.

Operating in good faith only makes sense if you have an opposition that will do the same. We don’t. We should never be operating in good faith with these people. We should be as ruthless and cutthroat or even more so than they are.

This isn’t a gentleman’s agreement, this is a battle for the very soul of the country. And they’re better at it. They’re winning.

[barbtries]

18. because they SUCK.

i'm not going down that road.

[BlueTsunami2018]

21. Then you'll be going down their road.

The one thing I hate about this party is the unwillingness to do whatever it takes to win. The GOP doesn’t care at all about what’s “seemly”, not to mention ethical or even legal. They’ll do anything to get what they want and that’s why it’s only matter of time before they do.

When one side plays by the so-called rules and the other has no rules, the other side always wins.

[barbtries]

23. then i would be them. no thanks nt

[LiberalFighter]

16. He what?

[liberalmediaaddict]

19. Manchin wouldn't allow it

He said raising the debt limit should be bipartisan. He refused to include it in any budget reconciliation bill or during the lame duck session.

Wonder if he regrets that decision now. I seriously doubt it.

[2naSalit]

24. Look what you're making us do?