This Weekend Was Always Coming

[babylonsister]

http://www.boomantribune.com/story/2011/7/30/91745/9270

This Weekend Was Always Coming

by BooMan
Sat Jul 30th, 2011 at 09:17:45 AM EST


Robert Reich is an incredibly smart man whose politics pretty much mirror my own, but he's got the same liberal myopia that I see from friends and colleagues throughout the blogosphere and the activist community. He wants to know, for example, why we're stuck debating the debt ceiling, deficits, and debt when we have persistently high unemployment, low economic growth, and increasing income disparity. Here's how he explains it to himself:

snip//

For every Robert Reich who is carping on the left, there are a dozen unhappy Republicans who think the GOP is acting recklessly. John Boehner's speakership is in ashes. Michele Bachmann in now polling about evenly with Mitt Romney. The GOP is having a huge internal fight and is loathed and mistrusted by the entire international community. They have been exposed for the radicals that they are, and the people disagree overwhelmingly with their behavior and their approach.

It could have been different. The president could have refused to accept any coupling of the debt ceiling to budget cuts. He could have, rather, argued he needed more money to stimulate the economy. He could have tried to convince people of that. But, in that case, we'd still be here this weekend facing default. And we'd be the party divided and unpopular. Obama, not Boehner, would be the one whose career was a smoking husk. And the people would be blaming the Democrats for their intransigence, instead of the other way around.

The truth is, the 2010 midterms were a catastrophe. They had horrible consequences. This weekend was one of those consequences, and it couldn't be avoided through "leadership."

[CanonRay]

1. The final act is still coming

which I believe will be a last minute vote on a bill, the contents of which are unknown to all but a few. It will be an up or down vote, with no amendments or discussion. We will have Rethug cuts jammed down our collective throats and the spin will be "there was nothing we could do...we couldn't let the economy crash". Perfect use of the Shock Doctrine. Watch for it.

[COLGATE4]

2. Unfortunately, I believe you are 100% correct.

[Union Thug]

3. You're probably right, but I hope your wrong... n/t

[Drahthaardogs]

4. You know, I thought the same thing this morning.

After Mitch McConnell called for a filibuster last night, I was confused. After all, he had been promoting a deal. Now it comes clear. The true Republicans are using the Tea Party like a rented mule and the Tea baggers don't get it. Reid and McConnell are going to pass something Monday morning. It is gonna stink for everyone except the Wall Street fat cats, because let's face it, that is who both parties fear and serve. We lose, they win. Tea Party gnashes teeth and calls for blood. The real people in power laugh and mock them for their naivete.

[Wednesdays]

7. Clarification: Tea Party gnashes teeth and calls for Obama's blood.

Isn't that how it always works? :shrug:

[Mojambo]

5. Truth.n/t

[lucca18]

6. Yes, that's the way it looks to me too....

It seems to me the word "compromise" means that the Repugs get 80% of they want.

[dana_b]

9. that's how I see it too

they've already done this and it's just a game of rinse, repeat.

[flamingdem]

10. Gak. It seems to be going in that direction nt

[Davis_X_Machina]

8. On a similar theme...

...see this piece by the always-worth-reading (because he's a political scientist, and not a party polemicist) Johnathan Bernstein.....The context of liberal surrender and Barack Obama’s choices.

The first rule of Fight Club is "Don't lose general elections'.

[lunatica]

11. The die is cast

They win, we lose. They lose, we lose.